The Express.
London, England, 1865-12-27 00:00:00

LITERATURE

A History, of the Gipsies. with Specimens of the
with
Limping& By WAISIS Simon. Edited,
with Preface, Introduction, and Notes, and a
Disquisition oa the Past, Present, and Future of
Gipsydom by JAN= SUWON. London; Samp-
son Low andi Co.
The gipsies are a phenomenon of ethnology which
has excited the special wonder of the students of
that science, and hitherto baffled their investiga-
tions. A savage people, existing in the very bosom
of civilisation, and preferring their own wild liberty,
with all its privations, sufferings, end terrible par-
secutione, to the peace and comfort of a settled lite.
A people dreading. whilst they despise the laws
of the lands in which they dwell, aid-
mated at the same time with an mote&
pride of race, and an exoteric feeling ofd nsest
1 shame when there extraction II
discov Are
they really a distinct people, or are they marl, the
fallen and diarated outwits of the several comma-
eines to which they ding with palmitin tenacity /
The opinioes of Royiand, wholes/the of 'latish girlies,
of Grellrean, who treats of Hunentian frinniais of
Borrow, who investigated the condition of the gip-
aim ir. Spain, and of the present authee whose re-
searches are livened to Soodand, are nes.nizaona in
assigniag to the roes a separate national entity, and
an oriental origin. We must 'mikes that the proofs
upon which these conclusions rest are extremely Alen-
der, mad rather of a negative than a positive character.
The simple feet that out of some three or four
dozen words, which is all that the author of this
work has been able to obtain of the gipsy Logone,
1 a fewer* found to resemble words with similes mem:t-
inge in Rindostanes, seems a vary narrow founda-
tion on which to raise such a large theory as the
origin and geographical distribatioa of a rene. This
le especially the case whenwe know that the Sansurit
is the kernel of all the lndo-Germanio languages—
that is, the languages of the countries
O from which
the des me supposed to have come—as well as of
those in which they are found at the present day.
Mr. Simeon has collected a vast mess of par-
ticulars conoerning the Scotch gipsies, and hiseditor
has greatly immeshed the store by numerous foot
notes and a long disquisition on their condition and
prosphcts. The facta are however, given without
selection or arrangement, 'and they help us to no
definite conclusion. This is •a pity, for the collec-
tion of them appears to have cat the brothers an
immense outlay both in time and labour. They
also bear every mark of careful and conscientious
investigation. Future writers on the subject who
may have settled views regarding the gipsies will
find In *is book a rich supply of data, but as it is
'it really leads us nowhere. It is "like atangled
II chitin, nothing impaired but all disordered." Leaving
out of view the scientific part of the question,
we have in the particulars here set before us a fear-
ful picture of a considerable portion of the human
farnily—men and women living in open violation
of the laws of God and man, ready at any moment
to commit theft, robbery, murder, and only re-
strained from such crimes by the animal instinct
that teaches even brutes not to prey upon their own
species,
ave nor to prey at all in the presence of a ssups.
noravenging power. The annals of the Scottish
gipsies are literally written in blood. We have here
accounts of whole families dying at the same
moment on the gallows, and this our author and his
editor insist was one grea cause why the gips's'
kept together as a separate t clam in the community.
