r from you there. You cannot imagine what
pleasure I felt when I got your last. Oh, it was such a comfort
to me! I shall have much to tell you when I get back. Yesterday
I went to see a poor wretch who is about to be hanged; he
committed a murder here two years ago, and the day after
to-morrow he is to be executed--they expose the people here who
are to suffer three days previous to their execution--I found
him in a small apartment guarded by soldiers, with hundreds of
people staring at him through the door and the windows; I was
admitted into the room as I went with two officers; he had an
enormous chain about his waist and his feet were manacled; he
sat smoking a pipe; he was, however, very penitent, and said
that he deserved to die, as well he might; he had murdered four
people, beating out their brains with a club; he was without
work, and requested of an honest man here to receive him into
his house one night until the morning. In the middle of the
night he got up, and with his brother, who was with him, killed
every person in the house and then plundered it; two days
after, he was taken; his brother died in prison; I gave him a
little money, and the gentleman who was with me gave him some
good advice; he looked most like a wild beast, a huge mantle of
skin covered his body; for nine months he had not seen the
daylight; but now he is brought out into a nice clean
apartment, and allowed to have everything he asks for, meat,
wine, tobacco--nothing is refused him during these last three
days. I cannot help thinking that it is a great cruelty to keep
people so long in so horrid a situation; it is two years nearly
since he has been condemned. Do not be anxious if you do not
hear from me regularly for some time. There is no escort post
in the countries to which I am going. God bless my mother,
yourself, and Hen.

G. B.

To Mrs. George Borrow, Oulton, Lowestoft

HERMANSTADT, _July 30, 1844._

MY DEAREST CARRETA,--I write to you a line or two from this
place; it is close upon the frontier of Wallachia. I hope to be
in Bucharest in a few days--I have stopped here for a day owing
to some difficulty in getting horses--I shall hasten onward as
quick as possible. In Bucharest there is an English Consul, so
that