A History of the Gipsies: with Specimens of the Gipsy LanguageSimson, Walter
History
A History of the Gipsies: with Specimens of the Gipsy Language
Simson, Walter
Romanies; Romanies -- Languages
"Some considerable time after this, as Robert was one evening travelling
with his packs, between Elvanfoot and Moffat, two men came up to him,
whom he thought very suspicious-looking fellows. As he was a stout man
himself, and carried a good cudgel, he kept on the alert for a
considerable way, lest they should take him by surprise. At last, one of
them asked him if he was not afraid to travel alone, so late at night.
He said he was under a necessity to be out late, sometimes, on his
lawful business. But recollecting his token, he said a gentleman had
once given him a piece of brass, to show, if ever any person troubled
him. They desired him to show it, as it was moonlight. He gave it to
them. On seeing it, they looked at one another, and then, whispering a
few words, told him it was well for him he had the token, which they
returned; and they left him directly.
"After a lapse of nearly two years, when he had almost forgotten his two
guineas, as he was one morning loading his packs, at the door of a
public-house, near Gretna-green, he felt some person touch him behind,
and, on looking round, saw it was Mr. Baillie, who slipped something
into his hand, wrapped in paper, and left him, without speaking a single
word. On opening the paper, he found three guineas, which was his own
money, and a guinea for interest.
"There was another gang of Gipsies that stayed mostly in Annandale,
headed by a Jock Johnstone, as he was called in the country. These were
counted a kind of lower caste than Baillie's people, who would have
thought themselves degraded if they had associated with any of the
Johnstone gang. Johnstone confined his travels mostly to Dumfries-shire;
while Baillie went over all Scotland, and even made long excursions into
England. Johnstone kept a great many women about him,[131] several of
whom had children to him; and, in kilns and in barns, Johnstone always
slept in the middle of the whole gang. Baillie sometimes told his
select friends that he had a wife, but never any of them could find out
where she stayed; and as he used to disappear now and then, for a
considerable time together, it was supposed he was with her. He never
slept, in barn or kiln, with any of his people. Johnstone travelled all
day in the midst of a crowd of women and children, mounted on asses.
Baillie travelled always by himself, mounted on the best horse he could
get for money.
[131] A great many of the inferior Gipsy chiefs travelled with a
number of women in their company; such as George Drummond, Doctor
Duds, John Lundie, and others.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account