One of the most extraordinary books ever published appeared in Paris in 1815. Its simple if slightly ungrammatical title, The New Guide of the Conversation in Portuguese and English, revealed little of the nature of its truly remarkable contents.

Pedro Carolino – of whom virtually nothing is known ndash; had collaborated with Jose da Fonseca, the respected author of a Portuguese-French phrase book first published in 1836, in converting his book into a Portuguese-English phrase book. There was just one problem: Carolino did not know a word of English.