When the cold or the heat
permit, the Gitana removes the hood, without untying the knots, and
exhibits her long and shining tresses restrained by a comb. The
old women, and the very poor, dress in the same manner, save that
their habiliments are more coarse and the colours less in harmony.
Amongst them misery appears beneath the most revolting aspect;
whilst the poorest Gitano preserves a certain deportment which
would make his aspect supportable, if his unquiet and ferocious
glance did not inspire us with aversion.'
CHAPTER VI
WHILST their husbands are engaged in their jockey vocation, or in
wielding the cachas, the Callees, or Gypsy females, are seldom
idle, but are endeavouring, by various means, to make all the gain
they can. The richest amongst them are generally contrabandistas,
and in the large towns go from house to house with prohibited
goods, especially silk and cotton, and occasionally with tobacco.
They likewise purchase cast-off female wearing-apparel, which, when
vamped up and embellished, they sometimes contrive to sell as new,
with no inconsiderable profit.
Gitanas of this description are of the most respectable class; the
rest, provided they do not sell roasted chestnuts, or esteras,
which are a species of mat, seek a livelihood by different tricks
and practices, more or less fraudulent; for example -
LA BAHI, or fortune-telling, which is called in Spanish, BUENA
VENTURA.
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