communication with a particular part of its population, which from the
accounts I had received of it had inspired me with the most vivid
interest, I did not fail shortly after my arrival to seek an opportunity
of accomplishing my work, and believe that what I have now to communicate
will be of some interest to the Christian and the philosopher. I allude
to the people called Zigani or Gypsies, or, as they style themselves,
Rommany, of which there are several thousands in and about Moscow, and
who obtain a livelihood by various means. Those who have been accustomed
to consider these people as wandering barbarians, incapable of
civilisation and unable to appreciate the blessings of a quiet and
settled life, will be surprised at learning that many of those in Moscow
inhabit large and handsome houses, appear abroad in elegant equipages,
and if distinguishable from the genteel class of the Russians [are] only
so by superior personal advantages and mental accomplishments. Of this
singular phenomenon at Moscow the female Gypsies are the principal cause,
having from time immemorial cultivated their vocal powers to such an
extent that, although in the heart of a country in which the vocal art
has arrived at greater perfection than in any other part of the world,
the principal Gypsy choirs in Moscow are allowed by the general voice of
the public to be unrivalled and to bear away the palm from all
competitors. It is a fact notorious in Russia that the celebrated
Catalani was so filled with admiration for the powers of voice displayed
by one of the Gypsy songsters, who, after the former had sung before a
splendid audience at Moscow, stepped forward and with an astonishing
burst of melody ravished every ear, that she tore from her own shoulders
a shawl of immense value which had been presented to her by the Pope, and
embracing the Gypsy compelled her to accept it, saying that it had been
originally intended for the matchless singer which she now discovered was
not herself. The sums obtained by these performers are very large,
enabling them to live in luxury of every description and to maintain
their husbands in a princely way. Many of them are married to Russian
gentlemen; and every one who has resided for any length of time in Russia
cannot but be aware that the lovely, talented, and domesticated wife of
Count Alexander Tolstoi is by birth a Gypsy, and was formerly one of the
ornaments of a Rommany choir at Moscow as she is now one of the principal
ornaments of the marriage state and of illustrious life. It is not,
however, to be supposed that all the female Gypsies in Moscow are of this
high, talented, and respectable order; amongst them there are a great
number of low, vulgar, and profligate females who sing in taverns, or at
the various gardens in the neighbourhood, and whose husbands and male
connections subsist by horse-jobbing and such kinds of low traffic. The
principal place of resort of this class is Marina Rotche, lying about two
_verses_ from Moscow, and thither I drove, attended by a
_valet-de-place_. Upon my arriving there the Gypsies swarmed out from
their tents and from the little _tracteer_ or tavern, and surrounded me.
Standing on the seat of the _caleche_, I addressed them in a loud voice
in the dialect of the English Gypsies, with which I have some slight
acquaintance. A scream of wonder instantly arose, and welcomes and
greetings were poured forth in torrents of musical Rommany, amongst
which, however, the most pronounced cry was: _ah kak mi toute
karmuma_--'Oh, how we love you,' for at first they supposed me to be one
of their brothers, who, they said, were wandering about in Turkey, China,
and other parts, and that I had come over the great _pawnee_, or water,
to visit them. Their countenances exactly resembled those of their race
in England and Spain, brown, and for the most part beautiful, their eyes
fiery and wildly intelligent, their hair coal-black and somewhat coarse.
I asked them numerous questions, especially as to their religion and
original country. They said that they believed in 'Devil,' which,
singularly enough, in their language signifies God, and that they were
afraid of the evil spirit, or 'Bengel'; that their fathers came from
Rommany land, but where that land lay they knew not. They sang many
songs both in the Russian and Rommany languages; the former were modern
popular pieces which are in vogue on the stage, but the latter were
evidently very ancient, being composed in a metre or cadence to which
there is nothing analogous in Russian prosody, and exhibiting an internal
character which was anything but European or modern. I visited this
place several times during my sojourn at Moscow, and spoke to them upon
their sinful manner of living, upon the advent and suffering of Christ
Jesus, and expressed, upon my taking a final leave of them, a hope that
they would be in a short period furnished with the word of eternal life
in their own language, which they seemed to value and esteem much higher
than the Russian. They invariably listened with much attention; and
during the whole time I was amongst them exhibited little in speech or
conduct which was objectionable.
I returned to Petersburg, and shortly afterwards, the business which had
brought me to Russia being successfully terminated, I quitted that
country, and am compelled to acknowledge, with regret. I went thither
prejudiced against the country, the government, and the people; the first
is much more agreeable than is generally supposed; the second is
seemingly the best adapted for so vast an empire; and the third, even the
lowest classes, are in general kind, hospitable, and benevolent. True it
is that they have many vices, and their minds are overshadowed by the
gloomy clouds of Grecian superstition, but the efforts of many excellent
and pious persons amongst the English at St. Petersburg are directed to
unveiling to them the cheering splendour of the lamp of the Gospel; and
it is the sincere prayer of the humble individual who now addresses you
that the difficulties which at present much obstruct their efforts may be
speedily removed, and that from the boundless champains of Russia may
soon resound the Jubilee hymn of millions, who having long groped their
way in the darkness of the shadow of death, are at once blessed with
light, and with joyful hearts acknowledge the immensity of the blessing.
GEORGE BORROW.
To the Rev. J. Jowett
(_Endorsed_: recd. Oct. 27, 1835)
_Oct._ 26 [1835.] WILLOW LANE, ST. GILES, NORWICH.
REVD. AND DEAR SIR,--Pray excuse the liberty I take in troubling you with
these lines, which I write for the purpose of informing you that I am
perfectly ready to undertake anything which yourself or Mr. Brandram may
deem expedient. I should be most happy to explore Portugal and Spain,
and to report upon the possibility of introducing the Gospel into those
countries, provided that plan has not been given up; or to commence the
Armenian Testament forthwith, if the types are ready. If you would so
far condescend as to return an answer as soon as it suits your
convenience, you would confer no slight obligation upon me, for I am
weary of doing nothing, and am sighing for employment.
I have the honour to remain, Revd. and Dear Sir, your most obliged and
most obedient servant,
GEORGE BORROW.
To the Rev. A. Brandram
(_Endorsed_: recd. Oct. 28,1835)
WILLOW LANE, ST. GILES, NORWICH,
27 _Octr._, 1835.
REVD. AND DEAR SIR,--I have received your letter of the 26th, as I
suppose Mr. Jowett has received mine of the same date which I needlessly
sent. As you ask me to favour you with my thoughts, I certainly will;
for I have thought much upon the matters in question, and the result I
will communicate to you in a very few words. I decidedly approve (and so
do all the religious friends whom I have communicated it to) of the plan
of a journey to Portugal, and am sorry that it has been suspended, though
I am convinced that your own benevolent and excellent heart was the
cause, unwilling to fling me into an undertaking which you supposed might
be attended with peril and difficulty. Therefore I wish it to be clearly
understood that I am perfectly willing to undertake the expedition, nay,
to extend it into Spain, to visit the town and country, to discourse with
the people, especially those connected with institutions for infantine
education, and to learn what ways and opportunities present themselves
for conveying the Gospel into those benighted countries. I will moreover
undertake, with the blessing of God, to draw up a small volume of what I
shall have seen and heard there which cannot fail to be interesting, and
if patronised by the Society will probably help to cover the expenses of
the expedition.
On my return I can commence the Armenian Testament, and whilst I am
editing that, I may be acquiring much vulgar Chinese from some unemployed
Lascar or stray Cantonman whom I may pick up upon the wharves; and
then--to China. I have no more to say, for were I to pen twenty pages,
and I have time enough for so doing, I could communicate nothing which
would make my views more clear. Many thanks to you for enclosing the
letter from St. Petersburg: it was written in Danish, and came from a
very dear and excellent friend who rendered me in Russia services of no
common nature.
