December 12 Thursday – The last full day in Wellington, and N.Z., Sam and Carlyle G. Smythe took a short train ride to the suburb of Hutt, where they enjoyed the gardens of Mrs. Ross, played billiards, and in the evening went to a concert. Livy and Clara likely went along. New Zealand Mail ran R.A.L.’s interview about the “Street Called Straight” from the Christchurch Savage Club [Shillingsburg, “Down Under” 30; At Home 178].

Sam wrote on Moeller’s Occidental Hotel stationery to Joseph J. Kinsey of Christchurch, thanking him for books and photographs which arrived this day. He disclosed they were sailing the next day for Sydney and they’d always remember “with pleasure the good times you gave us in Christchurch…” Sam wished he lived closer to New Zealand so they might meet again some day, but hoped when the Kinsey’s visited America they might return the favor [MTP].

On the same stationery, Sam wrote a short letter to H.H. Rogers, obviously responding to a letter now lost.

I imagine that if I should give those creditors my notes — but we will not discuss that. It makes me hot every time I think of it.

Sam added a short paragraph that they’d had “a most delightful 6-week lecture campaign in New Zealand” and that they would sail in one hour for Australia [MTP not in MTHHR].