July 9 Thursday – In Cape Town, Sam gave his “At Home” (No. 1) lecture to the 1,200 seat Opera House. Tickets ranged from 5 shillings to 1 & 6 pence. The Cape Argus ran a review of the talk on July 14 [Philippon 23].

H.H. Rogers wrote to Sam, notifying him that Frank Bliss was in New York and had brought him a list of points made by Harper & Brothers in the Uniform Edition matter. Rogers understood it this way:

As I view it the conditions of affairs will be in substance: if the trade is made between Harper & Brothers and the American Publishing Co. as follows, the American Publishing Co. will get out the uniform edition and continue the sale of books already in their possession, both old and new editions and sell the Harper books only in complete sets. Harper & Brothers will confine themselves to the sale of the C.L. Webster & Co. books, “Joan of Arc” and perhaps “Tom Sawyer, Detective.” The American Publishing Co. to publish the new book you are going to write of your trip around the World, and to make an advance payment of ten thousand ($10,000.00) dollars as a guarantee on the profits of the new book for a stated time. The American Publishing Co. proposes to make a new contract (destroying the old one) with Mrs. Clemens for their publications, giving her half the profits on all the books or perhaps 15% as Mrs. Clemens may elect.

Rogers felt this was a brief summary and wanted Sam’s approval, but beforehand he would “lay before Mrs. Clemens a full text of the contemplated arrangements” between Harper & Brothers and Bliss [MTHHR 225-6].

Sam wrote to Poultney Bigelow:

We reached here from Kimberley last Sunday morning; got your Delagoa Bay post-card yesterday (Wednesday) [July 8] & answered it by telegram asking if I should secure you a berth in our ship (the Norman a week hence) [sailed July 15]; dined at the Castle last evening & the first thing General Goodenough said was, that he had seen you off last Friday. I wish you had waited a little; but he said you had fever, & that the sea was the best place for you. This morning Mrs. Lindley called, & brought your introductory letter & a letter from her husband inviting us to come & share their bungalow; also Mrs. Van der Merwe has called & we are going there to tea day after tomorrow.

Sam also thanked Bigelow for “provision” he’d made for Sam at the Reform Club, as he would want to “sneak into town [London] at times to get paper & ink & books” [MTP]. Note: this letter misdated July 16.