I have the honour to be, Revd. and Dear Sir, your most obedient servant,
GEORGE BORROW.
P.S.--There has been a Bible meeting at Oulton in Suffolk, to which I was
invited. The speaking produced such an effect that some of the most
vicious characters in the neighbourhood have become weekly subscribers to
the Branch Society. So says the _Chronicle_ of Norfolk in its report.
To the Rev. J. Jowett
(_Endorsed_: recd. Dec. 8, 1835)
LISBON, 30 _Nov._ 1835.
REVD. AND DEAR SIR,--I arrived safe at Lisbon on the twelfth of the
present month after a passage which, considering the season in which it
was made, may be termed a fair one. On the morning of the tenth we found
ourselves about two leagues from the coast of Galicia, whose lofty
mountains gilded by the rising sun presented a magnificent appearance.
We soon passed Cape Finisterre, and standing farther out to sea speedily
lost sight of land. On the morning of the eleventh the sea was very
rough, and a most remarkable circumstance occurred. I was on the
forecastle, discoursing with two of the sailors, [and] one of them who
had just left his hammock told me that he had had a most disagreeable
dream, for, said he, pointing up to the mast, 'I dreamt that I fell into
the sea from off the cross-trees.' He was heard to say this by several
of the crew besides myself. A moment after, the captain of the vessel,
perceiving that the squall was increasing, ordered the topsails to be
taken in, whereupon this man with several others instantly ran up aloft.
The yard was presently loosened, and in the act of being hauled down,
when a violent gust of wind whirled it round with violence, and a man was
struck down from the cross-trees into the sea, which was raging and
tumbling below. In a few moments he emerged, and I saw his head
distinctly on the crest of a wave, and I recognised in the unfortunate
man the sailor who shortly before had been relating his dream. I shall
never forget the look of agony he cast us whilst the ship hurried past
him. The alarm was given, and in a moment everything was in confusion.
It was at least two minutes before the vessel was stopped, and the man
was left a considerable way behind, but I still kept my eye upon him, and
could perceive that he was struggling gallantly with the waves. A boat
was at length lowered, but the rudder unfortunately was not at hand, and
only two oars could be procured, with which the men who manned her could
make but little progress in the tremendous sea; however, they did their
best, and had arrived within ten yards of the man who had continued
struggling for his life, when I lost sight of him, and the men on their
return said that they saw him below the waters at glimpses, sinking
deeper and deeper, his arms stretched out and his body to all appearance
stiff, but they found it impossible to save him. Presently afterwards
the sea, as if satisfied with the prey it had received, became
comparatively calm, and the squall subsided. The poor fellow who was
drowned in this singular manner was a fine young man, twenty-seven years
of age, the only son of a widowed mother. He was the best sailor on
board, and beloved by every one who was acquainted with him. The event
occurred on the 11th of November 1835, the vessel was the 'London
Merchant' Steamship, commanded by Captain Whittingham. Wonderful indeed
are the ways of Providence.
I experienced some difficulty in landing at Lisbon, the custom-house
officers being exceedingly dilatory in examining the baggage. I had yet
more difficulty in obtaining a lodging, but at last found one, dark,
dirty, and exceedingly expensive, without attendance. I shall not
trouble you with a description of Lisbon, for as I have much that is
important to communicate I must not waste paper with uninteresting
details. I will merely observe that it is a noble town, situated on
seven hills on the left bank of the Tagus, the houses are very lofty,
like castles, the streets are in general precipitously steep, and no
animals of burden but mules, asses, and oxen can traverse them with
safety. I found the streets by no means so dirty as they have been
represented, and at night they are tolerably well lighted, but between
the hours of nine and twelve they swarm with robbers and assassins.
