ht the idea a good one,
as far as regards Lisbon, but said that no colporteur would venture to
carry them about the country, as the fanatical priests would probably
cause him to be assassinated. He was kind enough to promise to look out
for people suited to make the essay in the streets of Lisbon; and as the
lower orders are very poor I wrote to Mr. Whiteley at Oporto, requesting
to be informed whether he had any objection to our selling the books to
the populace at Lisbon at a lower price than a _cruzado novo_, which he
had determined to sell them at. I thought it but right to consult him on
the subject, as the Society are under great obligations to him; and I was
unwilling to do anything at which he could possibly take umbrage. During
one of my conversations with Mr. Wilby I enquired which was the province
of Portugal, the population of which he considered to be the most
ignorant and benighted: he replied, 'The Alemtejo.' The Alemtejo means
'the other side of the Tagus.' This province is not beautiful and
picturesque like the other portions of Portugal, it has few hills or
mountains; the greatest part of it consists of heaths, broken by knolls
and gloomy dingles, swamps, and forests of stunted pine. These places
are infested with banditti, and not a week passes by without horrible
murders and desperate robberies occurring. The principal town is Evora,
one of the most ancient cities in Portugal, and formerly the seat of an
Inquisition far more cruel and baneful than the terrible one of Lisbon.
Evora lies about sixty miles from the farther bank of the Tagus, which is
at Lisbon three leagues broad; and to Evora I determined on going with a
small cargo of Testaments and Bibles. My reasons I need not state, as
they must be manifest to every Christian; but I cannot help thinking that
it was the Lord who inspired me with the idea of going thither, as by so
doing I have introduced the Scriptures into the worst part of the
Peninsula, and have acquired lights and formed connections (some of the
latter most singular ones, I admit) which if turned to proper account
will wonderfully assist us in our object of making the heathen of
Portugal and Spain acquainted with God's holy word. My journey to Evora
and my success there shall be detailed in my next letter.

G. BORROW.

To the Rev. A. Brandram

(_Endorsed_: r