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Letters　of　George　Borrow　to　the　British　and　Foreign　Bible　Society

LETTER：　February　10th；　1833

To　the　Rev。　J。　Jowett
WILLOW　LANE；　ST。　GILES；　NORWICH；
FEB。　10TH；　1833。

REVD。　AND　DEAR　SIR；　…　I　have　just　received　your　communication；　and　　notwithstanding　it　is　Sunday　morning；　and　the　bells　with　their　loud　　and　clear　voices　are　calling　me　to　church；　I　have　sat　down　to　　answer　it　by　return　of　post。　　It　is　scarcely　necessary　for　me　to　　say　that　I　was　rejoiced　to　see　the　Chrestomathie　Mandchou；　which　　will　be　of　no　slight　assistance　in　learning　the　Tartar　dialect；　on　　which　ever　since　I　left　London　I　have　been　almost　incessantly　　occupied。　　It　is；　then；　your　opinion；　that　from　the　lack　of　　anything　in　the　form　of　Grammar　I　have　scarcely　made　any　progress　　towards　the　attainment　of　Mandchou；　perhaps　you　will　not　be　　perfectly　miserable　at　being　informed　that　you　were　never　more　　mistaken　in　your　life。　　I　can　already；　with　the　assistance　of　　Amyot；　TRANSLATE　MANDCHOU　with　no　great　difficulty；　and　am　　perfectly　qualified　to　write　a　critique　on　the　version　of　St。　　Matthew's　Gospel；　which　I　brought　with　me　into　the　country。　　Upon　　the　whole；　I　consider　the　translation　a　good　one；　but　I　cannot　help　　thinking　that　the　author　has　been　frequently　too　paraphrastical；　　and　that　in　various　places　he　must　be　utterly　unintelligible　to　the　　Mandchous　from　having　unnecessarily　made　use　of　words　which　are　not　　Mandchou；　and　with　which　the　Tartars　cannot　be　acquainted。

What　must　they　think；　for　example；　on　coming　to　the　sentence　。　。　。　　APKAI　ETCHIN　NI　POROFIYAT；　I。E。　the　prophet　of　the　Lord　of　heaven？　　　For　the　last　word　in　the　Mandchou　quotation　being　a　modification　of　　a　Greek　word；　with　no　marginal　explanation；　renders　the　whole　dark　　to　a　Tartar。　　＇Greek　text　which　cannot　be　recorded＇；　APKAI　I　know；　　and　ETCHIN　I　know；　but　what　is　POROFIYAT；　he　will　say。　　Now　in　　Tartar；　there　are　words　synonymous　with　our　seer；　diviner；　or　　foreteller；　and　I　feel　disposed　to　be　angry　with　the　translator　for　　not　having　used　one　of　these　words　in　preference　to　modifying　　＇Greek　text＇；　and　it　is　certainly　unpardonable　of　him　to　have　　Tartarized　＇Greek　text＇　into　。　。　。　ANGUEL；　when　in　Tartar　there　is　　a　word　equal　to　our　messenger；　which　is　the　literal　translation　of　　＇Greek　text＇。　　But　I　will　have　done　with　finding　fault；　and　proceed　　to　the　more　agreeable　task　of　answering　your　letter。

My　brother's　address　is　as　follows：　Don　Juan　Borrow；　Compagnia　Anglo　Mexicana；　Guanajuato；　Mexico。

When　you　write　to　him；　the　letter　must　be　put　in　post　before　the　　third　Wednesday　of　the　month；　on　which　day　the　Mexican　letter…　packet　is　made　up。　　I　suppose　it　is　unnecessary　to　inform　you　that　　the　outward　postage　of　all　foreign　letters　must　be　paid　at　the　　office；　but　I　wish　you　particularly　to　be　aware　that　it　will　be　　absolutely　necessary　to　let　my　brother　know　in　what　dialect　of　the　　Mexican　this　translation　is　made；　in　order　that　he　may　transmit　it　　to　the　proper　quarter；　for　within　the　short　distance　of　twenty　　miles　of　the　place　where　he　resides　there　are　no　less　than　six　　dialects　spoken；　which　differ　more　from　each　other　than　the　German　　does　from　the　English。　　I　intend　to　write　to　him　next　Thursday；　and　　if　you　will　favour　me　with　an　answer　on　this　very　important　point；　　by　return　of　post；　I　shall　feel　obliged。

