American Vandals Abroad Tour
Sam left New York and arrived in Cleveland, Ohio early to work on his first lecture with Mary Fairbanks. A great deal was riding on Sam’s success as a lecturer in the East—Jervis Langdon’s approval, for one.
Sam left New York and arrived in Cleveland, Ohio early to work on his first lecture with Mary Fairbanks. A great deal was riding on Sam’s success as a lecturer in the East—Jervis Langdon’s approval, for one.
July 6 - July 29, 1868: Return to New York. Departed San Francisco aboard the Montana. July 11 at 12:30 am, Cabo San Lucas. Twain arrived in New York July 29, 1868.
Cabo San Lucas - July 11
Acapulco - July 13
Panama City - July 20: Met with Ned Wakeman
Aspinall - Boarded the Henry Chauncey
Arrived in New York July 29 and checked into the Westminster Hotel. Mark Twain would never again return to California or Nevada.
August 4: Hartford
Despite the heavy burden of work that faced him, it is nevertheless clear that Mark Twain had determined, even before his arrival, to lecture in California and Nevada, covering, in general, the same itinerary as his 1866 tour. He needed money, and he knew that no other activity promised so lucrative and quick a financial return as the platform. He lost no time in making his plans known. In reporting his arrival in San Francisco, the Alta California announced on April 3 that the genial and jolly humorist proposed to lecture in a few days. (Lorch, p.
March 11 - April 2, 1868: From New York to San Francisco. Departed New York, March 11 on board the Henry Chauncy. A wooden-hulled sidewheeler of 2,656 tons built in New York in 1865, it was owned and operated by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. At 25⁰ latitude, the Henry Chauncey was just below the tip of Florida. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s “upward bound” steamer, bound from Aspinwall (now Colón) on 15 March, “met and communicated with” the Henry Chauncey on 16 March, and arrived in New York on 22 March.
During the period from November of 1867 and March of 1868, Mark Twain spent most of his time in Washington D.C. and New York City. He had initially accepted the post of Private Secretary for Senator William Stewart, an acquaintance from Nevada. This did not work out so well and he spent much of his time writing correspondence and in arranging to produce his book on the Quaker City excursion.
We were at sea now, for a very long voyage—we were to pass through the entire length of the Levant; through the entire length of the Mediterranean proper, also, and then cross the full width of the Atlantic—a voyage of several weeks. We naturally settled down into a very slow, stay-at-home manner of life, and resolved to be quiet, exemplary people, and roam no more for twenty or thirty days. No more, at least, than from stem to stern of the ship. It was a very comfortable prospect, though, for we were tired and needed a long rest.