Morning journal and courier., 1893-09-16


 Gipsy camp we'll In hand, while brsvsly
 preparing the evening meals against the l younger wanderers return.
 1 Daring the interval had leisure for ex.
 animation of the picturesque camp and
 time for learning much of the ways and
 annual journeying Of this single oommuni- l ty of Scottish Gipsies. There were twelve
 tents and half dozsn 'fwhummelled" "carts.
 The whunmelling of Scottish or north
 ern English Gipsy cart means the turning
 of the same upside down. This, with the
 addition of blanket or some fir branches, | makes a capital roof under which to pass 6
 summer night. Altogether there was ao- commodation for from two to three score
 Gipsies. The hollowed brae chosen for the
 camp always had its patch of sunlight, which Gipsies dearly love. LsEch, fir and
 a few fine ash trees were at either side; | and the purling river convenient for camp
 side needs for men and bsasts, from which
 luscious fish could occasionally be legally
 taken, as their camping place was duly rented from the laird of the manor, vas almost at their feet.
 Here were representatives of all the Scottish Gipsy families of note-ihe Dun-
 bars, Fass or Falls, Baileys, Boswells and Blythea; most of them descendants from Clydesdale and Yetholm, Gipsies whose pTogenitors figured, if not in the history,
 
 | Scotland. They were all originally potters, packers and tinkers. The olden capital city was the now deserted village of Yet
 holm, by Bowmont side where the Teviot Hills shut out fIom Scotland's view the
 wild Northumberland moors and the hated
 field of fodden. In olden times they made
 much of the rude delft ware used by the
 Scottish pessantry. They still journey in- to Staffordshire, Enslsnd, over the old liaia rS af,
 road, dealing in the cheaper and faulty"
 porcslains. and occasionally trading with the geRtry in "aIntons" and Wedge
 woods." Now they have there winter homes in Dumfriss, Amman, Luckerbie and Glss-
 gow; and before the snowdrops fade from the roadsides and brses, are back here iu their old hsunts. The men trade and dick CT st the horse and cattle fairs, some pur-
 suing their olden calling at tinkering Bnd
 oeier work; while the women sell willow
 ware and trinkets and dukker (tell for tunes) among the guidwives aud lsssss of
 the Scottish peassntry.
 Wandersr that am, it was like delic
 ious home coming to zee the genuine Gipsy belongings that vers here. There were the rude foTges that could be sluBg under tho breaking carte. Thcrs, tnnumersbls odds | and ends Of the real .tinkars craft. There, the camp fires, which, low ss they may
 smonldsr, nre never allowed to wholly go ou., because they represent lingering loy- al traos O oldsn Arysn fire wcrahip. There, crouchiug by cart, by tent CT fire, or
 on hsunohes at ths camp entrance, as if seRtinelirg the glad eYentide return of ab sent masters, were the brave. loyal, gaunt and voiceless Gigsy dogs. Here snd there were the kettle sticks-not the stage tri
 pods which burlesque Glpsy reality, but the strong, sscredly psizsd, crooked iron kettle e-sticks-with their sizzling pots be- heath. While here and there, but always facing each other and the fires between, were the reals tents of the Romsny: hoods rather than tents; woolen blankets, like our grandfathers' stont old sheets. stretched over bows of ash and fastened with polished osken ekewers; all so snug and strong that no ordinary storm can wreck these tiny Gipsy homes.
