June 21 Sunday – The Clemens party was in Port Elizabeth, S. Africa, staying at the Grand Hotel.
Livy wrote to Susan Crane that family plans were a “little more certain” — they expected to sail for England on July 15, reaching there about Aug. 1, and would like Susy and Jean to sail about Aug. 5, hoping not to wait later than Aug. 12 [MTP].
June 20 Saturday – In Port Elizabeth, with no performance to give until Monday, the Clemenses likely engaged in sightseeing. Parsons writes,
June 19 Friday – Flags flew at half-mast in Port Elizabeth for the 400 lost on the Drummond Castle. Sam’s letter of this date to H.H. Rogers did not mention the tragedy, but covered the book and drama rights to JA, the business between Bliss and Harper and the “good news” from Frank Mayo (Sam had not yet learned of his death, news of which Rogers sent June 18).
June 18 Thursday – In Port Elizabeth Sam wrote to Andrew Chatto that he’d seen the English edition of JA advertised in the Cape Town newspapers, and that though they’d found “very small editions” of his book in stock in India and Australasia, what they found were “easily sold out.”
We sail from Cape Town for England in the Norman (?) July 15; so I shall look in on you about Aug 1st or 2d — unless we switch off at Portsmouth & hunt up lodgings in the Isle of Wight. Sincerely [MTP].
June 17 Wednesday – Sam arrived in Port Elizabeth, Cape Colony in the morning, and went to the Grand Hotel where he was reunited with Livy and Clara. In the afternoon he gave an interview to the Eastern Province Herald, which was published on June 19. The Clemens party would remain in Port Elizabeth until June 25. Parsons writes of their time at the Grand Hotel:
June 16 Tuesday – At 6 p.m. in East London, the “large & very fine ship,” the Norham Castle, was able to sail in “a considerable sea” with the breakwater spouting up “in a vast white volume with laced edges, apparently 100 feet high.” It was a day behind schedule and would reach Port Elizabeth, 135 miles south, the following morning (June 17) [Parsons, “Traveler in S.A.” 27; Philippon 21].
June 15 Monday – In East London in the afternoon, the tug was able to take Sam and Carlyle G. Smythe across the shifting sandbar and along side of the 4,392 ton Norham Castle. The high sea delayed the sailing for another day, however [Philippon 21; Parsons, “Traveler in S.A.” 27].
June 14 Sunday – In East London, Sam the observer noted the native males, as he had done the females with liquid voices back in Bloemfontein. Parsons writes,
June 13 Saturday – At 7 a.m. in East London, S. Africa, Sam noted it was “Quite winterish” after having experienced twelve months of summer. In the evening Sam gave his No. 3 “At Home” talk at Mutual Hall [Philippon 21]. Note: Parsons writes of Kings William Town and East London, “Mark seems not to have had time for clubs or reporters. Through bad weather and good, however, he kept a heavy platform schedule” [“Clubman in S.A.” 250].
June 12 Friday – When Livy and Clara left Durban, Clara exulted because a group of people saw them off. Now in East London, Sam wrote to Livy in Port Elizabeth and included a mention for Clara.
Livy darling I have just been writing a letter to Jean.