I have taken the liberty of humbly dedicating this work to you, the object of which is not to tickle the critical ears of ethnologists and philologists, but to touch the hearts of my countrymen on behalf of the poor Gipsy women and children and other roadside Arabs flitting about in our midst, in such a way as to command attention to these neglected, dark, marshy spots of human life, whose seedlings have been running wild among us during the last three centuries, spreading their poisonous influence abroad, not only detrimental to the growth of Christianity and the spread of civilisation, but to the present and eternal welfare of the children; and, what I ask for is, that the hand of the Schoolmaster may be extended towards the children; and that the vans and other temporary and movable abodes in which they live may be brought under the eye and influence of the Sanitary Inspector. Very respectfully yours, GEORGE SMITH, _Of Coalville_. _April_ 30_th_, 1880. INDEX. Part I. RAMBLES IN GIPSYDOM. PAGE Origin of the Gipsies and their Names 1 Article in _The Daily News_ 8 The Travels of the Gipsies 9 Acts of Parliament relating to the Gipsies 16 Article in _The Edinburgh Review_ 23 ,, _The Saturday Review_ 25 Professor Bott on the Gipsies 29 The Changars of India 32 The Doms of India 33 The Sanseeas of India 35 The Nuts of India 36 Grellmann on the Gipsies 39 Gipsies of Notting Hill 40 Rev. Charles Wesley 42 The Number of Gipsies 44 Part II. COMMENCEMENT OF THE CRUSADE.