 By and by as the shado Rs heightened the camp grsdully bsgsz 10 awaken with re- turning lifs. The fires which had smould cred the day through, were renewed by the
 now bustliDg old Gipsy women, and the pots and kettles sang merrily of good things to come. GipEy meu and women began coming into camp from sll dircc- tions, and nearly ali csms single or in groups to the tent had been allotted to emphasize the welcome had been given as | Lne "5UrS!u Chair [ths non-G!psy fTisud 10 tbe Gipsy) who was already known for | wanderings with their "brothers and sis | ters" in the fsrof wonderland. America. | Nearly all brought trophies of the dsy's | outing. Women who had been among the | outlying farms were laden with poultry, | butter, eggs and cheese, knots Of homespun | yarn, and many an article representing hours of toll, which had been exchanged | for bit of gibberish and fortune" While the camp was thus renewing It's
 eventide life and activity, a little comno- | ton near the roadside attracted my stten- | tion. Gipsy men and women seemed dis putting excitedly. On going to the groupI
 found rough looking fellow being pulled | towards the camp by some, while others | were attempting to force him back to the l highway. Earnest were the protestations | for hoelitable treatment, and shrill were | ths deu1nciRtions and protests The mans | face was familiar 60 me ;bu. a shaggy beard | and m unusually woe-begone and hang l dog Rppearance for the moment prevented
 6 recognition. He looked at ns appealing | ly and at the same moment ore of the Gip- sy women screamed at him: "Ye'Te na prime O the Kokkums (prov!ucial Sethom
 Romany for Gipsies) We're gang U the
 deil a i'githerl" I knew him then. It was
 Prince Robert, by royal right king of all | the Scottish Gipsies, but So hopeless a tramp and vegsbond that he had become a permanent outcast of this outcast Romany | race. The women were the mo9t implacs ble; but I carried white coin and kind | words among them, and soon had Prince l Roberts admittancs to the camp assured. I Then 1 made him wash in ths river; got
 some presentsble Gipsy gear upon him; | eew that he was shorn and shaven by my l own hands and brought him, penitent
 and comfortable, if not an altogether wei | come guest to our Annansids evening
 meal.
 On the morning of the second day left | my Gipsy friends by Annauside with vsgs- | bond Primes R Jbsrt for a companion.
 Some discourse among the RoInany crew
 touching upon Scottish Gipsy family lines
 and their antiquity prompted the remark
 from an old spae wifs that outcsst Prince
 Roberts blood had the strain of the Brucss
 in 1t, through his Ino:Eer, Estber Fas
 Blythe Rutherford, late queen of all the
 Scottish Gipsies.
 "rhen ye micht weel gae U your for
 bears King Roberts, suld castle hams, st | Lochmaben an tax arlss (plSdgel t mend
 your ways; or yell ns hA' stras death "a
 natural deaih) at t eend,n tauutingly re-
 piled another.
 The whIm seized Prince Robert 10 do IL.
 had never seen the old castle ruins, aud
 1t easily came sboR. that we should go to
 gether ;snd we departed after many solemn adjurations from the Gipsies that should refuse all plesdIngs of Prince Robert for liquor, or, in the event of yielding to his certain demands for drink should see him "weel lickit, or weel lockit in Lochma. ben goal, rather than to permit him to re- turn to the Aunanside camp.
 Less than sn hours walk brought us to } the ancient royal burgh town of Lochma : ben, beautifully situated on the shores oi , one of the nine tiny connecting lakes of the same name Primes Robert told me the name was Gaelic and meant lake of the fair 7 women; and when I asked him how he ) cams to know Gaelic signidcstion, he 3 said with a shrug of his fine, ruihGnly ? shoulders, "Oh, ken'd 1t fro t ceilidh; : which means auld wives gossiping. But = 'the white clear lake" is nearer the true
 Gaelic. The silence of decay Is upon su D ancient Lochmsben bargh. Two long s struggling, silen; streets intersect each oth @ CT at a huge, plain ,crumblipg market crose [ It ia burgh of quaint old granite homes t with matched roof~, inhabited by quaint t old granite faced Scotch folk Great squsr, f housss, great squsTe doors, and great squsr, l windows with great, squsre blsnched facei @ in them, tsIl the story of olden opulence @ older border prnw-sa and dpresentIudoleno, F. and decay. The plsce wes once full O l. hand looms and thrift. To day so desertcC ? and lifeless seems the bursh that your owr l fcot-fsll on its ragged and uneven stone @ impels yeu onward with almost 6 startleS 8 sense of fear.
 a About mile from the ancient town, O,