February 10 Monday – Sam’s notebook in Calcutta:
By invitation of His Excellency, Lt-General Sir William Elles, we went to the great field outside of Fort William, 7.20 a.m., & saw the inspection of the Calcutta garrison
At 9 [p.m.] went to the great military tournament — 9 till 12 [NB 36 TS 40, 42].
February 9 Sunday – In Calcutta, Sam went sightseeing. From his notebook:
Drove through native quarter & to Black Hole. Saw them excavating old brick cellars under the old Fort William [NB 36 TS 40].
February 8 Saturday – Sam’s notebook:
To-day and yesterday lay abed & starved a cold.
This evening went to Belvedere & dined with the Lt. Governor of Bengal (Sir Alexander Mackenzie) & a dozen — private dinner party [NB 36 TS 40].
Sam sent a short note to Child & Co. after receiving some pipe tobacco:
This is the brand I wanted. I have smoked your Honey Dew Mixed in another part of the world, and learned to prefer it. Truly yours [MTP].
February 7 Friday – The Clemens party changed trains at Moghalserais at 2 a.m. and arrived in Calcutta at 7 a.m. [NB 36 TS 39]. They took rooms at the Hotel Continental [Parsons “MT India” 85]. FE:
February 6 Thursday – The Clemens party left Benares at 1:28 p.m. [NB 36 TS 39]. It was a seventeen and a half hour train ride from Benares to Calcutta. Parsons writes,
February 5 Wednesday – In Benares The Clemens family was up at 6 a.m. and spent the whole day sightseeing [Feb. 8 to Rogers]. It was likely, then, that this was the day they hired a “commodious hand-propelled ark” and took several trips up and down the Ganges. Parsons writes,
February 4 Tuesday – In Allahabad, India, Sam was up at dawn. When Livy and Clara were ready, they took a drive.
In the early brightness we made a long drive out to the Fort [built by Akbar, the Mogul emperor in the 16th C.]. Part of the way was beautiful. It led under stately trees and through groups of native houses and by the usual village well, where the picturesque gangs are always flocking to and fro and laughing and chattering….
February 3 Monday – The Clemens party arrived in Allahabad:
We arrived in the forenoon, and short-handed; for Satan [their servant] got left behind somewhere that morning, and did not overtake us until after nightfall. It seemed very peaceful without him. The world seemed asleep and dreaming.
February 2 Sunday – The Clemens party was on their long train ride all day.
February 1 Saturday – Sam and Carlyle G. Smythe arrived back in Bombay at 7 a.m. That evening the entire Clemens party left Bombay for Allahabad by a night train. It would be a two-day, two-night trip. It was customary, Sam writes at the beginning of ch. XLVIII in FE, “to avoid day travel when it can be conveniently done.” There was no system to reserve sleeping berths so the beae door) & an American woman stole Clara’s [NB 3rers had to remain in possession of them until the ticket owners boarded.