The editor does not permit us to hope, however,
that even the repeal of these brutalising laws, and
the substitution in their stead of mild, humanising
treatment, will have the slightest effect In
breaking down the barrier that separates
the gipeiee the Christian comnsitice among
which they live. No, the Messrs. Simeon say once
II a gipsy always a gipsy ; nay, we are told, with
emphatic reiteration, that even the mixture of white
blood with that of the darker race can have no in-
fluence in bringing about a blending of the two. We
are gravely informed that the dark race must for
ever remain the type to which all admixtures and
aberrations must be finally assimilated ; that it
matters not how small may be the proportion of
dark blood, even if it amount to but one part in
eight, it will still dominate the other
seven parts, and make the apparently
white civilised Christian man a dark and
wild gipsy at heart, ready to betake himself to the
savage life of his barbarian kindred when the wild
strain is duly excited. All this is contrary to wha t
both history and physiology teach us respecting the
blending of races, nor can we imagine how such in-
telligent gentlemen as the Messrs. Simeon could
have arrived at so preposterous a conclusion. To
do them right, they offer scarcely anything in the
shape of argument to support their opinions, beta
content to state them over and over again
ferent words. The only thing like argument we
can discover in the boot in support of the perpetuity
of Gipsydom is this. A gipsy woman marries a
white man, and teaches her children to hate their
father and the race to which he belongs ; they do
eo, and when the occasion arrives leave their
comfortable home, forget their genteel or decent
training, shake off all the tastes they have been bred
up to, and betake themselves to the squalid misery
of the tinker's encampment, preferring the profes-
sion of robbers of hen-roots to the lives of gentle-
men. Do not the Messrs. Simeon see that it is
much more likely that children thus bred would
look with horror and scorn upon the condition of
their maternal kindred, would fly from them, and
use every possible means to abolish every tie that
might seem to bind them to a vagabond and despised
race 1 We are by no means convinced that tha
whole of the gipsies will not one day be absorbed
into the mass of the population ; and we think the
experiments made by the Rev. Mr. Crabb, of South-
ampton, prove very clearly that it is not only not
impoesible, but not even very difficult, to detach the
younger gipsy branches from the parent stock.

FRANCE.
TAII.I. Dzo. IC
'The Emperor and Emprmi hare paid a visit to
the new budding_of the Tribunal of Commerce.
The director of the Pins School of Medicine has
addressed a letter to the is of those students
whose curds of admission to the lectures hid been
withdrawn, requesting them to recall their sons, in
order to avoid the uupkastait consequesee• of their
taking part in any disturbances.
The /Prance of this evening announces that the
international conference which is to be held at
Constantinople will easemble in the beginning of
1 January.
------

THE 2dINISTZRIAL CRIBI.B IN NALL
Dow on cows

FLORENOS, Dso.
It is of vest' little nee to occupy your space with
amounts of the floating coaasotures here respecting
the formation el a sew ministry, when the tele-
graph will give you certain information 4is to the
result before my speculations as to ill prbbabilities
can reach you. The annimicoement made to the
Chamber by ministers' in accordance with their
promise at the previous sitting, was to the effect
that the entire ministry had given in their resigna-
tions, and that they had been accepted by the King.
Signor Chiaves was the spokesman on this occasion,
as on that of the previous day. The announce-
ment was heard by the Chamber with an entire
absence of any expression either of approbation or
the reverse. The communication was expected,
and all the interest attending it had been dis-
counted.
To-day there is no sitting of the Chamber, and
to-morrow we shall no doubt be made acquainted
with the combination which, it is said, his been
already arranged. It is believed that La Marmora has
been requested by the King to resume office, and un-
dertake the formation of a new cabinet. It is said also
that Signor Lanza is to hold the portfolio oft he
Finance Department. Signor Sella was a distin-
guished geologist. Perhaps Signor Linea may be
equally great in some other ology. It is believed that
no element of the Left enters into the composition of
the new cabinet. It is, in fact, if the current be-
lief is to be relied on, a mere shuffling of the old
cards, and an attempt to jog on a little longer and
a little further in the old way.
The Chamber has unquestionably seined in au-
thority and credit with the country by the all but
unanimous vote which declared that the minister
had acted illegally. The Right as well as the Left,
tie Centre as well as either of the extremities of
the parliamentary scale, has shown that it knows
how to place the neoessity of respecting and holding
inviolate constitutional legality above all niece
considerations of party. The ministess, on the
other hand, seem to have been led into the lad
position from which it was impossible to issue
without the loss of (ministerial) life, by an old-
fashioned and highly pernicious notion that the
"dignity of government " was involved in main-
taining its right to despotic action. It is quite well
that, even at the cost of an inopportune ministerial
crisis, a loudly preached and salutary lesson should
have been read to Italian public men on this subject.
The remainder of yesterday's sitting was occupied
with the discussion of a proposition by Signor Man-
cini for the appointment of a commission, with power
to examine witnesses, aro., for the re-examination
and investigation of the national accounts
for the last four years. The immediate question
was whether this proposition should be dealt with
immediately by the Rouse, or should be referred to
the "bureaux," or standing committees, as we
should say, for previous examination and report to
the entire Chamber. The latter course was de-
cided on. The proposal of Signor Mancini was in
no wise opposed by the late Minister of Finance.
