'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎272] (381/496)

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many of our present friends having formed part of the corps. If the
Ali Xlahi sect are jealous of enquiry into the mysterious tenets of their
faith, they are tolerant of all other religions, and exempt from the preju
dices of the fanatic Shiah. This evening the chief people entertained us
at dinner, and sent for a party of dancing girls for our diversion. They
were by no means handsome, but sang some lively Arab and Kurdish
airs, accompanying them with the castanets. These people appear to be
itinerant gypsies, and lead a nomade life in this part of Persian Kurdis
tan. They are termed Susimani, and speak a dialect very similar to the
vernacular Hindustani.^ When young, the women are said to be pretty,
and obtain a precarious livelihood solely by the exercise of their Paphian
vocations. The better classes of the profession are, however, sometimes
attached to the houses of the influential men, to afford amusement to
their families, and lead a life of comparative enjoyment, though by no
means a virtuous one; virtue, indeed, is unknown among them.
We were busily employed during our stay here in testing the perfor
mance of our little chronometer, which proved to be satisfactory, consi
dering that it had not only been exposed to a sudden change of tempe
rature, but had also sustained some unavoidable shocks. Two routes,
both ox equal interest, lay before us on the morrow, but as the Calhurs,
I
* Rich, on his journey to Persepolis, met with a tribe of Iliyat, called Zergers, or
goldsmiths, who seemed, by their dialect and habits, to be a tribe of gypsies. Ha
gives many phrases as obtained from them that would assimilate them to the
tSusimani Kurds, and, at the same time, shew a remarkable affinity to Hindustani.
Those that I can recognize I copy from his work entitled “ Babylon and Persepolis,”
page 259 :—
^ Ave or Ane Come. la imper—Go. Keni jeti—where are you going? Su*
gherdan what have you done ? Yagh—Fire. Panee—Water.
In the New Monthly Magazine for June 1831, I observe, too, in a notice of
Baiiow s work on the Gypsies of Spain, that this remarkable tribe bears the appel
lation of Zincali or Zingali. In them perhaps we may trace a connection with die
Zengani families inhabiting this part of Kurdistan, and who, though now professing
Mahomedanism, fomerly exercised the Susimani virtues, and, indeed, own to a
gypsy origin. The interchange of the g for the c, and the l for n, in the name, is
well known in all Eastern dialects, and Mr. Barrow, though not venturing to pio
nounce on tne origin of the family, points out its connection with the East from tie
Sanscrit roots that abound in the language of the tribe. Portions of this interesting
race at times wander into the vicinity of Baghdad, and are known to the Arabs ot
the plains by the names of Zinkani and Kouli; quasi Kaouli or Kabuli, from Kabul,
in Affghanistan, whence they are said to have originally wandered. H e
seen, too, from Colonel Harriot’s interesting paper and vocabulary in the. Royu
Asiatic Journal, that the language of the English gypsy is identical wit if' 10
Sanscrit and Persian tongues : on enquiry, most of our slang terms, as derived ^om
t us interesting race, will be traceable to some of the most primitive dialects
we are at present acquainted with.