, 1888-03-04
A l. VISIT.


HAVANA, Cuba, Feb. Elf ever in
any land Gipsies may be said to have du-
ties, l am sure they were wholly set aside
during my three days %soiourn in the Gita-
nos camp near Luyano.
AS it was along In the afternoon when
| arrived with Ignacio. not much time
elapsed before the evening meal was
ready. Though the rule among Gipsies
is that one must take pot luck as to food
with them, | could plainly see that some
little effort at extra preparation was being
made. This was not 80 unexpectedly ex~
%travagant as among many of the richer
American Gipsies where | have eaten up
on table service hammered out of solid
silver at a cost of many hundreds of dol
lars, but it was at least curiously striking
indeed. A solid plank of roughly hewn
mahogany twelve feet long, two in width,
and fully three inches thick, formed our
table. Upon this was spread a crimson
cloth of rich texture, interviewer with
gold and silver threads, bearing n suspic-
ious resemblance to a pilfered cardinal
robe. At n end stood a gorgeous spray
of peacock's feathers, and sat awkwardly
upon the other was one of those hidcous
Spanish p~elleios, or entire wild boar skins,
filled with wine drawn at a spigot IN its
savage mouth. This fierce and suggestive
arrangement remained during my entire
visit. Besides these queer ornamental
tons some old vessels and relics were
brought into requIsitlon in my honor.
One or two silver tankards of great
ance. A silver bowl that would
hold a gallon set in the tables center.
For plates, polished brass and pewter dishes
nf nyaru ipno n1nah bio lactUp ,ltI gnrvi,o
Dirks and little machetes were placed
about for knives. There were no forks,
and the spoons were of pewter and of
horn shining like amber with their gen
e~rations OF absorbed grease. To COM
plete the decorations of the festive board,
which | warrant would have made due
impression anywhere, the sly rogues, who
had 10 more religion OF any sort than
their demure and pugnacious goats, had
brought from some secret hiding-place a
silver-candle stick upon which was
wrought n wondrous crucifix-a naked
cross, with a lamb at its foot sure proof
of its being at least ten centuries old-in
which sacreligiouslY burned a lighted taper.
This Difference to my possible religious
predictions was simply a Gypsy trick,
which | soon put an end to here, charac-
~teristic of the universal Gypsy race. They
are goddess. But they are quick in any
land to conform to any faith with sufficient
dextrous seeming to pass inspection in
emergencies; a trait not wholly confined
TO the Romany.
The meal was a dismally sober one do.
spite my best efforts. The first flush of
CHEEKY recognition having passed, | knew
the tawny crew were mentally wondering
about the real motive of my quest. The
food itself was good enough for any
hungry body; though one might nationally
hope to never get worse. 1t consisted OF
ajiaco, or Cuban all sorts, rice, green and
ripe roasted ~plantains, or bananas, boiled
sweet potatoes, and tassajo de puerca, or
barbecued pork. roasted and smoked with
guava leaves over live embers, and Ig-
nacio's entire family of fourteen, includ-
ing twelve daughters, ranging from n
nina mite at its stout old mothers breast,
past h%oYdenish vixens in their early teens,
to maidens whose forms and faces would
have set an artist wild with delight, kept
me good funeral company until the old
boar's skin began to look gaunt from
repeated attentions. Their spirits rose as
the boar's back tell, and by the time the
stars had come and the supper was gone
We were all on a friendly footing again.
But l knew Gipsies too well to force
terms of geniality. l pleaded WEAKNESS
and want to my tent. Here and there
the GRhts began to peep out in the can
yon. Now and then | caught sounds of
chatting and laughter. The honest human
tone of assurance had come. And so |
fell asleep on that my first night in a gen.
uine Spanish Gypsy camp, as sure of n