Signor Sella, on the contrary, supported the mo-
tion, and expressed his opinion that such an inves-
tigation was very necessary for the bringing to
light of a. whole world of vicious and obstructive
administrative methois.
to

THE INDIA AND CHINA MAILS.

WnrrlIlALL, Dec. 23.—The Queen has been
to direct letters patent to be passed under the Great
of the United Riegdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
granting unto the Right Hon. Granville George, Earl Gran-
vale, the ofilos of constable of her Majeety's Castle
h of
Dover, and also the office of warden and keeper ofher
Majesty's Cinque Ports, and the office of admiralty within
the said Cinque Ports, in the room of Henry John,Visoonot
Palmerston, deceased. —Gazttte.
SVEGICAL BARON ErS.—From an analysis of the
calander of the College of Surgeons which has just been
published it appears that only five gentlemen have bad this
honour conferred on them since the establishmeot of the
college in 1890—viz., Sir Everard Home, who filled the
office of president in the years 1813 and 1821 ; Sir David
Dander, who filled the same office in 1819 ; Sir Astley
Pastor Cooper, in 1827 and 1836 ; Sir Beejsmin Collins
Brodie, in 1844 ; and the recently appointed Sir William
FOIVLSIOD. There have only been four knights Sir
Charles Slick*, Sir James Earle, Sir William Blizard, and
Sir Anthony Carlisle.
Cancer or • BURGLAR.—Testerday a young
man, well dressed, was brought before the mayor and sit.
Mug magistrates at the police-office. Nottingham, charged
with robbery at the Coach and Horses, Mansfield-reed.
Rhoda Reed said that os going upstairs on Saturday night
she saw the prisoner in the doorway, and from the drawers
in the bedroom being open she respected the prisoner of
robbery. He rushed past bee downstairs arid she called
" Stop thief !" Mrs. Carter, the landlady, on bearing the
alarm given by the girl, rushed towards the stairs, and had
ascended two steps when the prisoner ran into her arms,
sod they both fell together. A violent struggle en
vain
nsued,
but she kept feet hold of the prisoner, who i
attempted to extricate himself. Her cries for assistanos
brought some of the company of the house to her aid, tied
the prisoner was effectually secured. & policeman
him •
named
Jennings searched the prisoner, and found upon
instru-
jemmy, 11 skeleton keys, snd other burglarious
ments. le his pockets were also a silver watch, 9 silver
spoons, sad money, which the landlady identified as her
property ; while the prisoner wee being searched another
man (supposed to be an accomplice) who had been drinking
with the company walked sway. They bad both previously
wanted change for notes, and me supposed to be the same
who have lately visited hotels in Worcester, Manchester,
Northampton, and laiNiter as commercial travellers. The
prisoner was remanded.

The following full details of this disaster, wbish
hie tuned out to have been move serioas than was thyme
from the Isle **wont, ere ham the Oork Cossithaidit :
The Die left Leak& cis Moeda, far Cork.. Bellyerthies
was made about half-past the o'clock ea W
nooe. The weather thee ban thick, 011Pednadian
stood a little is how's& the bad in coke to risks Pear
Heed, but wham off Bellyerounden Bay the thipines suddenly
broke down. the after mask plop item,lbrokee. The wee-
tier st the time was furfu Woe blow* from the
south-week and • aging see • . Wine Oapheia
Holland found his 'meet drifting an • lee shore ho
ordered the big of dWress to be bus up—the void
mato with mei= down, sad Lathed the
' nuehisary damaged ;^ and busedistely ,Gee ad
set to try sad wear the ship, which wee fast run
Into the bay, but all te no purpose—eh* would
answer her helm, so severe wee- the pis, mid mein
her fast Mitts& In shore Captain Holland ordered tea
anchors to be let ge—one at 65, sad the other at 45
fathoms. Garai& Hellen& next ordered ape WI the
boats to be lowered, sad seat the wend officer epd
three men in her to try sad comnsuoicate with the =
During this time the weal *nab ef dram were
which with observed by the aortguard et
crones, who came down to the bath, but
render no ambiance. TIM Akan sad men pultedS
again to the ship, and alter peat difficulty were jot
cm board, bat the boat was swamped ,during the sight
The Ibis aeotioned to lie to her anchor' but .
boozed violently, tbe sea at times making a cle la
an breach
over her, sad iii others semis' her decks. Just wises all
he
hope was failing, • steamer was seen moving a-imad out-
side and Caplets Holland burned Moe lights, but s
paid is her way. Osptela Holland supposed that, owls(
to the thither of the weather, she did not native biro.
