Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-03-03
IN OTHER DS.
With the GIps1es of Cuba-A Day In the
SaddIe-FloIyery Fields -Gfpsy His
tOry-A Night of Fun.

To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
If ever in any land gipsies may be said ts
have duties, am sure they were wholly sci
aside during my three days sojourn in the
gitanos' camp near Luyano.
A Gypsy TABLE.
AS 1t 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, I could plain
ly see that some little effort at extra prepare.
expectedly extravagant as among many of the
richer American gipsies, where have. eater
upon table service hammered out of solid
silver at cost of many hundreds of dollars
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. Upor
this was spread n crimson cloth of rich tex.
ture, interviewer with gold and silver threads
bearing a suspicious resemblance to pilfered
cardinals robe. at one end stood gorgeous
spray of peacock's feathers, and set awk-
wardly upon the other was one of those hid
eous Spanish pellejos, or entire wild boar
skins, filed with wine drawn at a spigot in
its savage mouth. This fierce and sugges.
tive arrangement remained during my entire
visit Besides these queer ornamentations
some odd vessels and relics were brought
into requisition i'll my honor One or two
silver tankards of great weight and age made
4 ba;- A oil {baE Il
hold gallon set in the tables center. For
plates polished brass and pewter dishes of
every imaginable design did service. Dirks
aud little machetes were placed about for
knives. There were no forks; and the
spoons were of pewter and of horn shining
grease. To complete the decoration of the
festive board, which 1 warrant would have
made due impression anywhere, the sly
rogues, who had no more religion of any sort
than their denure and pugnacious goats, had
brought from some secret hiding place a sill
yer candle-stick upon which was wrought q
wondrous crnciix-a naked cross, with q
lamb at its foot, sure proof of its being al
least ten centuries old-in which sacreli-
giously burned lighted taper. This defer
ence to my possible religious predictions
was simply gypsy trick, which I soon put
an end to here, characteristic of the univer-
sal gypsy race. They ere goddess. But they
are quick in any land to conform to any faith
with sufficient dextrous seeming to pass in.
spection in emergencies; trait not wholly
confined to the Romany.
THE MEAL.
The meal was dismally sober one despite
my best efforts. The first flush of cheery
recognition having passed, I 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 Cubar
all sorts, rice, green and ripe roasted plan
tains or bananas, boiled sweet potatoes, an6
tassajo de puerca, or barbecued pork, roast
ed and smoked with guava leaves over live
embers; and Ignacio's entire family of four
teen, including twelve daughters, ranging
from nina mite at its stout old motheri
breast, past hoydenish vixens in their early
teens, to maidens whose forms and faces
would have set an artist wild with delight
boar's skin began to look gaunt from repeat
ed attentions. Their spirits rose as the boarl
back fell; and by the time the stars haC
come and the supper was gone we were al
on friendly footing again. But I knew
gipsies too well to force terms of geniality
I pleaded WEAKNESS and went to my tent
Here and there the lights began to pesp out
in the canon. Now and then 1 caught
sounds of chatting and laughter The hon
est human tone of reinsurance had come
And so fell asleep, on that my first night
in genuine Spanish gypsy camp, as sure OF
o pleasant morrow as though born rom ra
jah, or road lord, among these pilgriming
sons and daughters of the Orient.
I was on my feet and about with the firs
of the gitanos the next morning, and there
was pleasant word and smile for me every
where I soon won all the little folk of the
band with small coin; and there are no faith
ers and mothers of any race who will moi
warm to one who can quickly gain the affec'
tioHs of their children. So too by some lit.
tie dexterity among the horses, donkeys and
goats, which had well learned in my wan
derings among the gipsies of other lands,
appealed directly to the respect of the quick
witted young men of the band. And if ever
you are to go a-gipsying this is not bad
thing to know. These supple fellows have
keen eyes and as quick knuckles. They
have their sweethearts too, their racklies
as they call them in Romany, and if one
values sound pate there is good fortune
III h6hlIR 1ON6 " LAO SOuluSy AaehOA thdL
the witching maidens, of gypsy band.
Then again Spanish gipsies are oyer-quick
with bright little knives. So I paid due
court to the young dons and denkeys, and
was rewarded with a thousand ''mucho
graciasl" some pretty keepsakes, and after
breakfast, which consisted of but black
cofee and blacker pan negro, or black
bread and oranges, which 1 supplemented
by stealthy resource to my own pouch OF
sausage and cheese, to u dash on a nimble-
footed jacas over the low lying mountains,
among the sitios over towards Jornco way
for a donkey had strayed away and must
be recovered. We passed the whole day in
the saddle, undoubtedly riding eighty miles
without dismounting. On our return my
good fortune received happy addition by
my own accidental discovery of the miss
ing animal, which had wandered into de.
serted guajiro's hut, and though half
starved, had resolutely determined on di-
costing the entire palm -thatched structure
before retreatipg from his position.
DAY IN THE MOUNTAINS.
The incident was fortunate one, but the
day in the mountains was a grand one.
Though not four leagues from Havana, eyi-
dence of country life was as marked and
characteristic as though in the very center of
the island. In every direction low hills
seemed to radiate from points of vision to
q
pebble in still water; and yet the face of the
country has that peculiar appearance of
spreading before the beholder immeasurable
reaches of prairie and savanna. Checkering
all this interesting topography are seen hedg-
es marking the confines of the closely divided
holdings of the tenantry, and among these
hedges are here and there found the sentinel
like palm and the quite as lonely cocoa. AL
ways in the oldest and most uneouth 1oca-
ton will appear the cabins of the peasantry.
AS rule they are mere huts, and an inde-
scribable feeling of sadness comes, when the
bounteousness of the soil, the gladness of the
birds, the splendor of the heavens and the
glory of the sky are contrasted with the abb
jectlinsuficiensy of the Cuban guajiro's, or
countryman's, surroundings.
SOME OF CUBA's BEAUTIES.
Occasionally a magnificent quinta or villa
will be seen; but the sharp contrast between
this and the cabin only emphasizes the pain
full realization. But over all hangs the deli
cious odor-laden air of this marvellous cline.
It has the palpable quality of presence.
You breathe it as though taking food. You
are silent in it, yet ever anxious to hold it as
a part of yourself. It is ever sensuous, not
sensual. Every passing breeze brings to you
distinct aromas, and yet beyond these there
is an all pervading, never ending odor which
has become quality of the very atmosphere
itself Could you group in your imagina-