The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-17 00:00:00

THE GIPSY COLONY OF YETHOLM.

(From the Scottish County Histories.)
The present strength of the various tribes in
Kirk-Yetholm is about 80, consisting of Blythes,
Ruthvens, 'faits, and Douglasses. The strong tribe
of the Faas, from whom the King was selected, is
now extinct. At the death of Will Faa, several
years ago, the throne was seized by Chas. Blythe,
husband of Etty Faa, sister of the King. Before the
death of the late King, the revenue of the tribes had
decreased to such an extent that his Majesty was
forced to lay aside the diadem and become, for a
time, the protector of game on several farms belong-
ing to the Marquis of Tweedale. He was an excel-
lent fisher, well acquainted with every pool and
stream in the Beaumont, Cayle, and Colledge
waters. By game preserving and fishing he con-
ttived to scrape together as much as supported life,
and he was well supplied with drink by visitors
from every part of the country, anxious to see those
people who had been rendered so interesting by the
pen of the mighty magician. But times are changed,
visitors are few to the present King, and but for
the generosity of the noble lord who occasionally
resides in the neighbourhood, his Majesty would
often be without supplies. The King is about 85
years old, possesses a fair share of health, hut com-
plains that living in houses subjects him to cold,
which he never had while he dwelt in tents. The
chief employment of the gipsies was travelling in
the summer season in promiscuous bands, They
generally left their settlement at Kirk-Yetholm in
the end of March, and did not return till driven
back by the storms of winter. Most of the men
assisted in the operations of the harvest, and in the
winter carted coals to Jedburgh. When out on the
route they lay beneath their carts, or upon straw
under wicker-frames, with a cover which resisted
the weather. During their progress through the
country they laid the farm-yards, corn, and potato-
fields under contribution to a great extent. They
had a perfect knack of thieving, and carried off
everything that came in their way—corn, hay,
hewn stones, wheels, and axletrees. They may be
said to have lived in a complete state of ignorance,
" without God and without hope in the world, till
the Rev. John Baird was inducted into the pastoral
charge of the parish, when, through his efforts,
they were induced to attend church and school ;
and he obtained from the Edinburgh Bible Society
a grant of
yc
omnßiblesiafror
comfortable
ranfi
baedlr:mta; Testaments,
him to place a copy of the Scriptures in every giPs9
dwelling. A few of the gipsies still travel the
country, dealing in earthenware, horn
baskets, heather brooms, and mats ; but the strict-
ness
with which they are watched by
.the police
talents,
prevents any exercise of their thievingthere are
From the improved state of the district,
and
few waste places for them to pitch their camp,rtain
spoons, '
to be
the raising of a fire on the roadside is
Tcehey
visited with fine and imprisonm
themselves to some occupation to
now remain in idleness, and forcedareent.
bread. A number of the men have bec . dally
erl s,
bgitptsy
and, mixing with the poP
habits and marry out of opmciteurcTini
abtrhrobeeee
oc
aanendn ot
better
girls, too, are beginning
servants. The
the hstoounsees
and
oneoewasimonoarlei
engage
iasra.teni °tdtrnhi'bebieaor.cn dage r s , and
stools, chair:ibtnal.oboleas,wainlldhtahvee ordinaryeas e
a to
straw beds,
years run
ienogusn.tryTbheedrse are to
bebelistetleendionumbtanthyaotf
tthheeiorrdiwgienlali
of the gipsy have passed away.
ling off. , and. that ere many
e
race
flow.tha ceei r i Pe
oTf ua
hisr
ets daisfa_____l

DIE TEMPLE CHURCH.—This very beautiful
from ten till four,
bpuililiudinegoeirs aTfcaein 0A open
ualcl(afrTese)ateevleerloday
4 wee,