letters-第6章
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nting； and therefore earnestly beg for a speedy communication； informing me how much paper I am to bespeak； and in what manner I am to pay for it。 I must here observe that in all dealings within Russia the purchaser must have his money ready in his hand； consequently； if I am authorised to purchase any quantity of paper； I must have a letter of credit upon some firm here resident； that I may be able to pay for the article immediately upon its delivery。
I remain； Revd。 and dear Sir； most truly yours；
GEORGE BORROW。
P。S。 … With respect to the paper； if purchased； would you have me deliver the whole of it into the printer's hands at once； or should a small apartment be hired in which to keep part of it until wanted？ In this country the wisdom of the serpent is quite as necessary as the innocence of the dove。
LETTER： 27th June； 1834
To J。 Thornton； Esq。 （ENDORSED： recd。 July 22nd； 1834） ST。 PETERSBURG； JUNE 27TH； 1834。
SIR； … Having drawn upon Messrs。 Simondsen and Company of St。 Petersburg for the sum of 2000 roubles （two thousand roubles） as a deposit upon an order for 450 reams of Chinese paper； at TWENTY… FIVE ROUBLES per ream； I have to request that you will honour their draft to the like amount。
I remain； Sir； yours；
GEORGE BORROW。
LETTER： Undated
To the Rev。 J。 Jowett
REVD。 AND DEAR SIR； … Our types are in the hands of the printer； they have been cleaned and set in order。 St。 Matthew's Gospel has been corrected； and the work of printing commences next week。 Most truly yours；
G。 B。
LETTER： 1st October； 1834
To John Jackson； Esq。 OCTR。 1 （old style）； 1834； ST。 PETERSBURG。
MY DEAR SIR； … I am exceedingly sorry that you should have had the trouble of writing to me to no purpose； for in respect to the letter； which it seems by your favour of the 29th ult。 you committed to a private hand to be forwarded to me； I beg leave to state that I have never received it； or heard anything of it。 I must earnestly intreat that in future all letters relating to business be despatched by the regular post； otherwise great inconvenience and misunderstanding will be the result。 Private individuals seldom give themselves the slightest trouble to deliver letters。 If they chance to fall in with the persons for whom they are intended … well and good！ if not； the letters are flung aside and forgotten。 In respect to the monies furnished me by our friend Mr。 Tarn for my journey I have sent an account of the disbursement on the other side； and also of what I have expended already upon the Mandchou New Testament； of which ST。 MATTHEW'S GOSPEL HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND ST。 MARK'S ENTERED UPON。
I remain； my dear Sir； most truly yours；
GEORGE BORROW。
To J。 Tarn； Esq。； UNDER…TREASURER OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY。
Account of the disbursement of certain monies received by me for my journey to St。 Petersburg in the service of the B。 S。：…
Received of Mr。 Tarn （if I mistake not） 30 pounds； and 7 pounds； making together 37 pounds。
Paid for fare to Hamburg by steam…boat； diet not included； 7 pounds； 0s 0d
For expenses of conveying myself and baggage to the custom…house wharf； and of getting on board； 0 pounds； 6s； 0d
Carry forward； 7 pounds； 6s； 0d
Brought forward 7 pounds； 6s； 0d
Expenses on board the packet； viz。 diet； servants； and baggage fees at Stade on the Hanoverian coast； 1 pound； 9s； 0d
Expenses attending my landing at Hamburg； conveyg。 baggage to the hotel； etc。； 0 pounds； 5s； 0d
Expenses on the day of my arrival； for medical advice； physic； etc。； having been seized by severe illness； 0 pounds； 7s； 0d
Expenses during three days' sojourn at Hamburg； viz。 for lodging； diet； and VALET DE PLACE； 1 pound； 19s； 0d
Expenses of journey to Lubeck； namely hire of calash； driver； etc。； 1 pound； 10s； 0d
Expenses of two days' sojourn at Lubeck； 1 pound； 7s； 0d
Expenses for removal of baggage to the river…side and journey down the river Trave to steam…boat at Travemunde； 0 pound； 7s； 0d
Fare from Travemunde to St。 Petersburg； diet not included； 1 pound； 0s； 0d
For diet； servants； etc。； 1 pound； 17s； 6d
Total； 27 pounds； 7s； 6d
Surplus of money； 9 pounds； 12s； 6d
From which surplus of 9 pounds； 12s。 6d。 are to be deducted 7 pounds； 4s。； or the salary of twelve days not drawn for； which twelve days were spent in the journey。 The salary commencing from the hour of embarcation。
Surplus due to Mr。 Tarn； 2 pounds； 8s； 6d
MY DEAR SIR； … At the expiration of this quarter I shall draw for the sum of 47 pounds； 11s。 6d。 instead of the usual 50 pounds； whereby my account with you will be liquidated。 I have； according to your suggestion when we parted； deducted the salary of the days passed in journeying from the money which I received from you； Messrs。 Simondsen having received advice to pay me from the day of my arrival at St。 Petersburg； whereas by the words of my agreement （see books） the salary commences from the time of embarcation。 I believe； previous to my departure； that I accounted to you for the sums advanced for passports。 I have had the good fortune； as I suppose you are aware； to procure for 25 roubles per ream the paper for which I was originally asked 60； and of which previously the very lowest price has ever been 35。 This paper is far superior to that for which the Society formerly paid 40 （and which was not dear at 40）； being far stronger and more glossy。 You will particularly oblige me by taking care that Messrs。 Simondsen's drafts are honored without the slightest delay。 If I were unable to pay for the paper at the stated time I should probably be arrested； and； what would be far more lamentable； the contract with the merchants would be broken； and upon a fresh contract I could not obtain the paper in question for less than 60 roubles per ream； for the winter has already come upon us； during which most of the paper manufactories are at a stand…still； and an order for paper would be consequently given under every possible disadvantage。 I have forwarded； according to your desire； an account of the sums of money hitherto drawn for； and of the manner in which they have been disbursed。 I intended to have reserved my account for Christmas； by which season I hope； with the blessing of God； to have brought out the four Gospels。 Excuse these hasty lines； and believe me； dear Sir； ever yours；
