I will now give my reading of the signs I discovered, and state how my deductions were arrived at, not with the idea of supplying a key to all such gypsy tokens, but by detailing the facts in this instance to illustrate one of their methods of communication. After having examined the camping ground, I found I had noted the following as my conclusions, and they subsequently proved to be quite correct:— ... Two families had encamped, but had not stayed many days. ... They had left that morning between the hours of nine and eleven. ... The two families had left together. ... They had not gone to their usual next camping ground, but had at first gone some distance upon the main road. ... All were walking, and there were a number of children. The signs left by the campers, known to gypsies as a patrin or pateran, which enabled me to form these opinions were as follows:— Two pieces of wood—one long, one short—were laid together V-wise; in the centre was the lid of an old tin canister in which was placed a bit of heather, very much branched, that is to say, no piece had been removed. The larger piece of wood was so placed that it pointed away from the main road, but a little way from it there had been placed another piece which was much bent, and this pointed in the direction of another main road cutting across that previously mentioned. So much for the description of the pateran itself. ... The ashes had been thrown off the fire tray and were still dry. Now, there had been rain that morning just before nine o’clock, therefore the families had left after that hour, having breakfasted before striking camp. ... The grass where the tents had been was fairly green and not so sickly-looking as it would have been had bedding, etc., lain upon it long, therefore they could have stayed but a day or two. This observation could have been verified by an examination of the hole made by the kettle prop, but it was not necessary. ... I arrived at the spot at about eleven o’clock, approaching by the road they had taken, and, as I had not met them it was evident they had left between nine and eleven o’clock. ... The bent stick lying apart from the remainder of the arrangement indicated that the company was on foot, for the stick would have been straight if the families had possessed a van. ... The piece of heather told me there were several children—the canister lid being used only to prevent it being overlooked. ... The long and short pieces of wood indicated men and women. ... The fact that two families had been there was ascertained upon searching for the holes made by the tent rods. This description of pateran is modern, and may be considered as more or less a family matter, the materials composing it, and the manner of using them, being to a great extent the result of a private arrangement and might not be correctly interpreted by members of another tribe.