Meanwhile the coastguard men despatched • memeoger to
Queenstown to obtain emietasee, and on Thursday swain
at sheet hall-past 9 eidook the Sabrina came to her W.
She bed takes whh her the two stoutest hawsers fa the
company's stores, the 7 inches I. diameter, and which bad
sever been wed. As soon se the Sabrina came off the Ibis she
made attempts to get the hawser an board, but three times
they failed. However, the fourth attempt era successful,
and when Captais Holland found his vessel under way, he
slipped both his ebb, which had bees made ready for
doing so with buoys attached. He then ran aft to take the
beauty of the ship's head and see that site was paying off
the laud, but before begot to the wheel the hawser sesPeed,
and the Ibis drifted in shore until she struck on the J alien
rock, where she stack fast. The sea broke in fury over
shd
the
vessel, drenching the parsagers, who were all on deck,
carrying away part of her bulwarks. The rock is about a
mile from the shore, and on it she remained for • few bouts,
when site parted in two, her after-part going down into deep
water, loam' nothing bat the mizenmest seen, but theft/re-
vert may *don the roth,and was after warbdrifted in to within
about 100 yards of the shore, where up to Friday evening is
remained, standing as if it lay in dock. The fore sad main
masts were up, but the fennel was gone. Along with the
Sabrina, the Cormorant, which was bound for Louden,
also came to the Ibis. When several of the attempts es
the pert of the Sabrina to pais the hawser to the Ibis failed
her captain lowered his Isfeboat, end at the risk of his
life and those of the men with bin, tried to pus • rope
between the two vessels, bet could not do sa, and ned
so his ship, when he and his mew were picked up, eat the
boat was lost. The hawser between the &brie&
and Ibis was conveyed by means of the shanties
United -States sad Lord Clyde, which lett the
harbour on receipt of tic news of the diaaster. After
the vessel shuck, Captain Holland saw that the only way
of same the lives of those on board was by taking to the
theta, and be ordered all to be lowered. The Crew, it is
said, seemed horrorstricken at going tato much • boiling
surf in small bats, bat Ceptain Hollsod cried out that he
would allow them the way, and immediately jumped into
the Sabrina, o
By the arrival of the above mails we have advice, "sip tion was tic lifeboats. Two of the seamen followed bin'. His
as to gto if he could. The sea,
from Calcutta to Nov. 22 ; Madras, Nov. 27 ; Co- however, ran so bigb, that it was almost madness to try to
Hong Kong, Nov. 15, &c. go against it, sad the two men with him giving up, (*Min
lombo, Nov. 30 ;
Holland ran the boat for the shore. When about one bus-
The &deices from Calcutta by the present mail dyed yards from it she was upset, and the three swept Into
are no later than those cut Bombay which appeared the waves. The two seamen were 11thert Laketon sad
in our impression of the 23rd inst., From Madras Joseph Sullivan. On areatieg • wave, Osp.
we learn that the monsoon had set in, and that the nein Holland succeeded In Patinae an oar but.
rains had been very
we heavy.
