Although, immediately after their coming into Germany, they spread so rapidly, that in 1418 their names were recorded in the annual publications of almost every part of the country, yet particular places seem to have been favoured by them. Thus, in Bavaria they were not noticed till 1433; and they must have very quickly withdrawn themselves from these parts, as six years afterwards it was remarked, as somewhat new and extraordinary, that in this year (1439) the Gipseys, a pack of scoundrels, a vagrant gang, were come into that country, with their king, whose name was Zundl.
They did not travel together, but in different hordes, each having its leader, sometimes called count: at other times their leaders were dignified with the titles of dukes or kings of Lesser Egypt. One horde which arrived at Augsburgh in 1419, although it consisted of only seventy men, had even two of these dukes, beside some counts, with them. But what sort of creatures these great men among the Gipseys were, has been explained in another place. (Vide p. 72, _& seq._)
If Stumpf be right, the number of these people must have been very considerable. Those alone who came into Switzerland in 1718, women and children included, were estimated at 14000. But here he, or his authority, seems to have greatly miscounted. It is true, that he likewise remarks, they did not keep all together, but went about in separate parties; notwithstanding this, his account is much to be doubted. By what is to be found concerning particular hordes, there were none which exceeded one or at most two hundred. That which went to Augsburgh in 1419 consisted of but seventy men: therefore if they had been so numerous as Stumpf asserts, there must have been at least a hundred such hordes dispersed through Switzerland. It was at this time (1418) that Gipseys were first seen at Zurich; they were a swarm, whose leader’s name was Michael. Four years had elapsed before they were known at Basil—part of the very horde of this Michael. Would not some other tribe have got to Basil before these, if they had been so numerous? Thomasius adopts this number of 14000 without suspicion, and understands it to comprehend the whole multitude all over Germany; but then he does not appear to have quoted Stumpf’s testimony in the sense it was meant. Many hordes of them must certainly have arrived, as they spread every-where so prodigiously; but to persist in any nearer investigation of their numbers, would be only useless trouble.