June 29 Monday – The Clemens party spent the day in Cradock. Parsons writes that the town was the “home off and on of ‘the best-known woman in Africa’,” Olive Schreiner. The lady’s book, Story of an African Farm was more successful in the U.S. and greatly influenced Sam’s idea of the Boer. Parsons claims, “In some measure Mark Twain saw South Africa through her eyes as he had seen India through Rudyard Kipling’s” [“Traveler in S.A.” 32]. Note: Sam wrote the name of this book in his notebook on Nov. 20, 1895 while in N. Zealand [Gribben 608].

Parsons writes of the stop in Cradock:

In the cozy Victoria Hotel, he had time to catch up on the dispatches from Matabeleland and the Mashonaland, where uprisings of “2,000 natives” met the fire of Maxim guns and black workers deserted railway gangs “to number of two thousand.” A Midland Newsman had “a long and enjoyable chat” with Mark, who was greatly interested in Colonial history, the Boers and the Uitlanders, and indigenous “customs and manners.” When shown the latest release from Salisbury about “a hot fight across bad country,” the American “drily remarked ‘Strange, how that number, 2,000 natives, recurs in every telegram. Never more — never less!’” [“Clubman in S.A.” 251-2]. Note: the quotes from interview with Midland News and Karroo Farmer, June 30.

The Clemens party left Cradock at 7 p.m. by train and traveled all night. Parsons writes,

Once more the Clemenses were on their way, in a first-class compartment for four at a fare of £3.16s each for the 304 miles to Kimberley and 2s.6d. “per set” of bedding” [“Traveler in S.A.” 32].