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The Zincali-Part32_George Borrow(1803-1881)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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Shoplifting, and other kinds of private larceny, are connected with

stealing a pastesas, for in all dexterity of hand is required.



Many of the Gitanas of Madrid are provided with large pockets, or

rather sacks, beneath their gowns, in which they stow away their



plunder. Some of these pockets are capacious enough to hold, at

one time, a dozen yards of cloth, a Dutch cheese and a bottle of



wine. Nothing that she can eat, drink, or sell, comes amiss to a

veritable Gitana; and sometimes the contents of her pocket would



afford materials for an inventory far more lengthy and curious than

the one enumerating the effects found on the person of the man-



mountain at Lilliput.

CHIVING DRAO. - In former times the Spanish Gypsies of both sexes



were in the habit of casting a venomouspreparation into the

mangers of the cattle for the purpose of causing sickness. At



present this practice has ceased, or nearly so; the Gitanos,

however, talk of it as universalamongst their ancestors. They



were in the habit of visiting the stalls and stables secretly, and

poisoning the provender of the animals, who almost immediately



became sick. After a few days the Gitanos would go to the

labourers and offer to cure the sick cattle for a certain sum, and



if their proposal was accepted would in effect perform the cure.

Connected with the cure was a curious piece of double dealing.



They privately administered an efficacious remedy, but pretended to

cure the animals not by medicines but by charms, which consisted of



small variegated beans, called in their language bobis, (56)

dropped into the mangers. By this means they fostered the idea,



already prevalent, that they were people possessed of supernatural

gifts and powers, who could remove diseases without having recourse



to medicine. By means of drao, they likewiseprocured themselves

food; poisoning swine, as their brethren in England still do, (57)



and then feasting on the flesh, which was abandoned as worthless:

witness one of their own songs:-



'By Gypsy drow the Porker died,

I saw him stiff at evening tide,



But I saw him not when morning shone,

For the Gypsies ate him flesh and bone.'



By drao also they could avenge themselves on their enemies by

destroying their cattle, without incurring a shadow of suspicion.



Revenge for injuries, real or imaginary, is sweet to all

unconverted minds; to no one more than the Gypsy, who, in all parts



of the world, is, perhaps, the most revengeful of human beings.

Vidocq in his memoirs states, that having formed a connection with



an individual whom he subsequently discovered to be the captain of

a band of Walachian Gypsies, the latter, whose name was Caroun,



wished Vidocq to assist in scattering certain powders in the

mangers of the peasants' cattle; Vidocq, from prudential motives,



refused the employment. There can be no doubt that these powders

were, in substance, the drao of the Spanish Gitanos.



LA BAR LACHI, OR THE LOADSTONE. - If the Gitanos in general be

addicted to any one superstition, it is certainly with respect to



this stone, to which they attribute all kinds of miraculous powers.

There can be no doubt, that the singular property which it



possesses of attracting steel, by filling their untutored minds

with amazement, first gave rise to this veneration, which is



carried beyond all reasonable bounds.

They believe that he who is in possession of it has nothing to fear



from steel or lead, from fire or water, and that death itself has

no power over him. The Gypsy contrabandistas are particularly



anxious to procure this stone, which they carry upon their persons

in their expeditions; they say, that in the event of being pursued



by the jaracanallis, or revenue officers, whirlwinds of dust will

arise, and conceal them from the view of their enemies; the horse-



stealers say much the same thing, and assert that they are

uniformly successful, when they bear about them the precious stone.



But it is said to be able to effect much more. Extraordinary

things are related of its power in exciting the amorous passions,



and, on this account, it is in great request amongst the Gypsy

hags; all these women are procuresses, and find persons of both



sexes weak and wicked enough to make use of their pretended




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