[227] The late Mr. Charles Alexander, tenant of Happrew.
[228] We may very readily believe that almost all of the Gipsies would desert the army, on landing in America, and marry Gipsy women in the colonies, or bring others out from home, or marry with common natives, or return home. Indeed, native-born American Gipsies say that many of the British Gipsies voluntarily accepted the bounty, and a passage to the colonies, during the war of the Revolution, and deserted the army on landing. This would lead to a migration of the tribe generally to America.—Ed.
[229] “When Paris was garrisoned by the allied troops, in the year 1815, I was walking with a British officer, near a post held by the Prussian troops. He happened, at the time, to smoke a cigar, and was about, while passing the sentinel, to take it out of his mouth, in compliance with a general regulation to that effect; when, greatly to the astonishment of the passengers, the soldier addressed him in these words; ‘Rauchen Sie immer fort; verdamt sey der Preussische Dienst;’ that is: ‘Smoke away; may the Prussian service be d——d.’ Upon looking closer at the man, he seemed plainly to be a Zigeuner, or Gipsy, who took this method of expressing his detestation of the duty imposed on him. When the risk he ran, by doing so, is considered, it will be found to argue a deep degree of dislike which could make him commit himself so unwarily. If he had been overheard by a sergeant or corporal, the prugel would have been the slightest instrument of punishment employed.”—Sir Walter Scott: Note to Quentin Durward.
Mutilation was also very common among the English Gipsies, during the French war. Strange as it may appear, the same took place among them, at the commencement of the late Russian war; from which we may conclude, that they had suffered severely during the previous war, or they would not have resorted to so extreme a measure for escaping military duty, when a press-gang was not even thought of. An English Gipsy, at the latter time, laid two of his fingers on a block of wood, and, handing his broom-knife to his neighbour, said, “Now, take off these fingers, or I’ll take off your head with this other hand!”
During the French war, Gipsies again and again accepted the bounty for recruits, but took “French leave” of the service. The idea is finely illustrated in Burns’ “Jolly Beggars:”
“Tune—Clout the caudron.
“My bonny lass, I work in brass,
A Tinkler is my station:
I’ve travell’d round all Christian ground,
In this my occupation.
I’ve ta’en the gold, an’ been enroll’d
In many a noble squadron:
But vain they searched when off I march’d
To go and clout the caudron.”
Poosie Nancie and her reputed daughter, Racer Jess, were very probably Gipsies, who kept a poor “Tinkler Howff” at Mauchline.
Gipsies sometimes voluntarily join the navy, as musicians. Here their vanity will have a field for conspicuous display; for a good fifer, on board of a man-of-war, in accompanying certain work with his music, is equal to the services of ten men. There were some Gipsy musicians in the fleet at Sebastopol. But, generally speaking, Gipsies are like cats—not very fond of the water.—Ed.
[230] Mr. Borrow mentions having observed, at a fair in Spain, a family of Gipsies, richly dressed, after the fashion of their nation. They had come a distance of upwards of a hundred leagues. Some merchants, to whom he was recommended, informed him, that they had a credit on their house, to the amount of twenty thousand dollars.—Ed.