November 15 Friday – In Christchurch, N.Z. this may have been the day Sam visited the Canterbury Museum:
In the museum we saw many curious and interesting things; among others a fine native house of the olden time…and the totem-posts were there, ancestor above ancestor, with tongues protruded and hands clasped comfortably over bellies containing other people’s ancestors — grotesque and ugly devils, every one, but lovingly carved, and ably; and the stuffed natives were present…looking as natural as life….
And we also saw a complete skeleton of the giant Moa [extinct 400 years]. It stood ten feet high, and must have been a sight to look at when it was a living bird. It was a kicker, like the ostrich; in fight it did not use its beak, but its foot. It must have been a convincing kind of kick. If a person had his back to the bird and did not see who it was that did it, he would think he had been kicked by a wind-mill [FE ch. XXXII 297-8].
Sam gave his “At Home” performance at Theatre Royal. Reviews published Nov. 16: Lyttelton Times; The Press; Star; Nov. 21: Canterbury Times [Shillingsburg, “Down Under” 24].
After the performance Sam attended a dinner and roast by 50 members of Christchurch Savage Club at the Provincial Council Chamber. The group was formed two years before to foster “the singer, the story-teller, the scribe and the player on cunning instruments.” Toasts were made to the Queen, to the U.S. and the American people, and to Mark Twain, “who for thirty years had kept the world laughing,” and to Livy. Sam was elected the first honorary member of the club and given the club emblem. He was welcomed with the war cry of the club “Ake ake kia kaha” — three times. Sam gave several speeches, one of which was published Nov. 16 in the Lyttelton Times (see below); The Press; Star. The papers listed the following as guests and hosts: Dr. Jenning (presiding), Justice Denniston, Mr. Freeman (chef), Hart, Exall, Woodhouse, A.E.G. Rhodes, E.W. Roper, Gibbs, Newman, Willis, Merton (pianist), G.P. Williams, and Carlyle G. Smythe. In her Nov. 24 to Sue Crane, Livy wrote that she’d received gifts of “bon-bons, flowers, pamphlets, photographs, etc. etc.” in Christchurch [At Home 149].
Similar clippings from the Nov. 23, 1895 Evening Post and the Nov. 16, 1895 Lyttelton Times recorded some of Sam’s speech to the Savages:
We have had a good time these last few days, and I have felt what a good time Christchurch must be having too. You have never had such opportunities for enlightenment before. You have had the circus. (Laughter.) That was spectacular. You have had Mr. Haskett Smith — imagination — and you have had my well beloved friend and shipmate, Michael Davitt — philosophy — and then you have had me — cold fact. (Loud laughter.) We are all fading away one by one. Haskett Smith has gone, Michael Davitt has gone, and I leave tomorrow, and you have nothing left but the circus. Be grateful for the opportunity you have — hang on to that circus. I observe in this region a spirit of which I do greatly approve. That is the spirit which is leading us gradually and surely along to prohibition. I do not see any signs of it here. (Laughter.) It is coming, and let us welcome it. I can tell you one thing, that is if you get it you will find it will put you into the most difficult straits. In our country several years ago there was a man came into a prohibited town, and unlike you savages here, they said to him, “You can’t get a drink anywhere except at the apothecary’s.” So he went to the apothecary, who said, “You can’t get a drink here without a prescription from the physician,” but the man said, “I am perishing. I haven’t time to get a prescription.” The apothecary replied, “Well, I haven’t power to give you a drink except for snake bite.” The man said, “Where’s the snake?” (Laughter), So the apothecary gave him the snake’s address, and he went off. Soon after, however, he came back and said, “For goodness sake give me a drink. That snake is engaged for six months ahead”
Sam inscribed a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: TO MISS MAY KINSEY: Age is disreputable, and a thing to be contemned — humanly speaking; but when an author observes the signs of it in a book of his own in another person’s possession, he recognizes that in that case age is a most pleasant and respectable thing — November 15, 1895 [MTP] Note: May Kinsey was the daughter of Joseph Kinsey (see Nov. 12 entry).