The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-11-16
The Gipsies.

origin is found in tho great resemblance
thor own language bears to tho Hindoos.
tanee Grulimau, a distinguished student
of language, states that twelve words in
every thirty in their vocabulary are either
pure lllndoostaueo or intimately related 10
it,
This language they call gibbcrish. and bo.
lieve It to have been invented by their fore.
fathers for secret purposes. 1t is not pccu-
liar to one. or iew OF thoir tribes, but com.
mon to all ia Europe ard Asia.
Bishop Hober records in his journal an
account OF All oncampmont OF wretched tents
OF mats, with baskets. ponies, goats &c, &C.,
so like gipsios ho had soon in England, that.
on asking who they wero, no was not sur.
prised to hear his guide give them that very
name.
A woIl known nobloman Of England, who
had resided many years ia India, taking
shelter under treo during storm, near a
camp of gipsies. was surprised 10 hear thcn
use several words that ho know to bu Hin.
doostaneo, and going up to them no found
them able tu converse with him in that Ian.
guage.
A returned missionary met q gipsoy at
the house OF Father Crabb. tho gpscy's
friend. in Southampton, England, and
~
tho language of Hiudoostan. declared that
her people must have once known that lan-
guage well.
Lo,d Teignmouth, who knew tho Indian
language. once said to gipsey, "Tnr Gurra
tsctnr," that is, Thou art tibet" She
Immediately replied. No, am not thief
| live by fortune telling" Wandering tribes
havo boon found III Nubia, who have for
centuries convorsed in tho Same dialect.
Tho namo of this people has induced many
TO suppose that they mad an Egyptian origin;
but there is nothing ia tboir habits, or Ian
guage, or "reminiscences, that indicates such
II fact. And yot they may have derived
their name from tho fact OF having passed
through Egypt in tho European nations.
1t is beloved by those who have had the
best opportunity to study the matter, that !,
in tho earliest years OF tho fourteenth con.
fury, there was general migration of tho
Sundara. caste among the Asiatc indians,
occasoned by the rayages of Timur Dog
who, having become Mohanmedan, took
up arms for tho purpose of making prose,
ytes to that idolalry. These Sudars being
of tho lnwost caste, and unable to find sym.
pathy or shelter among tho other castles,
tlcd, and having escaped the armies of
rlmur, found their way into ncighboring
countries. Thoy wero degraded people
considered as tho lowest of tho human race;
and, with uu army seeking their destruction,
| they had every motive TO leave. und mono
10 remain n,their native land. Perhaps tho
most natural way for them, on their way 80
Europe, was over tho Persian deserts, along
tnD Persian Gulf to the mouth of the Eu.
pirates. the nce to Bosara into tho deserts
of Arabia. and :hence into Egypt by the
lsthmus of Sucz.
But few years from this period they
were spread into ali the European nations.
They never visit the Norman Islands, and
but few visit Ireland. They consider the
name "Gipsies" disgraceful, probably be-
cause il seems TO be synonymous with
crime and vagrancy. Their Indian name
is Zingaree, or Cincari Along the Gan.
ges they are called Moth or Bcania--the
former signifying rogue, The latter dancer
or Mmbler.
Having escaped the sword in their own
country, they were obliged TO live by
punder in other lands. Indeed, in the
fifteenth century they became dangerous
and burdensome in tho nations which
they visited, They came by thousands
over the Fyrehees INTO opaiu' swept HlonS
the shores its rivers, and plun1ered the
husbandmen who were without defense.
Throughout Hungary. France and
England, they were like so many locusts.
Laws were enacted against them. They
were at length not only resisted and
brought somewhat under legal regula.
lions, but measures were carried 10 the
extreme, and they were persecu'ed.-
Every crime in the land, whose perpetra-
tor was not discovered, was charged upon
the Gipsies. They were executed for the
smallest offense, and even on suspicion, or
on the most flimsy and even false iesti.
mony, until at length they were Obliged 10
live by cunning and plunder, Within
few years the English and Prussian laws
have been more leniemt, and the result is
thai the Gipsies are more submissive and
less troublesome. In England they have
come under the influence Of Christianity,
and many have shown truly religious
spirit. We hope for them at length a
Christian civilization and the blessings of
refined nalionality.-DO"leapy Literary
Journal.