Transcribed from the 1910 Y Cymmrodor edition ,

p.160George Borrow’s Second Tour in Wales.

By T. C.CANTRILL, B.Sc., F.G.S.,
and
J. PRINGLE.

The reader of Dr. Knapp’s Life of Borrow will rememberthat, three years after the 1854 expedition to North Wales,George Borrow made a rapid traverse through the south-westernportion of the Principality.  The incidents of the formerexcursion formed the basis of Wild Wales, but the onlypublished record of the latter tour is the brief itinerary givenin the Life. [160a]

It so happens that for several years past our professionalduties have taken us into the western regions of South Wales, andinto parts of the counties of Carmarthen and Pembroke traversedby Borrow in 1857.  Not satisfied with the bald outline ofthe journal published by Dr. Knapp, one of us wrote to him inParis with the request that he would be kind enough to furnish uswith a few details as to the villages passed through, and theinns where Borrow lodged.  To our gratification Dr. Knappdid far more than we had asked; he sent us a verbatimtranscription from the original note book, accompanied by thefollowing letter [160b]:—

p. 161191 r. del’ Université, Paris.
26 Aug. 1908.

Dear Sir,—Your veryinteresting communication of the 1st of Aug. reached me on the6th.  My chests containing Borrow’s MSS., Letters andNote Books, are stored and sealed up, so that they are no longerreadily accessible even to me, in the present state of my healthand impaired strength.  Besides, the Note Books are inpencil, written as he strode along the roads of England andWales, very badly, and subsequently much thumbed as he pored overthem in later years.  Hence they are very trying to theeyes, and as mine are giving me much trouble, growing weaker andweaker, I dreaded to subject them to any fresh tension even withthe powerful lenses I am forced to employ.  However, aftermuch reflection I decided to unscrew the boxes till I came to theNote Books, from among which I drew forth the little one for1857.  And although it has cost me two weeks to decipher andwrite down only ten pages, I feel that the labour is wiselybestowed if it in any way accomplishes your desire.  FromLampeter into Brecknock hills to Builth I could no longer followBorrow.  He is full of badly written Welsh, is constantlylosing his way, and the Welsh names of villages, hamlets andparishes cited are not in Lewis or Lett’s County Atlas ashe gives them.  Still, if you want the Itinerary or anythingfurther, please let me know.

I should very much like to meet you, but I travellittle.  Last year we were in Norwich threemonths—July 1 to Oct. 1—for my wife’s health,but we went nowhere, only passing thro’ London going andcoming.  I was glad to learn the date ofHenrietta’s death.  Mr. Murray wrote me of the factwithout mentioning the date.  By the way I should like apicture of Borrow’s birthplace at Dumpling Green; I havethe one given in “The Sphere” but cannot lay my handson it.  Could I trouble you further for the title of the

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