January 4 Saturday – The Clemens party was at sea on the Oceana en route to Colombo, Ceylon. Sam’s notebook reveals anchoring off Albany, Western Australia for mail pickup and delivery, and newspapers. [Shillingsburg, “Down Under” 34; NB 36 TS 14]. Tied up in the “perfectly landlocked roadstead — the most desolate-looking rocks & scarred hills.” Many ships were arriving, “full of people rushing to the mines,” hoping to get rich [At Home 196]. Note: Sam must have thought of his own mining days in Nevada. His notebook contains opinions of Australia, including:

One must say it very softly, but the truth is that the native Australian is as vain of his pretty country as if it were the final masterpiece of God, achieved by Him from designs by that Australian. He is as sensitive about her as men are of sacred things — can’t bear to have critical things said about her [196: quoting NB by Paine 265].

…Thinks he is going to build a mighty nation there, & some day be an independent one — a republic — cut up his 60 & 100,000-acre sheep runs into farms, maybe — irrigate the deserts, &c — Federation is sound; but better not hurry to cut loose from England…Australasia is the modern heaven — it is bossed absolutely by the workingman.

Also:

Buckle says the bulk of population of India is the Sudras — the workers, the farmers, the creators of wealth. Their name — laborer — is a term of contempt [Gribben 109; NB 36: TS 15]. Note: Henry Thomas Buckle’s History of Civilization in England. 2 vols. (1857 and 1861).

Sam also quoted Sir Alfred Lyall about the religious divisions of Asia [Gribben 430; NB 36 TS 15].

Robert Roundabout (pseudonym) in “Roundabout Readings,” Punch CX p.4 had high praise for HF [Tenney 25].