Return　my　kind　and　respected　friend　Mr。　Brandram　my　best　thanks　for　　his　present　of　THE　GYPSIES'　ADVOCATE；　and　assure　him　that；　next　to　　the　acquirement　of　Mandchou；　the　conversion　and　enlightening　of　　those　interesting　people　occupy　the　principal　place　in　my　mind。　　　Will　he　be　willing　to　write　to　the　Gypsy　Committee　concerning　me？　　　I　wish　to　translate　the　Gospel　of　St。　John　into　their　language；　　which　I　could　easily　do　with　the　assistance　of　one　or　two　of　the　　old　people；　but　then　they　must　be　paid；　for　the　Gypsies　are　more　　mercenary　than　Jews。　　I　have　already　written　to　my　dear　friend　Mr。　　Cunningham　on　this　subject；　and　have　no　doubt　that　he　will　promote　　the　plan　to　the　utmost　of　his　ability。　　I　must　procure　a　letter　of　　introduction　from　him　to　Joseph　Gurney；　and　should　be　very　happy　to　　obtain　one　also　from　Mr。　Brandram；　for　in　all　which　regards　the　　Gospel　and　the　glory　of　Christ；　Joseph　Gurney　is　the　principal　　person　to　look　to　in　these　parts。　　I　will　now　conclude　by　　beseeching　you　to　send　me　as　soon　as　possible　WHATEVER　CAN　SERVE　TO　　ENLIGHTEN　ME　IN　RESPECT　TO　MANDCHOU　GRAMMAR；　for　had　I　a　Grammar；　I　　should　in　a　month's　time　be　able　to　send　a　Mandchou　translation　of　　Jonah。　　In　the　meanwhile　I　remain；　Revd。　and　dear　Sir；　your　most　　humble　and　obedient　servant；

G。　BORROW。



LETTER：　18th　March；　1833



To　the　Rev。　J。　Jowett　18TH　MARCH；　1833；　WILLOW　LANE；　ST。　GILES；　NORWICH。

DEAR　SIR；　…　As　yourself　and　Mr。　Brandram　expressed　a　desire　to　hear　　from　me　occasionally　concerning　my　progress　in　Mandchou；　I　now　　write　to　inform　you　that　I　am　advancing　at　full　gallop；　and　am　able　　to　translate　with　pleasure　and　facility　the　specimens　of　the　best　　authors　who　have　written　in　the　language　contained　in　the　　compilation　of　Klaproth。　　But　I　must　confess　that　the　want　of　a　　Grammar　has　been；　particularly　in　the　beginning　of　my　course；　a　　great　clog　to　my　speed；　and　I　have　little　doubt　that　had　I　been　　furnished　with　one　I　should　have　attained　my　present　knowledge　of　　Mandchou　in　half　the　time。　　I　was　determined　however　not　to　be　　discouraged；　and；　not　having　a　hatchet　at　hand　to　cut　down　the　tree　　with；　to　attack　it　with　my　knife；　and　I　would　advise　every　one　to　　make　the　most　of　the　tools　which　happen　to　be　in　his　possession；　　until　he　can　procure　better　ones；　and　it　is　not　improbable　that　by　　the　time　the　good　tools　arrive　he　will　find　he　has　not　much　need　of　　them；　having　almost　accomplished　his　work。　　This　is　not　exactly　my　　case；　for　I　shall　be　very　glad　to　receive　this　same　tripartite　　Grammar　which　Mr。　Brandram　is　hunting　for；　my　ideas　respecting　　Mandchou　construction　being　still　very　vague　and　wandering；　and　I　　should　also　be　happy　if　you　could　and　would　procure　for　me　the　　original　grammatical　work　of　Amyot；　printed　in　the　MEMOIRES；　etc。　　　Present　my　kind　regards　to　Mr。　Hattersley；　and　thank　him　in　my　name　　for　his　kind　letter；　but　at　the　same　time　tell　him　that　I　was　sorry　　to　learn　that　he　was　putting　himself　to　the　trouble　of　transferring　　into　Mandchou　characters　the　specimens　which　Amyot　has　given　in　　Roman；　as　there　was　no　necessity　for　it　in　respect　to　myself；　a　　mere　transcript　being　quite　sufficient　to　convey　the　information　I　　was　in　need　of。　　Assure　him　likewise　that　I　am　much　disposed　to　　agree　with　him　in　his　opinion　of　Amyot's　Dictionary；　which　he　terms　　in　his　letter　'something　not　very　first…rate；'　for　the　Frenchman's　　translations　of　the　Mandchou　words　are　anything　but　clear　and　　satisfactory；　and　being　far　from　literal；　frequently　leave　the　　student　in　great　doubt　and　perplexity。