I should have written to you before, but I wished to transmit in my first
letter a stock of information which would enable you at once to form some
idea as to the state of this country; and in order to acquire such I have
visited every part of Lisbon, entered into discourse with the people on
all occasions, and have made a journey of nearly one hundred miles about
the country, during which I visited Cintra and Mafra, at the former of
which places I remained four days, making excursions in the meanwhile on
foot or on a mule amongst the mountains, and visiting whatever villages
are contained within its beautiful and picturesque neighbourhood.
In Lisbon carelessness for religion of any kind seems to prevail. The
people appear in general to have shaken off the old superstition and to
feel no inclination to bend their necks to another yoke. Many of them
have told me that the priests are the veriest knaves in the world, and
that they have for many years subsisted by imposing upon them, and that
they wished the whole body was destroyed from the face of the earth. I
have enquired of many of the lower orders whether they ever confessed
themselves, whereupon they laughed in my face and said that they had not
done so for years, demanding what good would result to them for so doing,
and whether I was fool enough to suppose that a priest could forgive sins
for a sum of money. One day whilst speaking to a muleteer I pointed to a
cross over the gate of a chapel opposite to us, and asked him if he
reverenced it; he instantly flew into a rage, stamped violently, and
spitting on the ground said it was a piece of stone, and that he should
have no more objection to spit upon it than the stones on which he trod:
'I believe that there is a God,' he added, 'but as for the nonsense which
the priests tell us I believe no part of it.' It has not yet been my
fortune during my researches in Lisbon to meet one individual of the
populace amongst the many I have addressed who had read the Scripture or
knew anything of its contents; though many of them have assured me that
they could read, which in many instances I have found to be the fact,
having repeatedly taken from my pocket the New Testament in Portuguese
which I constantly carry with me, and requested them to read a few
verses, which they were able to do. Some of these individuals had read
much in their own language, which indeed contains a store of amusing and
instructive literature--for example, the chronicles of the various kings
of Portugal and of the heroes who distinguished themselves in the various
wars of India, after Vasco da Gama had opened the way into the vast
regions of the East by doubling the Cape.
Amongst the many public places which I have visited at Lisbon is the
Convent of San Geronymo, the church of which is the most beautiful
specimen of Gothic architecture in the Peninsula, and is furnished with
the richest shrines. Since the expulsion of the monks from the various
religious houses in Portugal, this edifice has served as an asylum for
orphans, and at present enjoys the particular patronage of the young
[Queen]. In this establishment upwards of five hundred children, some of
them female, are educated upon the Lancastrian system, and when they have
obtained a sufficient age are put out to the various trades and
professions for which they are deemed most suited, the tallest and finest
of the lads being drafted into the army. One of the boys of his own
accord became my guide and introduced me to the various classes, where I
found the children clean and neat and actively employed upon their tasks.
I asked him if the Holy Scripture (_Santa Escritura_) was placed in the
hands of the scholars. He answered in the affirmative; but I much doubt
the correctness of his answer, for upon my requesting him to show me a
copy of the Holy Scripture, he did not appear to know what I meant by it.
When he said that the scholars read the Holy Scripture he probably meant
the vile papistical book called 'Christian Doctrine,' in which the office
of the mass is expounded, which indeed I saw in the hands of the junior
boys, and which, from what I have since seen, I believe to be a standard
school-book in Portugal. I spent nearly two hours in examining the
various parts of this institution, and it is my intention to revisit it
in a short time, when I hope to obtain far better information as to the
moral and religious education of its inmates.
