India 1896: Day by Day

March 3 Tuesday – In Jaipur, Sam noted that “Clara & her mother vaccinated” [NB 36 TS 55]. Parsons notes that smallpox broke out in Delhi and Bombay, thus the precaution [“Sightseer” 93 notes].

March 30 Monday – The Clemens family was en route on the Wardha in the Bay of Bengal, headed for Colombo, Ceylon. The Wardha anchored in the bay at Madras, India at 8 p.m. [Budd, “Interviews” 69].

Livy wrote to her sister, Susan Crane.

March 31 Tuesday – The Wardha was piloted into the harbor of Madras, India at daybreak for a 24 hour stop. Sam was again suffering from a cold and cough. He was interviewed by the Madras Standard; the interview ran on Apr. 1; a longer version on Apr. 11 in the Calcutta Reis and Rayyet (see Budd, “Interviews” (119) p. 69). From the interview, Sam was quoted:

March 4 Wednesday – In Jaipur, Sam ill in bed. Clara also ill. Sam’s notebook:

Neat little hotel, kept by 9 Indian brothers, & wonderfully noisy….Mr. Aklom looked in, this morning, from Ajmere — his wife is not well. Brought an armful of books. Col. Jacob sent very fine oranges & bananas [NB 36 TS 54-5].

March 5 Thursday – In Jaipur, Sam and Clara recovering.

March 6 Friday – In Jaipur, Sam had recovered enough to ride into town, to “the city of victory,” founded by Maharajah Jai Singh II in 1728. Parsons writes,

March 7 Saturday – In Jaipur (which Sam spelled “Jeypore”) Sam wrote to Mr. Acklom and A.J. Acklom, thanking them for two books and a poem sent. Sam divulged that Carlyle Smythe was still confined to his bed, so they didn’t know just when they’d move on [MTP].

Sam then wrote a second letter to Mr. Acklom.

March 8 Sunday – In Jaipur the Clemenses, especially Carlyle Smythe, were recuperating.

March 9 Monday – In Jaipur Sam started and signed a letter taken down by Livy to an unidentified man, whose invitation had reached the Clemenses too late to accept. Sam explained there had been illness in his party but that they hoped to get to Lahore on Mar. 15 and leave there on Mar. 18. The invitation was evidently for accommodations.