The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-27


allowed 70 enter a town. nor will the inhabi-
tants permit him 10 live in the streets in which
they dwell. In England. under Henry VIII. an
act OF Parliament authorized tho extermina-
ton Of the Gypsies. This was reaf1rmed
under Philip and Mary and under Eliza
beth. In France. under Charles TX. u581l.
the states-General ordered the destruc-
ton OF the Gypsies by steel and fire.
The States General OF the Netherlands
made a similar enactment in 1882. Poland In
1873 forbade the Offering Of hospitality to Gyp-
sizes. end severe laws Of expulsion were passed
in Sweden at various tines between 1882 and
1927. From these barbarities arose the Gypsy
saying, Kings law has destroyed the Gypsy
law" The latter consisted In fidelity to one
another; the code contained only three COM
mandments. OF which the CAST two were adj
dressed to women: "Thou shalt not separate
from the Rom Gypsy lawl; thou shalt be faith
full to thy Rom; thou shalt pay thy debts TO the
ROM" These Draconian laws against the Gyp-
sizes fell. 1t is well known, into desuetude as
civilization advanced. and received their death
blow at tho hands OF the French Revolution In
1859.
Such has been the effect Of federation that
even In Spain. where formerly they were treated
with peculiar severity, the Gitanos are now sup
posed to number some 10000. They abound
in the large cities scattered through the centre
and south OF the peninsula, and even in the
northern provinces they are now freely allowed
TO settle. They are beginning TO educate them
selves. and. although they preserve the Gypsy
traditions. some of them trafnol argelyin cattle,
keep inns and ~taverns. are experti iron mongers.
and plat skilfully the colored baskets for which
Valencia and Barcelona are famous. The wo-
men sell poultry and buy rags. prepare buns
and black buildings. serve as tavern cooks, and
find lucrative Industries in Interpreting dreams,
philtre selling, and fortune telling. They sing
and play various instruments. accompanying
the music with voluptuous dances and attit
tudes. 1t fares Ill with the man. however. who
seeks to gain from these Spanish g, isles any
boon beyond their provocative exhibition. The
same combination Of immaculate corporal
chastity with obscenity in language and
In songs has always been q characteristic Of
the Gypsies from the Indus to Gibraltar.
In early youth the Spanish Gypsies are remark
able for beauty. for magnificent eyes and hair,
regular features. light and well-knit figures.
easy gait and graceful bearing. Their locks.
like those Of the Hindus. are lampblack. and
without a sign Of wave they preserve also the
distinctive eye. The form Of the eye is perfect.
and 1t has an extraordinary look to which is
attributed the power Of engendering great
passion. The well-to-do Spanish Gypsies Affect
l bAAO oNuLA . kllO LAutO-
rails are linen and cotton. broadcloth. silk.
plush and velvet. The ~favorite tints are blue
and crimson. The cleaning hair OF the
women is gathered in q Diana knot at
the neck. and lit UP with flowers OF
the gaudiest hue; It lies in bands upon
the temples and the whole is often covered
with an embroidered kerchief. We observe,
finally. that the Spanish Gypsies. unlike the
Hungarian. have not preserved their old habits
Of long expeditions for begging and plumber
ing purposes. Consequently they have lost the
practice OF the pateran. or trail. that is to say
the road marks by which direction is denoted.
These are twigs or heaps Of newly gathered
grass, disposed at short distances, At cross
roads the signs are placed on the right side OF
the track to be followed. Sometimes will be
placed upon the ground a cross. the longer arm
Of which shows the way. or one stake will be
nailed to another. The Norwegian Gypsies
make with their whips a mark on the snow
called Jdand: it resembles a sack with q shut
mouth. In the course OF ages they have lost
the marvellous power OF following the spoor
which their kinsmen on the Indus preserve to
perfection. They retain a peculiarly shrill
whistle. by which two parties can communicate
with each other.
In tho essay on Eel Islam y the author con-
tends that, whereas Christianity saw in men
fallen beings. reasoned from eternal death
through no merits of their own. but through.
the Intervention OF a divine redeemer. Moham-
mechanism. on the contrary. raised man from
this debased status. elevated him In the scale
Of creation. and preached the dignity Of human
nature. Burton also maintains that what en-
dears his creed to the Moslem is its noble sim
plicity. The votary has little or nothing, COM
paratively speaking. to pay for the moral
and spiritual help which he derives from
religion. There are no tithes and but few
fees. His places Of worship are built and
kept up by bequests. carefully guarded by
law and custom. 1t is true that in Turkey
and Egypt yearly pensions have been SUBJ
stituted for the incomes Of the formerly extern
sive church lands. In Kabul and Bokhara the
boldest and most powerful rulers would not.
dare to venture on such acts Of sacrilege. We
are further reminded that the Moslem has no
priesthood; the persons whose duty 1t is to
preach and pray are not churchmen they tom
porarily receive from the Wahil. or Mosque
warden. a few piastres a month; but all must
live by some honest secular calling. Even the
Ottoman Sultan. the representative Of the Alb
bassid Caliphs. Defender OF the Faith. and Vice
gerent Of Allah upon Earth. does not disdain to
learn and practice q handicraft. Finally. the
Moslem has no baptism: he is circum-
cised by a barber he may perform
his own marriage ceremony IL he has
q reason for deviating from popular GUS
tom. and he may be bathed. buried and prayed
over by any lay fellow co-religionist. The no.
ton that Islam is on the decline is regarded by
Burton as unfounded. he points out that.
while Turkey and Egypt show traces Of lati-
tudinarianism. no Mohammedan people has
| yet ventured to abolish Islam by law. The
propaeandism OF the West has only served to
| confirm the Moslem in the tenets OF his faith.
and it was Burton's conviction that. should
Christianity ever again meet Islam In mortal
conflict. the Moslem scimeter. oorroded as It
seems with the rust Of ages. will once more
attest tho virtue Of the metal whereof II was
originally formed. M. W. H.
Cuba and Porto Rico.
Many books have dealt with the West indies.
but none OF them contains 30 much desirable