The Gipsies Advocate | Page 6

winter, and who was fed
and clothed, and had every care taken of him, would not remain with
those who wished him well, and who had been his friends; but returned
to the camp from which he had been taken, saying, that he would be a
Gipsy, and would wear silver buttons on his coat, and have topped
boots; and when asked how he would get them, he replied--by catching
rats.
Some Gipsies try to excel others in the possession of silver buttons.
They will sometimes give as much as fifteen pounds for a set. The
females too spend many pounds on weighty gold rings for their fingers.
The Author has by him, belonging to a Gipsy, three massy rings
soldered together, and with a half sovereign on the top, which serves
instead of a brilliant stone. We pity a vain Gipsy whose eyes are taken,
and whose heart delights in such vulgar pomp. Are not those equally
pitiable, who estimate themselves only by the gaiety, singularity, or
costliness of their apparel? The Saviour has given us a rule by which

we may judge persons in reference to their dress, as well as in other
ostensibilities of character--by their fruits ye shall know them.
The Gipsies are not strangers to pawn-brokers shops; but they do not
visit these places for the same purposes as the vitiated poor of our
trading towns. A pawnshop is their bank. When they acquire property
illegally, as by stealing, swindling, or fortune-telling, they purchase
valuable plate, and sometimes in the same hour pledge it for safety.
Such property they have in store against days of adversity and trouble,
which on account of their dishonest habits, often overtake them. Should
one of their families stand before a Judge of his country, charged with a
crime which is likely to cost him his life, or to transport him, every
article of value is sacrificed to save him from death, or apprehended
banishment. In such cases they generally retain a Counsellor to plead
for the brother in adversity.
At other times they carry their plate about with them, and when visited
by friends, they bring out from dirty bags, a silver tea-pot, and a
cream-jug and spoons of the same metal. Their plate is by no means
paltry. Of course considerable property in plate is not very generally
possessed by them.
The Gipsies of this country are very punctual in paying their debts. All
the Shop-keepers, with whom they deal in these parts, have declared,
that they are some of their best and most honest customers. For the
payment of a debt which is owing to one of their own people, the time
and place are appointed by them, and should the debtor disappoint the
creditor, he is liable by their law of honour to pay double the amount he
owes; and he must pay it by personal servitude, if he cannot with
money, if he wish to be considered by his friends honest and
respectable. They call this law pizharris.
There are few of these unhappy people that can either read or write. Yet
a regular and frequent correspondence is kept up between the members
of families who have had the least advantage of the sort; and those who
have had no advantages whatever, correspond through the kindness of
friends who write for them. Numerous are the letters which they
receive from their relatives in New South Wales, to which Colony so

many hundreds of this unsettled race have been transported. Their
letters are usually left at one particular post-office, in the districts
where they travel; and should such letters not be called for during a
long period, they are usually kept by the post-master, who is sure they
will be claimed, sooner or later. A long journey will be no impediment,
when a letter is expected; for a Gipsy will travel any distance to obtain
an expected favour of the kind. They are never heard to complain of the
heavy expense of postage.
We have already observed that there are many genuine features of
humanity in the character of this degraded and despised people. Their
constantly retaining an affectionate remembrance of their deceased
relatives, affords a striking proof of this statement. And their
attachment to the horse, donkey, rings, snuffbox, silver-spoons, and all
things, except the clothes, of the deceased relatives, is very strong.
With such articles they will never part, except in the greatest distress;
and then they only pledge some of them, which are redeemed as soon
as they possess the means.
Most families visit the graves of their near relatives, once in the year;
generally about the time of Christmas. Then the depository of the dead
becomes a rallying spot for the living; for there they renew their
attachments and sympathies, and give and receive