George Borrow: The Man and His BooksThomas, Edward
General
George Borrow: The Man and His Books
Thomas, Edward
Borrow, George, 1803-1881
"Splendid view of sea--isolated rocks to the South. Sir las {272c}
headlands stretching S. Descent to the shore. New Gall Bridge. {272d}
The collier's wife. Jemmy Remaunt {272e} was the name of man on the ass.
Her own husband goes to work by the shore. The ascent round the hill.
Distant view of Roche Castle. The Welshers, the little village
{272f}--all looking down on the valley appropriately called Y Cwm.
Dialogue with tall man Merddyn? {272g}--The Dim o Clywed."
Not much of this second tour can be shown to have been used in "Wild
Wales," where he alludes to it in the ninety-third chapter, saying that
he "long subsequently" found some of the wildest solitudes and most
romantic scenery among the mountains about Tregaron; but the collier may
have given him the suggestion for the encounter with Bosvile in the
ninety-eighth chapter. The spelling points to Borrow's ignorance of the
relation of pronunciation and orthography.
In 1858 Borrow's mother died at Oulton and was buried in Oulton
churchyard. During October and November in that year, partly to take his
mind from his bereavement, he was walking in the Scottish Highlands and
Islands. His note-book contains "nothing of general interest," says
Knapp, except an imperfect outline of the journey, showing that he was at
Oban, Tobermory, the Mull of Cantire, Glasgow, Perth, Aberdeen,
Inverness, Dingwall, Tain, Dornoch, Helmsdale, Wick, John o'Groats,
Thurso, Stromness, Kirkwall, and Lerwick.
In 1860, after taking a house at 20, Hereford Square, West Brompton, he
and his wife and stepdaughter went to Dublin, and himself walked to
Connemara and the Giant's Causeway. His wife thought this journey "full
of adventure and interest," but he left no record of it. They were again
in Ireland in 1866, Miss Clarke having lately married a Dr. MacOubrey, of
Belfast. Borrow himself crossed over to Stranraer and had a month's
walking in Scotland, to Glen Luce, Castle Douglas, Dumfries, Ecclefechan,
Carlisle, Gilnochie, Hawick, Jedburgh, Yetholm, Kelso, Melrose,
Coldstream, Berwick, and Edinburgh. He talked to the people, admired the
scenery, bathed, and enjoyed his meals. He left the briefest of
journals, but afterwards, in "Romano Lavo-Lil," published an account of
the "Gypsy toon" of Kirk Yetholm and how he was introduced to the Gypsy
Queen. He dropped his umbrella and flung his arms three times up into
the air and asked her in Romany what her name was, and if she was a
mumper or a true Gypsy. She asked him what was the meaning of this
"gibberish," but he describes how gradually he made her declare herself,
and how she examined him in Gypsy and at last offered him a chair, and
entered into "deep discourse" about Gypsy matters. He talked as he did
to such people, saying "Whoy, I calls that a juggal," etc. He found
fault with her Romany, which was thin and mixed with Gaelic and cant
words. She told him that he reminded her of her grandfather, Will Faa,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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