On my arrival at Lisbon I was disappointed in my expectation of finding
Mr. Wilby, who was in the country and was not expected for a week. I
therefore had at first no person to whom I could apply for counsel as to
the best means of proceeding; but unwilling to remain idle till the
period of his arrival, I at once commenced operations at Lisbon as I have
narrated. At the end of four or five days I started for Cintra, distant
about four leagues from Lisbon, situate on a ledge of the northern
declivity of a wild and picturesque mountain. Cintra contains about
eight hundred inhabitants, and in its environs are many magnificent
_quintas_ or country seats of some of the first families in Portugal; it
is likewise a royal residence, for at its north-eastern side stands an
ancient palace, which though unfurnished is preserved in [good repair],
and which was the favourite residence of the ancient kings. On one of
the ridges of [this] mountain are seen the ruins of an immense castle,
which for centuries was the stronghold of the Moors in this part of the
Peninsula. The morning after my arrival I was about to ascend the
mountain to examine it, when I observed a person, advanced in years,
whom, by his dress, I judged to be an ecclesiastic; upon enquiry I found
in effect that he was one of the three priests of the place. I instantly
accosted him, and had no reason to repent for so doing, for I found him
affable and communicative. After praising the beauty of the scenery, I
made some enquiry as to the state of education amongst the people beneath
his care. He told me that he was sorry to [say that] they were in a
state of great ignorance, that very few of them could either write or
[read], that there was no school in the place but one at which a few
children were taught the alphabet, but which was not then open, that
there was a school at Colhares, about a league [distant]. He said that
nothing so surprised him as to see English, the most learned and
intelligent people in the world, visiting a place like Cintra, where
there was no literature and nothing of utility (_aonde no ha nem
leitura_, _nem sciencia_, _nem alguma cousa que presta_). You may easily
guess that I was in no slight degree surprised to hear a priest of
Portugal lament the ignorance of the populace, and began to entertain
hopes that I should not find the priests in general so indisposed to the
mental improvement of the people as I at first imagined.
That same day I visited Colhares, a romantic village lower down the
mountain to the west, near the sea. Seeing some peasants collected round
the smithy I enquired about the school, and one instantly offered to be
my guide thither. I went upstairs into a small apartment where I found
the master with about a dozen pupils standing in a row, for there was but
one chair, or rather stool, to which, after having embraced me, he
conducted me with great civility. After some discourse he shewed me the
books which he used for the instruction of his pupils; they were
spelling-books like those used in our village schools and the
before-mentioned 'Christian Doctrine.' Upon my enquiring whether it was
his custom to use the Scripture in his school, he told me that long
before the children had acquired sufficient intelligence to understand
the Scriptures their parents took them from school in order that they
might assist them in the labours of the field, and that in general they
were by no means solicitous that their children should learn anything, as
they considered the time occupied in acquiring learning as squandered
away. He added that all the village schools in Portugal were supported
by the Government, but that many of them had lately been discontinued, as
the schoolmasters experienced the greatest difficulty in obtaining their
salaries; but that he had heard that it was the intention of the
Government to establish schools in all parts of the country on the
Lancastrian system--which since my return to Lisbon I have discovered to
be a fact. He told me that he had a copy of the New Testament in his
possession, which I desired to see; but on examining it I discovered that
it was only the Epistles (from Pereira's version) with long Popish notes.
I asked him whether he considered that there was any harm in reading the
Scripture without notes; he said that there was certainly no harm in it,
but that simple people without the assistance of notes could derive but
little benefit therefrom, as the greatest part that they read would be
unintelligible to them. Whereupon I shook hands with him, and on
departing said that there was no part of Scripture so difficult to
understand as those very notes which were intended to elucidate it, and
that the Almighty would never have inspired His saints with a desire to
write what was unintelligible to the great mass of mankind.
For some days after this I traversed the country in all directions,
riding into the fields where I saw the peasants at work, and entering
into discourse with them; and notwithstanding many of my questions must
have appeared to them very singular, I never experienced any incivility,
though they frequently answered me with smiles and laughter. (I have now
communicated about half of what I have to say; the remainder next week.
G. BORROW.)
To the Rev. A. Brandram
(_Endorsed_: recd. Jan. 10, 1836)
EVORA IN THE ALEMTEJO, 15_th_ _Dec._, 1835.