His words were, as nearly as I can remember, as follows:-- "They are wanderers who live in tents, and are regarded with contempt even by the peasantry.

Their women tell fortunes, tattoo, {189} and sell small-wares; the men work in iron (_quincaillerie_).

They are all adroit thieves, and noted as such.

The men may sometimes be seen going around the country with monkeys; in fact, they appear to be in all respects the same people as the Gipsies of Europe." This was all that I could learn for several days; for though there were Gipsies--or "Egypcians"-- in Egypt, I had almost as much trouble to find them as Eilert Sundt had to discover their brethren in Norway.

In speaking of the subject to Mr Edward Elias, a gentleman well known in Egypt, he most kindly undertook to secure the aid of the chief of police, who in turn had recourse to the Shekh of the Gipsies.