The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-02-27
Facts About Gypsies.
sPEcULATToNs AS TO THEIR ORIGIN, THEIR
WANDFRINGs AND HABITs.


wANDERINGs AND HABITS.
The gypsies are vagabond people
found IN nearly all parts of the world.
They are themselves ignorant of their
origin, and no historical record exists
of their earlier migrations. So there
are different theories about them
among writers. Some consider that
they came originally from Egypt-the
name gypsy is simply a corruption of
Egyptian-others that they came from
Persia, Arabia, or India. The weight
of evidence in the language, physiog-
nomy, and habits of this vagrant peo-
pie is in favor of their Indian origin.
There is to-day a wandering tribe in
Upper India known as the Zingarro,
and the name of the gypsies in the
first European country which they
visited was the Zingari. 1t is impos-
sible that this similarity of names
should be a chance coincidence.
Further, the first appearance Of the
gypsies in Europe occurred when the
Mongol conqueror, Timom, was lay
ing waste the fruitful countries of
Southern Asia, and marking the trail
over which his army passed with
rivers of human blood. Over 10000
men, women, and children were
slaughtered in the province of Bagdadi
100000 between the Indus and Delhi
The Zinga1To, the tramps of Oriental
society, the poorer classes, who had
no possessions to excite the curiosity
of the invaders, fed in bands to the
westward, while the conquering party
marched toward the east. The first
bands of these people came to Italy
in the first decade of the fifteenth cen
tuny. In 1922 there was about 1900
of them in that country. They made
their first appearance in the province
of the Danube in 1417. August II
1927, band of them came to Paris
They had caught enough of European
speech to make themselves under
stood, and claimed to be Christians
who had been driven from Egypt by
the Saracens. The Parisians were
disposed to receive them Hospitality
but as they proved to be great thieves
they were soon after expelled from the
city. They continued, however, t.
wander in France, and other bands
joined them. They appeared in Eng
land about 1906, and in Sweden il
1914. Wherever they went they pre-
tended to the arts of palmistry, an,
fortune-telling to get better oppol
tunity to carry on their thieving praC
tees Spain banished them in 1492
and a century later renewed the dc
cree strenuously. In England the
were exiled by special proclamatio
by Henry VIII, and also by Elizi
beth. Italy, Denmark, Sweden an
Holland also took measures agains
them. In Scotland they were treate
kindly and efforts were made to ci'
ilize them, though without much su,
cess. Germany also made like efforti
and so did Austria, but these hay
only been successful since Joseph L
of the latter country, in 1882, mad
and enforced severe laws againi
Migrants. There are about 10000
gypsies in Europe, the most of thel
being in Southern Russia, the Dam
bian provinces, Austrs Hungary, al
Spain. The severe laws against the
have generally been repealed. I'll
gypsies have intermarTied but lit
with other races, and the proximity {
civilized races for four centuries an
more has made but little impressic
on their original barbality. I'll
language of the gypsies, thong
everywhere preserving forms Of an u
mistakable Indian origin, diffe
greatly in different countries. AZ the
people are very much inclined to j
corporate words of other tongues wit
NJ cir own. Inter-Ocean.