Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1853-02-03

to Danish this people from Europe. II
France and Spain, in Italy and Germany
laws were passed against them in the l6lI
century. But even prosecutions were o
little avail towards roofing them out. The,
always appeared again in The southern coun
tries. As they are very numerous in lh
Austrian states, and have kind of consti,u
tion there amongst themselves, being in
manner governed by chief gypsies or acay
aoodes, the great Maria Theresa formed the
plan Of converting them into orderly mer
and citizens. In 1868, she issued an ordi
nance, that, in future, gypsles should dwell
in settled habita,ions, practise some trade
dress their children, and send them te
school. Many of their disgusting customs
were prohibited, and it was ordered, ,ha
they should forthwith be called Nsu6auern
(new peasants, instead Of their former name
of gypsies. This ordinance remaining in.
effec'ua, recourse was had, in 1878, to Sc.
we're measures; the children were taken
from their parents, and brough, up in Chris
tIan principles. But as little was effected in
this way as by the very mild measures a.
dop'ed by the Russian government. How
ever, the ordinances Of Joseph II (17S2 ct
seq }, TO forward The improvement of the
gyps'es, in Hungary, Transylvana and the
bdnnai, have not been without effect. With
regard 10 their language, most Of the words
are Of Indian origin. They are found, in
part, with lille variation, in the Sanscrit, in
The Malabar and Bengal languages. and many
words have been adopted from the dineren,
nations amongst whom they reside. Eeber,
bishop OF Calcutta, relates, in his Narrative
OF Journey through the Upper Provinces
OF india, &c. London, 1928, 2 vols.). that
he met with camp Of gypsies on the
banks OF the Ganges, who spoke the Hindon
language as their mother tongue. Heber
found the same people in Persia and Russia.
Their grammar is also Oriental, and cor
responds with the Indian dialects. This
similarity cannot be considered The work of
chance, particularly as their persons and
customs show much of the Hindoo charac-
ter 1t has even been attempted TO derive
Their origin from particular caste of the
H'ndoos. But this cannot be The respect
able caste OF The mechanics and agriculture
lists. They are more probably branch of
lhe farias, who are considered con,emp,-
Bile by all the other HindooS, because they
live IN the greatest unclesniness. and eal
ness. II cannot, however, be easily explain
ed, why this particular caste should have
left their country and spread throughout
Europe. The Tschinganes, a nation at the
mouth Of the Indus, appear, a, least, judging
from their name, more likely to be connec
ted with the gypsies. The gypsies also call
III ol Il loo
has some correspondence with Sind or In
dus. Mr.. Richardson, some time since, de-
scrlbed an Indian nation whom he called
MUS or Pentschpiri and Basigers. (See a
discussion on the similarity of the gypsy
language with the Hindoo, in the I+ansac
lions Of the Lit. Society Of Bombay, lS2O.)
Although they acknowledge the Moham-
medan religion, they are much like the gyp-
sizes in customs and manners, in their pro-
pensi'y to lhieving, fosrune-telling and un-
cleanliness. In l4l7, the first mention is
made Of the gipsies in Germany. They
appear TO have come from MoIdavia into
Germany and Italy. AT that time, they al
ready wandered abou, in hordes with COM
mander at their head. In AIS, the number
which entered Italy alone, was estimated at
$4,000 men. There were many in Paris in
1929. They were first believed to be pill
grims, coming from the Holy Land they
were, consequently, not only unmolested,
but they received letters of protection for
instance, from Sigismund, in 1923. 1t is
known, however, that in later times, they
were very expert in counterieiting similar
documents. What may have been the cause
Of their leaving their country, is no. known;
but very probable they were induced to fly
from the cruel.ies exercised by Tamerlane,
on his march into India, in 1893, when this
savage conqueror filled the country with
blood and devastslion.-See Grelmann's
Histor. Versuch uber die Zigeuner (His-
torical Inquiry concerning the Gypsies), I'd
edit. GolIngen, 1857; and Joh. v. MulIer's
Schweiaergeschichte (His,ory of Swilzer-
Iand), vol. 3. Samnstt. Werke, vol. 81, p.
369 e. seq.