been　bestowed　upon　them　but　from　the　circumstance　of　their　having
  been　designated　or　believed　to　be　Germans；　…　as　German　and　Fleming
  are　considered　by　the　ignorant　as　synonymous　terms。
  Amongst　themselves　they　have　three　words　to　distinguish　them　and
  their　race　in　general：　　Zincalo；　Romano；　and　Chai；　of　the　first　two
  of　which　something　has　been　already　said。
  They　likewise　call　themselves　'Cales；'　by　which　appellation　indeed
  they　are　tolerably　well　known　by　the　Spaniards；　and　which　is　merely
  the　plural　termination　of　the　compound　word　Zincalo；　and　signifies；
  The　black　men。　　Chai　is　a　modification　of　the　word　Chal；　which；　by
  the　Gitanos　of　Estremadura；　is　applied　to　Egypt；　and　in　many　parts
  of　Spain　is　equivalent　to　'Heaven；'　and　which　is　perhaps　a
  modification　of　'Cheros；'　the　word　for　heaven　in　other　dialects　of
  the　Gypsy　language。　　Thus　Chai　may　denote；　The　men　of　Egypt；　or；
  The　sons　of　Heaven。　　It　is；　however；　right　to　observe；　that　amongst
  the　Gitanos；　the　word　Chai　has　frequently　no　other　signification
  than　the　simple　one　of　'children。'
  It　is　impossible　to　state　for　certainty　the　exact　year　of　their
  first　appearance　in　Spain；　but　it　is　reasonable　to　presume　that　it
  was　early　in　the　fifteenth　century；　as　in　the　year　1417　numerous
  bands　entered　France　from　the　north…east　of　Europe；　and　speedily
  spread　themselves　over　the　greatest　part　of　that　country。　　Of　these
  wanderers　a　French　author　has　left　the　following　graphic
  description：　　（16）
  'On　the　17th　of　April　1427；　appeared　in　Paris　twelve　penitents　of
  Egypt；　driven　from　thence　by　the　Saracens；　they　brought　in　their
  company　one　hundred　and　twenty　persons；　they　took　up　their　quarters
  in　La　Chapelle；　whither　the　people　flocked　in　crowds　to　visit　them。
  They　had　their　ears　pierced；　from　which　depended　a　ring　of　silver；
  their　hair　was　black　and　crispy；　and　their　women　were　filthy　to　a
  degree；　and　were　sorceresses　who　told　fortunes。'
  Such　were　the　people　who；　after　traversing　France　and　scaling　the
  sides　of　the　Pyrenees；　poured　down　in　various　bands　upon　the
  sunburnt　plains　of　Spain。　　Wherever　they　had　appeared　they　had　been
  looked　upon　as　a　curse　and　a　pestilence；　and　with　much　reason。
  Either　unwilling　or　unable　to　devote　themselves　to　any　laborious　or
  useful　occupation；　they　came　like　flights　of　wasps　to　prey　upon　the
  fruits　which　their　more　industrious　fellow…beings　amassed　by　the
  toil　of　their　hands　and　the　sweat　of　their　foreheads；　the　natural
  result　being；　that　wherever　they　arrived；　their　fellow…creatures
  banded　themselves　against　them。　　Terrible　laws　were　enacted　soon
  after　their　appearance　in　France；　calculated　to　put　a　stop　to　their
  frauds　and　dishonest　propensities；　wherever　their　hordes　were
  found；　they　were　attacked　by　the　incensed　rustics　or　by　the　armed
  hand　of　justice；　and　those　who　were　not　massacred　on　the　spot；　or
  could　not　escape　by　flight；　were；　without　a　shadow　of　a　trial；
  either　hanged　on　the　next　tree；　or　sent　to　serve　for　life　in　the
  galleys；　or　if　females　or　children；　either　scourged　or　mutilated。
  The　consequence　of　this　severity；　which；　considering　the　manners
  and　spirit　of　the　time；　is　scarcely　to　be　wondered　at；　was　the
  speedy　disappearance　of　the　Gypsies　from　the　soil　of　France。
  Many　returned　by　the　way　they　came；　to　Germany；　Hungary；　and　the
  woods　and　forests　of　Bohemia；　but　there　is　little　doubt　that　by　far
  the　greater　portion　found　a　refuge　in　the　Peninsula；　a　country
  which；　though　by　no　means　so　rich　and　fertile　as　the　one　they　had
  quitted；　nor　offering　so　wide　and　ready　a　field　for　the　exercise　of
  those　fraudulent　arts　for　which　their　race　had　become　so　infamously
  notorious；　was；　nevertheless；　in　many　respects；　suitable　and
  congenial　to　them。　　If　there　were　less　gold　and　silver　in　the
  purses　of　the　citizens　to　reward　the　dexterous　handler　of　the　knife
  and　scissors　amidst　the　crowd　in　the　market…place；　if　fewer　sides
  of　fatted　swine　graced　the　ample　chimney　of　the　labourer　in　Spain
  than　in　the　neighbouring　country；　if　fewer　beeves　bellowed　in　the
  plains；　and　fewer　sheep　bleated　upon　the　hills；　there　were　far
  better　opportunities　afforded　of　indulging　in　wild　independence。
  Should　the　halberded　bands　of　the　city　be　ordered　out　to　quell；