GEORGE BORROW。
LETTER： 8th October； 1834
To the Rev。 J。 Jowett （ENDORSED： recd。 Nov。 10th； 1834） ST。 PETERSBURG； OCT。 8 ＇old style＇； 1834。
I HAVE just received your most kind epistle； the perusal of which has given me both pain and pleasure … pain that from unavoidable circumstances I have been unable to gratify eager expectation； and pleasure that any individual should have been considerate enough to foresee my situation and to make allowance for it。 The nature of my occupations during the last two months and a half has been such as would have entirely unfitted me for correspondence； had I been aware that it was necessary； which； on my sacred word； I was not。 Now； and only now； when by the blessing of God I have surmounted all my troubles and difficulties； I will tell； and were I not a Christian I should be proud to tell； what I have been engaged upon and accomplished during the last ten weeks。 I have been working in the printing…office； as a common compositor； between ten and thirteen hours every day during that period； the result of this is that St。 Matthew's Gospel； printed from such a copy as I believe nothing was ever printed from before； has been brought out in the Mandchou language； two rude Esthonian peasants； who previously could barely compose with decency in a plain language which they spoke and were accustomed to； have received such instruction that with ease they can each compose at the rate of a sheet a day in the Mandchou； perhaps the most difficult language for composition in the whole world； considerable progress has also been made in St。 Mark's Gospel； and I will venture to promise； provided always the Almighty smiles upon the undertaking； that the entire work of which I have the superintendence will be published within eight months from the present time。 Now； therefore； with the premise that I most unwillingly speak of myself and what I have done and suffered for some time past； all of which I wished to keep locked up in my own breast； I will give a regular and circumstantial account of my proceedings from the day when I received your letter； by which I was authorised by the Committee to bespeak paper； engage with a printer； and cause our type to be set in order。
My first care was to endeavour to make suitable arrangements for the obtaining of Chinese paper。 Now those who reside in England； the most civilised and blessed of countries； where everything is to be obtained at a fair price； have not the slightest idea of the anxiety and difficulty which； in a country like this； harass the foreigner who has to disburse money not his own； if he wish that his employers be not shamefully and outrageously imposed upon。 In my last epistle to you I stated that I had been asked 100 roubles per ream for such paper as we wanted。 I likewise informed you that I believed that it was possible to procure it for 35 roubles； notwithstanding our Society had formerly paid 40 roubles for worse paper than the samples I was in possession of。 Now I have always been of opinion than in the expending of money collected for sacred purposes； it behoves the agent to be extraordinarily circumspect and sparing。 I therefore was determined； whatever trouble it might cost me； to procure for the Society unexceptionable paper at a yet more reasonable rate than 35 roubles。 I was aware； that an acquaintance of mine； a young Dane； was particularly intimate with one of the first printers of this city； who is accustomed to purchase vast quantities of paper every month for his various publications。 I gave this young gentleman a specimen of the paper I required； and desired him （he was under obligations to me） to enquire of his friend； AS IF FROM CURIOSITY； the least possible sum per ream at which the PRINTER HIMSELF （who from his immense demand for paper should necessarily obtain it cheaper than any one else） could expect to purchase the article in question。 The answer I received within a day or two was 25 roubles。 Upon hearing this I prevailed upon my acquaintance to endeavour to persuade his friend to bespeak the paper at 25 roubles； and to allow me； notwithstanding I was a perfect stranger； to have it at that price。 All this was brought about。 I was introduced to the printer； Mr。 Pluchard； by the Dane； Mr。 Hasfeldt； and between the former gentleman and myself a contract was made to the effect that by the end of October he should supply me with 450 reams of Chinese paper at 25 roubles per ream； the first delivery to be made on the 1st of August； for as my order was given at an advanced period of the year； when all the paper manufactories were at full work towards the executing of orders already received； it was but natural that I should verify the old apophthegm； 'Last come； last
