ve of this journey, and indeed the best letter
of Borrow's that I have read, is one from Constantinople to his
wife--the only letter by him from that city:

To Mrs. George Borrow, Oulton, Lowestoft

CONSTANTINOPLE, 16_th September 1844._

MY DARLING CARRETA,--I am about to leave Constantinople and to
return home. I have given up the idea of going to Russia; I
find that if I go to Odessa I shall have to remain in
quarantine for fourteen days, which I have no inclination to
do; I am, moreover, anxious to get home, being quite tired of
wandering, and desirous of being once more with my loved ones.
This is a most interesting place, but unfortunately it is
extremely dear. The Turks have no inns, and I am here at an
English one, at which, though everything is comfortable, the
prices are very high. To-day is Monday, and next Friday I
purpose starting for Salonica in a steamboat--Salonica is in
Albania. I shall then cross Albania, a journey of about three
hundred miles, and get to Corfu, from which I can either get to
England across Italy and down the Rhine, or by way of
Marseilles and across France. I shall not make any stay in
Italy if I go there, as I have nothing to see there. I shall be
so glad to be at home with you once again, and to see my dear
mother and Hen. Tell Hen. that I picked up for her in one of
the bazaars a curious Armenian coin; it is silver, small, but
thick, with a most curious inscription upon it. I gave fifteen
piastres for it. I hope it and the rest will get safe to
England. I have bought a chest, which I intend to send by sea,
and I have picked up a great many books and other things, and I
wish to travel light; I shall, therefore, only take a bag with
a few clothes and shirts. It is possible that I shall be at
home soon after your receiving this, or at most three weeks
after. I hope to write to you again from Corfu, which is a
British island with a British garrison in it, like Gibraltar;
the English newspapers came last week. I see those wretched
French cannot let us alone, they want to go to war; well, let
them; they richly deserve a good drubbing. The people here are
very kind in their way, but home is home, especially such a one
as mine, with true hearts to welcome me. Oh, I was so glad to
get your letters; the