  seize；　or　exterminate　them；　should　the　alcalde　of　the　village　cause
  the　tocsin　to　be　rung；　gathering　together　the　villanos　for　a
  similar　purpose；　the　wild　sierra　was　generally　at　hand；　which；　with
  its　winding　paths；　its　caves；　its　frowning　precipices；　and　ragged
  thickets；　would　offer　to　them　a　secure　refuge　where　they　might
  laugh　to　scorn　the　rage　of　their　baffled　pursuers；　and　from　which
  they　might　emerge　either　to　fresh　districts　or　to　those　which　they
  had　left；　to　repeat　their　ravages　when　opportunity　served。
  After　crossing　the　Pyrenees；　a　very　short　time　elapsed　before　the
  Gypsy　hordes　had　bivouacked　in　the　principal　provinces　of　Spain。
  There　can　indeed　be　little　doubt；　that　shortly　after　their　arrival
  they　made　themselves　perfectly　acquainted　with　all　the　secrets　of
  the　land；　and　that　there　was　scarcely　a　nook　or　retired　corner
  within　Spain；　from　which　the　smoke　of　their　fires　had　not　arisen；
  or　where　their　cattle　had　not　grazed。　　People；　however；　so　acute　as
  they　have　always　proverbially　been；　would　scarcely　be　slow　in
  distinguishing　the　provinces　most　adapted　to　their　manner　of　life；
  and　most　calculated　to　afford　them　opportunities　of　practising
  those　arts　to　which　they　were　mainly　indebted　for　their
  subsistence；　the　savage　hills　of　Biscay；　of　Galicia；　and　the
  Asturias；　whose　inhabitants　were　almost　as　poor　as　themselves；
  which　possessed　no　superior　breed　of　horses　or　mules　from　amongst
  which　they　might　pick　and　purloin　many　a　gallant　beast；　and　having
  transformed　by　their　dexterous　scissors；　impose　him　again　upon　his
  rightful　master　for　a　high　price；　…　such　provinces；　where；
  moreover；　provisions　were　hard　to　be　obtained；　even　by　pilfering
  hands；　could　scarcely　be　supposed　to　offer　strong　temptations　to
  these　roving　visitors　to　settle　down　in；　or　to　vex　and　harass　by　a
  long　sojourn。
  Valencia　and　Murcia　found　far　more　favour　in　their　eyes；　a　far　more
  fertile　soil；　and　wealthier　inhabitants；　were　better　calculated　to
  entice　them；　there　was　a　prospect　of　plunder；　and　likewise　a
  prospect　of　safety　and　refuge；　should　the　dogs　of　justice　be　roused
  against　them。　　If　there　were　the　populous　town　and　village　in　those
  lands；　there　was　likewise　the　lone　waste；　and　uncultivated　spot；　to
  which　they　could　retire　when　danger　threatened　them。　　Still　more
  suitable　to　them　must　have　been　La　Mancha；　a　land　of　tillage；　of
  horses；　and　of　mules；　skirted　by　its　brown　sierra；　ever　eager　to
  afford　its　shelter　to　their　dusky　race。　　Equally　suitable；
  Estremadura　and　New　Castile；　but　far；　far　more；　Andalusia；　with　its
  three　kingdoms；　Jaen；　Granada；　and　Seville；　one　of　which　was　still
  possessed　by　the　swarthy　Moor；　…　Andalusia；　the　land　of　the　proud
  steed　and　the　stubborn　mule；　the　land　of　the　savage　sierra　and　the
  fruitful　and　cultivated　plain：　　to　Andalusia　they　hied；　in　bands　of
  thirties　and　sixties；　the　hoofs　of　their　asses　might　be　heard
  clattering　in　the　passes　of　the　stony　hills；　the　girls　might　be
  seen　bounding　in　lascivious　dance　in　the　streets　of　many　a　town；
  and　the　beldames　standing　beneath　the　eaves　telling　the　'buena
  ventura'　to　many　a　credulous　female　dupe；　the　men　the　while
  chaffered　in　the　fair　and　market…place　with　the　labourers　and
  chalanes；　casting　significant　glances　on　each　other；　or　exchanging
  a　word　or　two　in　Rommany；　whilst　they　placed　some　uncouth　animal　in
  a　particular　posture　which　served　to　conceal　its　ugliness　from　the
  eyes　of　the　chapman。　　Yes；　of　all　provinces　of　Spain；　Andalusia　was
  the　most　frequented　by　the　Gitano　race；　and　in　Andalusia　they　most
  abound　at　the　present　day；　though　no　longer　as　restless　independent
  wanderers　of　the　fields　and　hills；　but　as　residents　in　villages　and
  towns；　especially　in　Seville。
  CHAPTER　II
  HAVING　already　stated　to　the　reader　at　what　period　and　by　what
  means　these　wanderers　introduced　themselves　into　Spain；　we　shall
  now　say　something　concerning　their　manner　of　life。
  It　would　appear　that；　for　many　years　after　their　arrival　in　the
  Peninsula；　their　manners　and　habits　underwent　no　change；　they　were
  wanderers；　in　the　strictest　sense　of　the　word；　and　lived　much　in
  the　same　way　as　their　brethren　exist　in　the　present　day　in　England；
  Russia；　and　Bessarabia；　with　the　exception　perhaps　of　being　more
  reckless；　mischievous；　and　ha