May 18 Friday – Sam spent two days in London. Mary Anderson’s agent offered him £2,000 to lecture ten nights in London, but he declined because the season was over in three weeks and there’d be no time to advertise. He promised to consider a fall or winter engagement including a few two-night stands in other cities. He tried to locate Rogers’ daughters at the Brown Hotel, Mrs. Cara Rogers Duff and May Rogers, in order to deliver a letter sent them by Mrs.
December 31 Tuesday – In Adelaide, Australia Sam lunched with Lt. Gov. Dr. Samuel J. Way, then called at Government House and left his card, but was unable to see the Gov. General. The Clemens family went sightseeing at the Adelaide Zoological Gardens. Sam saw a Laughing Jackass (bird) that laughed and a dingo.
December 30 Monday – In Adelaide, Australia Sam wrote to his nephew, Samuel E. Moffett.
This is just a note to welcome Francis to the fight. It may be a long one, it may be a short one, but there is only one result possible — defeat. But don’t tell him that; let him find out for himself. Then he will think it is a discovery. …I shall have to drop him a line & give him a sharp note of warning, & tell him that if I do take him for agent I shan’t need him in San Francisco.
December 29 Sunday – On a moonlit night the Clemens party was en route to Adelaide on P&O Co.’s Oceana. Sam’s notebook: “Dec. 29. Arr. At Adelaide early in the morning” [NB 36 TS 13].
December 28 Saturday – The Clemens party left Melbourne aboard the P&O Co.’s 3,175 ton Oceana, captained by Commander E. Stewart, bound for India. A “very heavy sea all night” probably caused some concern. Sam left behind him many good memories and friends; financially he had done well, with most halls being filled to the brim and enthusiastic [Shillingsburg, “Down Under” 33, At Home 191-2; NB 36 TS 13].
December 27 Friday – In Malvern, a suburb of Melbourne, Sam spent all day playing billiards with the Wagners [NB 36 TS 13]. In the evening Sam gave his “At Home” (No. 2) lecture at Athenaeum Hall in Melbourne. Age reviewed the lecture on Dec. 28 [Shillingsburg, “Down Under” 33].
December 26 Thursday – On Boxing Day in Melbourne, the Clemenses enjoyed Johnny cakes and buckwheat cakes at the John Wagner’s. Sam played billiards “a good part of the day” [NB 36 TS 13] with young Jack Wagner (John H. Jr.) and Mrs. Sue McCulloch, his sister. Livy and Clara enjoyed tea with Mrs. Sue McCulloch, perhaps as guests elsewhere. In the evening Sam gave his “At Home” (No. 2) in the Athenaeum Hall in Melbourne.
December 25 Wednesday – Christmas – The Oceana arrived in Melbourne in the morning. The Clemens party was driven to the Malvern home of John H. Wagner, whom they’d spent many hours with in October. They had an afternoon tea with the Wagners and visited at Lloyds’ large home at Stoningham. Christmas dinner was enjoyed at Highgate-on-the-Hill with the R.S. Smythe family.
December 24 Tuesday – The Clemens party was en route to Melbourne on the P&O Co.’s Oceana. Shillingsburg writes Sam “Evidently working on the Australian poem in his notebook, adding verses first recorded in Melbourne in Dec. 26 performance” [“Down Under” 32].
While en route Sam wrote three letters of introduction for Justice Sir William C. Windeyer to Laurence Hutton, Henry C. Robinson, and Chauncey Depew (the first two survive). He then enclosed these letters to Windeyer.
December 23 Monday – In Sydney Sam sent £200 to H.H. Rogers through Dibb’s Bank. At noon Sam wrote a short note to Cyprian A. Bridge:
We sail in an hour: I have been so rushed that I got no chance to acknowledge the honor of your visit till a quarter of an hour ago…I am sorry I missed you…[MTP].
At 1 p.m. the Clemens party (including Carlyle G. Smythe) sailed on the P&O liner Oceana for Ceylon.