Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-12-10
miscellaneous.
THE Gypsy SLAVES OF wALIAcn1A.

on the Danube 70 bucharest, agree IN painting the
country they are obigel 20 traverse in the most
scIbre colours. Once out Of sight OF the lines OF
trees thtt border the Dinubc YOU enter upon an
int 1niRabc dismal plano, with level horizon
that surrounds you like circle, of which you are
ever The centre. There arc no objects behind. TO
mark your progress by their gradual disappearance;
tlere Is nothing ahead to encourage you on; no
mountains Of blue rising higher and higher, be-
coming substantial as you advance, breaking up
their long line into peaks and valleys brstling with
crags or clothed in forest. If you would know that
you arc IN motion, you must look upon the ground
beneath your feet and sec the pebbles and plants
pass slowly backwards rs your wagon moves sleep
liz on, or whrl dimly by rs the kar0uchOr pursuos
its mad career. In winter timc an additional
drcarncss is given 10 this desert by the absence Of
the sur, which Is hidden from view by one vast
cloud stretching from horizon to horizon, low down
SOFAS a,most to resemble mist Just risen from the
earth. Here aud thegc II few slight elevations, II
foot or tNu high indicate the prcscucc uf an un-
dcrground village. At yariou. distances, tall poles
rise into the mir, marking thc positions OF wells,
around which &c sky IS spccklcd hy Fights OF
crows and yultuves. Now and then YOU meet par
tics of peasants clothed in shccpskn, and wearing
proligious mustachuis, wandering across the level
At night the only sound ia tAc wind whisiling
through the low bushes, occasionally bringing to
the the reports Of ,ocy Of musketry hreo
by some party Of travellers who enlusc themselves
in this martial way,
1t is not uncommon in crossing these sad plains
20 come upon groups Of wlld-l0Oking individuals.
black rs Ethiupcans, scanuy covered BY old rags
stepping lduntily out, waving their arms, nodlirg
thcr heads, rattling fragments Of songs and clat-
tcring together as they - the h.acEsmiths tools
which they bear upon their backs. Further on,
perhaps, whom night has fallen, nn hour or two
after these odd-luoking people have gone ahead Of
your wagon they take two strides for one of your
OXcu) the ground ahead will probably become
spangled as with glow-WOrms and presently, II
sort Of whig[wnd of strange sounds, half song.
half shout, will bc borne by the night breeze. to
minglc with the buzz of your own caravan, and
the crcaking Of the wheels. You have come upon
q village, au cncampmcnt a burrow of gipsy trog-
l,dytcs (iwcllers IN caycs who are either sitting
around the remains of the fires they have lighted
70 cook their evening meal, or, with open doors
traps blythe light Of candle stuck in the ground.
are engaged in smoking rcd clay or cherry wood
pipes, anl drinking the harsh wine of the country.
These people are Of the most humble and most
unfortunttc section of tlc Walachian people, the
Zirins who Of old formed Furnishing little state.
pavins tribute to the Greek empire. but who arc
now reduced To- a condition of ahcct slavery
Their history rs most obscure, and 1t is not with
certainty known whence they came or by what
stops they descended to their present level 1t
seems certain. however that they belong 20 the
same family of wanderers that are known in Egypt
as Gayaras, in Hungary n Lingnri, in Germany as
Iigcuncr in Spain as Gilanos, IN France rs BJhc-
milns, and in England as Gipsics. Their own
trd1ltiOhS ucllNC lucul ilNlu llds Nl'lNN Alt'I
were transported in the eighth century, by one OF
the Greek onrperors, to 1hrdcc. On account OF
some pecuarltics in their manners, perhaps Oi
some strange forms Of doctrine, they seem 70 have
become dctestei and dcspised by neighborng ma
tOns, and especially by the Mohammedans. When
the Turks penetrated uto their territory, instead
of merely requiring tribute from them they at
tackled them with fury, dispersed them, hunted
them down like wild beasts, and condemned those
to perpetual serytude whose lives they spared =
In this persecution they were encouraged by the
Christians: who shared, indeed the greater part OF
the fowly made serfs among themselves. 1t l.
estimated that ut present there are more thar
twent-threc thousand Zigan families in Mpdc
Wallacha, comprising about hundred and fit.
thousand souls. y certain number OF these belong
TO the State, which employs them in mines an'
public works; whilst the others are div idcd amOn
The nlonastcries aud the Boyards. Some Of thcs
latter possess as many as five or six thousand
engaged in part in the most lab0riOus works cor
nected with their estates in part let out upon hre
They sell or exchange them mt certain liked period
Of the year, bringing them like cattle to market
until lately, they treated them with such scvcrlt
that thoy not untrequcntly drove them TO suicide
Many Boyards Of humane character now grant
semi-iberty 10 their Zigans, allowing them for s.
much year to so about as they please scckint
for work. aud retaining the produce If IT, One
every spring, the hali-cniranchsed slave mus
make his Appearance and pay his tribute. Some
times also he brings an lnstalmcnt Of his owl
price, and thus manages by degrees to Tree himself
An industrious man may earn his liberty IN tel
years; but this unfortunate race has been 50 bru
tased by long suffering aud is so addicted 4
every kind of debaucheiy, that very few succeed
in rescung themselves from bondage. AmOngs
the BOyards Of the present day there arc goO
many whose copper complexion. White teeth, AM
general east Of counicnance evidently prove then
70 bo descended from Zigans
The physical constitution Of this unhappy PEI
llts
lofty stature, robust and siuewy. Their skin
black or cop1er-coloured their hair, thick an
woolly; their lips are OF negro heavncss, an
their teeth as white n3 pearls the nose is consi'
erably natteued, and the whole countenance
iumncd, as il were, by lively rolling eyes A.
without exception, wear boards. Their dress co
commonly Of piece of tattcrcd cloth throw
carelessy around them perhaps an old bcd-cu
tain given by some master, or blanket that h
gone through every degree Of fortune, until 1t II
been rejected by the scullon.
As is the case in many savage tribes, the WON
are either extremely ugly or extremely handsOn
Most of the Zigana are beautiil up 10 the ago
twenty; but, after that time, they suddenly shri
and shrvel, change colour bend, and lose t
lightness oil their step, as If an enrhnnters wa
had changed them from youth, admired and woo
10 dish9n0red old age. The dress Of these won
is PECULIAR, consisting generally Of nothing but
tight tuuc or bodice made Of sheepskin, a
scarcely reaching 20 tho knees. II lenyes tn
legs, their arms, and their c.ks bare. Over tn
heads the most coquettish throw a white veil, a
some few indulge in leather sandals. As orr
ments they wear earrings Of brass liligrec, me-
laces Of pIras strung upon a slender thong, and
variety Of metal bracelets. The children 20 max
up 70 the ago of ten or twelve, and whole swar
Of girls and boys may sometimes be seen rolli
about together in the dust or mud IN summer,
the water or snow in wintcr-ke 70 many blG
worms. As you pass by, dozen heads Of mat
hair and dozen pair of sharp eyes are ral'
towards you, and you are greeted with mocki
shout which alone tells you that the hideous thir
are yonr leOw-creatures.
In fine weather the Zigan is very indcpcnd'
being. lie sleeps in the open mir, in the fores
in the fields, in the streets of the towns--anywhe
in fact where he can find place to lay his hei
However, it is their custom, for the summer sels,
70 erect little sheds of canvas, Of straw Of bran,
es, or OF mud; whilst in winter they scratch de
holes in the EARTH which they roof with reeds a
turf. Their furniture is surprisingly simple, CO