people to compliment him on his Manx, so he did on his walking. Knapp
speaks of a "terrible journey" over the mountain from Ramsay to Braddan
and Douglas in October, but does not make any quotation relating to it.
In his opinion the notes "seldom present any matter of general interest
save to the islanders of Man and the student of Runic inscriptions."
Enough, however, is quoted to show that Borrow was delighted with the
country and the people, finding plenty to satisfy his curiosity in
languages and customs. But he was irritable, and committed to paper some
sarcastic remarks about Sir John Bowring and Lord Raglan, "the secret
friend" of Russia; while the advancement of an enemy and the death of a
cousin caused him to reflect: "William Borrow, the wonderful inventor,
dead, and Leicester Curzon . . . a colonel. Pretty justice!" In 1862,
in the pages of "Once a Week," he published two of his Manx translations,
the ballads--"Brown William" and "Mollie Charane." In August and
September, 1857, Borrow was walking again in Wales, covering four hundred
miles, as he told John Murray, and once, at least, between Builth and
Mortimer's Cross, making twenty-eight miles in a day. His route was
through Laugharne, Saundersfoot, Tenby, Pembroke, Milford and Milford
Haven, Stainton, Johnston, Haverfordwest, St. Davids, Fishguard, Newport,
Cardigan, Llechryd, Cilgerran, Cenarth, Newcastle Emlyn, Lampeter,
Llanddewi Brefi, Builth, Presteign, Mortimer's Cross, and so to
Shrewsbury, and to Uppington, where Goronwy Owen was curate in the middle
of the eighteenth century. Knapp transcribed part of Borrow's journal
for Messrs. T. C. Cantrill and J. Pringle, remarking that the rubbed
pencil writing took him eight days to decipher. With the annotations of
Messrs. Cantrill and Pringle it was printed in "Y Cymmrodor," {270a} the
journal of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. I will quote one
day's entries, with the annotations, which are the fruit of the most
patient devotion: