[v] The instruments used by the Chinese for marking time, act either by fire or water. Those that act by water, somewhat resemble our large hour-glasses: those by fire, are composed of sweet smelling powder, made up into a sort of match.
[3] Leo Africanus, in his Histoire Naturelle des Indes, &c. p. 327, says of the merchants of Agades, that they kept great numbers of armed slaves for their security, and mentions that their caravans—“sont tous vexéz de divers peuples du desert, comme de ceux qu’on appelle communément Bohémiens, ou Egyptiens.”
[16] Beytrage zum Reichs Postreuter, St. 71. 1782. “On the 21st of August there was a dreadful execution at Frauenmark in the Hortenser country. Thirteen delinquents, Gipseys, who had existed twelve years by robbing on the highway, and were accustomed to eat the bodies of those they had murdered, were brought to punishment. Four of them were women, who were beheaded; of the remaining nine men, six were hanged, two were broken on the wheel, and the leader of this inhuman gang was quartered alive. It is said that one hundred and fifteen more, of these European cannibals, remain in the county gaols.” See Appendix.
[19] Hamburgh. Neue Zeitung, 151. St. 1782. “Hungary, 4th of September.—The following is to be added concerning the murderers and man-eaters. Forty of these miscreants have already undergone their deserved punishment, in three separate places. Some, as lately communicated, were broken upon the wheel from below upwards; two of the most atrocious were quartered alive; and the remainder, one hundred and fifteen in number, will shortly be proceeded against in the same manner. This band has existed twenty-one years, and in the course of that time sacrificed eighty-four people to their cruelty. Every feeling mind must be struck with horror at the infernal rage of these European cannibals, on hearing their confession—that once at a wedding they killed three people, whom they ate with their guests, in the greatest festivity and joy! They prefer the flesh of a young person from sixteen to eighteen years old. They burnt the bones, which, according to their account, make excellent coals. A life-guard man of the country undertook to secure and succeeded in taking their harumpascha or leader. This cannibal hero was magnificently dressed, and wore ornaments in his cap to the value of six thousand guilders.”
Frankfurter Staats Ristretto, Nr. 157. 1782. “Donau Strohm, 29th September.—We mention with horror, that besides those inhuman wretches who have already been put to the sword in Hungary, there are one hundred and fifty still in chains; and some thousands more are, with good foundation, suspected. They are all Gipseys. Maria Theresa had given orders that all these human vermin should be driven from their holes, and compelled to live in villages: but that wise regulation was not enforced, and the evil is now grown to such a height as scarcely to be remedied without a total extirpation of them.”
Hamburgh. Unpartheiisch. Correspondent. Nr. 159. 1782. “Hungary, 22d September.—Besides those Gipsey cannibals which were executed on the 22d of August, at Fraumark, there were fifteen of these barbarians put to death on the twenty-fourth at Kameza; and on the twenty-sixth, thirteen more at Esabrag. In the former place were seven women beheaded, five men hanged, two broken alive on the wheel, and one quartered alive. At the latter place seven women were beheaded, four men hanged and two broken on the wheel. Many still remain in confinement; among whom is one who acted as priest, and married people for two groschens a time. Their harumpascha, who, as we lately advised, was taken by a very simple stratagem, cannot yet be brought to any confession of his crimes.”
Frankfurter Staats Ristretto, Nr. 207. 1782. “Donau Strohm, 24th December.—Not long ago it was published, that forty-five of the men-eaters had been executed in Hungary. One hundred and fifty still remain in prison, whose sentence has, by express orders from court, been respited. Her majesty, not thinking it possible that the people in confinement could have been guilty of such enormous crimes, sent a commissary thither from court to examine minutely into the affair. On his return it was confirmed that they were really men-eaters; and that there are actually among them sons who have killed and eaten their own fathers.”
[29] About sixty years ago, ladies of the first quality in Petersburgh used to be guilty of somewhat the same kind of irregularity. They had begun to adopt the French modes in dress; but, as Salmon says, did not well know how to manage them. “Wherefore,” he continues, “one must not be surprised, notwithstanding all the state of a Petersburgh lady, to meet one of them in summer, at which season they use the English straw hats, magnificently dressed in damask, ornamented with gold, silver, lace, and ribbands, walking barefooted, carrying her slippers in her hand.”
[51] The college of Mons was established in 1748, by the Empress Theresa. In the seventh article of the Instructions granted, the Gipseys were allowed the privilege of washing for gold.
[87] It is reported in Hungary, that a Gipsey alphabet is somewhere preserved; but nobody ever has seen or ever will see it, for it probably never existed: as these people did not bring the art of writing from their own country; where they belong to a class of people who, by express laws, are prohibited from receiving any kind of instruction.