I　have　sent　to　my　brother　one　copy　of　St。　Luke's　Gospel　with　a　　letter；　the　postage　was　15s。　5d。　　My　reason　for　sending　only　one　　was；　that　the　rate　of　postage　increases　with　the　weight；　and　that　　the　two　Gospels　can　go　out　much　cheaper　singly　than　together。　　The　　other　I　shall　dispatch　next　month。

I　subjoin　a　translation　from　the　Mandchou；　as　I　am　one　of　those　who　　do　not　wish　people　to　believe　words　but　works；　and　as　I　have　had　no　　Grammar；　and　been　only　seven　weeks　at　a　language　which　Amyot　says　　ONE　MAY　ACQUIRE　IN　FIVE　OR　SIX　YEARS；　I　thought　you　might　believe　　my　account　of　my　progress　to　be　a　piece　of　exaggeration　and　vain　　boasting。　　The　translation　is　from　the　Mongol　History；　which；　not　　being　translated　by　Klaproth；　I　have　selected　as　most　adapted　to　　the　present　occasion；　I　must　premise　that　I　translate　as　I　write；　　and　if　there　be　any　inaccuracies；　as　I　daresay　there　will；　some　　allowance　must　be　made　for　haste；　which　prevents　my　devoting　the　　attention　necessary　to　a　perfectly　correct　rendering　of　the　text。

I　will　conclude　by　observing　that　I　believe　myself　at　present　　competent　to　edit　any　book　in　Mandchou；　IF　THAT　BE　WHAT　IS　WANTED；　　and　beg　leave　to　remain；　dear　Sir；　your　obedient　humble　servant；

GEORGE　BORROW。



LETTER：　9th　June；　1833



To　the　Rev。　J。　Jowett　JUNE　9TH；　1833　WILLOW　LANE；　ST。　GILES；　NORWICH。

REVD。　AND　DEAR　SIR；　…　I　have　mastered　Mandchou；　and　I　should　feel　　obliged　by　your　informing　the　Committee　of　the　fact；　and　also　my　　excellent　friend　Mr。　Brandram。

I　assure　you　that　I　have　had　no　easy　and　pleasant　task　in　acquiring　　this　language。　　In　the　first　place；　it　is　in　every　respect　　different　from　all　others　which　I　have　studied；　with　perhaps　the　　exception　of　the　Turkish；　to　which　it　seems　to　bear　some　remote　　resemblance　in　syntax；　though　none　in　words。　　In　the　second　place；　　it　abounds　with　idiomatic　phrases；　which　can　only　be　learnt　by　　habit；　and　to　the　understanding　of　which　a　Dictionary　is　of　little　　or　no　use；　the　words　separately　having　either　no　meaning　or　a　　meaning　quite　distinct　from　that　which　they　possess　when　thus　　conjoined。　　And　thirdly　the　helps　afforded　me　in　this　undertaking　　have　been　sadly　inadequate。　　However；　with　the　assistance　of　God；　I　　have　performed　my　engagement。

I　have　translated　several　pieces　from　the　Mandchou；　amongst　which　　is　the　。　。　。　or　Spirit　of