learn that the weather during good swimmer though he is, even with its the
he was tumbled over and over iu the water, until washed
From Ceylon
ashore almost insensible. Hs was caught by some of the
the last fortnight bad been unfavourable ta the country people who crowded the beach, and taken to a
shipment of coffee. The revenue of the island is in hones, where he ewe after regained his senses. Sullivan,
perished. He was seen to lay bold of an oar, but no sooner
attar • hard Menges reached the land, but Inkseon
& satisfactory state, but the Colombo Observer says
it regrets "to learn that there is no hope of any bad be dose so than it was washed from his hands, and he
addition for years to come from the pearl fishery. .ask hoooomo the nous. During noi oho, time the scene on
The result of a recent inspection is given in words board the ship was of • most heartrending nature—the pas-
short, emphatic, decisive,—' No oysters of any kind wingers croerded together, and bade ose another good bye,
were found.'" expecting that the next moment would be their last. Some
No fresh cases of piracy are reported by the c""
tehilungit ieof caseadt.luoctni IT wa.tndeete'eral
14i/tit:ye set about,
China mail. A lorcha, supposed to be the one but each one of them before they were healtlay tr!tri:'
engaged in the recent attack on the Henry Darling, slime met. watery grave. Among them was • rose same:l
has been captured by one of our gunboats and taken Maliony, seaman. The remaining passengers remaiael
to Hong Kong. The China Mail, while believing on the wreck until, fortunately for them, the outward
that such measures' 'as' this will have a decided "w°4 lames itwumw City of Lewd" ws° "woo& and
Grusin Seaton, of the Lord Clyde tug beat, made towards
effect in checking piracy, is yet of opinion that her, and informed her captain of the position of the Ibis,
nothing effectual can possibly be done until the ad asked him ee sendr one of bie lifeboats to the moue of
Chinese authorities are compelled to take an active the pasionsera. This request be immediately granted ;
part in the labour of suppression ; and the boat, manned by volunteers, was launched sad
there is only one way in which they towed by the Lord Clyde to Ballymoneen Bay. She
cat managed to get alessekle the Ibis sod to take off the twisty
be spurred into activity. " They must be made," cm. persons remaining on baud her, and land them safely.
it gays, " to pay for every vessel destroyed or Amongst them were two little boys who stood ma-
plundered by the pirates, the full value of the spicuously brave throughout the Norm's greatest fierceness
property lost or destroyed. We have • legal claim —they were the young Browns, sons of Captain &IMO.
on them for each reimbursement, because it isw-7, 111. 'ln: 'ZIT tia ""'"nlon t"
ruff,
through their negligence that we suffer. They ,:i t,4 on ir He 1,.. Lohnod he =hn bey One.. e
nof them h
we c a..
ought further to be made to pay the expenses afterwards got into the City of London's lifeboat, but se
incurred by our naval authorities in the protection full was it that they had to lie down on the flooring of the
of the trade, and might be credited, to make all boat. The little fakirs, who wino coming home for their
square, with the proceeds of the sale of the cap- Christmas b°lWs, thatlt irhedytdh:dweeZ,ibtchdellw clbaao rd.
turgid piratical matt. To attain this very desirable everythingbamee-h had them them.
.a.
tw at the piuseogen on em was see
consummation a formal convention, first between The laid see
gadime, ker (mimed put long elm. In
the governments of Europe interested in the China shore, and firm os its keel, the after part barely
trade, and afterwards with the Emperor of China, sun. and with Um miscing,' only prominently above the
will, in our opinion, be found necessary. WSW% Darin Fridy the shore was strewn with portions
We el the wreck, but very little cd the cargo came "there. •
shall never cease to urge this question on the at- The bust socosnte give the returns of peaseepra lost se
tendon of the governing powers here, and our three vodkas, three &Bch passengers, and John Mabohy,
readers in England ought to agitate the matter in father to the yousg man previously mistimed ;Sour,
the public press and in parliament at home. Prompt Ishatwa- Pstriek4isaWirca-Chscles Higgins, Jobs Yelvectea,
and energetic action is needed." Jeremiah Travers, John Resting, James Egss, and Daniel
Riding—ail belonging to the crew of the vessel.
With referents to the coolie trade at Macao the The ceet stammer ef Dowd" *men! ftys :
Mai/ says : " It hes been ascertained that 17 'snow who bad been
At Macao, the coolie trade is still rampant, with all its as board the steamship Ibis have perished. Tee of those
shoo/initials. The inquiries iestituted, or said to have Winged te the crew. The games of the thaiseseve have
been institute& by Governor Amand, have ended not bees ceausubuted. By a telegram reesseed this
in smoke. Day after day some adthtiosal iota sitersooe it appears that soother body, supposed to be that
quity comes to tight is sminestiou with this kenible Is a peseseger, has bees washed ashore, and that the vowel
traffic. Coolies kideappoci, Imprisoned in barraciooss, flogged lis rapidly breakieg up. An inquest wee held cm the bodies
to make them coosest to sign the iniquitous contract that found to-day. Captain Holland and the mate were 11111.
binds them to a life of slavery, marched with • stroeg , robed, and the latter stated the pines' lob on the raft
guard to testify st the government offices to their signs- I left the ship splint his will. Verdict, • Found drowsed.'
sirs se given voluntarily sad freely, half etuved, exposed 'No other de come ashen.°