December 22 Sunday – In Sydney the Clemens family visited the Hawkesbury River National Park with H.S. Chipman, who later gave Sam an illustrated book on Australia. A sightseeing boat usually left the Market St. Wharf for Hawkesbury. Sam was contacted by a member of the Bulletin staff, possibly J.F. Archibald. In Livy’s Dec. 20 to Sue Crane, she added a PS that William Windeyer called. Sam wrote extensively in his notebook and was preparing to wire more funds to H.H. Rogers [Shillingsburg, “Down Under” 32].

Livy continued her Dec. 20 letter to Susy:

Sunday morning / I was here interrupted by a knock on our parlor door. By good fortune I had not yet got into a wrapper, and Sir William Windeyer entered. He is one of the [judges] here, and has an interesting story, which I will tell you sometime. We are just off by invitation to the National Park…& there is about five minutes before we start [MTP].

Sir Joseph Hector Carruthers inscribed a copy of Andrew Barton Paterson’s The Man from Snowy River and Other Verses (1895) for Sam: From Mr. Carruthers to S.L. Clemens in memory of Dec. 22, most pleasantly spent at Port Hackin[g] Bay, Sydney, N.S.W., Dec/23/95 [Gribben 536].

Note: Paterson was best know for his poem, “Waltzing Matilda” which was set to music and became Australia’s national anthem. Carruthers would later serve as Premier of New South Wales (1904-7). As the inscription suggests, Sam spent some time with Carruthers on this day.