July 4 Saturday – This was a travel day. At 8 a.m. the Clemens party arrived at Victoria West Road (now Hutchinson), some 419 miles northeast of Cape Town [Philippon 23]. Sam sent a postcard of July 4th “salutations” to Hartford lawyer and friend, Henry C. Robinson [MTP].
July 5 Sunday – At 7 a.m. Sam, Livy, Clara and Carlyle G. Smythe arrived at Cape Town, S. Africa and took rooms at the Grand Hotel. They’d missed the Fourth of July banquet there [Philippon 23]. Parsons notes, “Twain found that the Adderley Street Railway Station was directly opposite his last Grand Hotel” [“Traveler in S.A.” 35]. Parsons continues, describing the hotel:
July 6 Monday – The Clemenses were staying at the Grand Hotel in Cape Town S. Africa. The Cape Times ran an article about Sam’s plans for writing and lecturing in England.
The famous humorist is in excellent health, indeed better health than he has had since he started on his talking tour round the world…. He asks for a rest before visitors and interviewers begin [Parsons, “Traveler in S.A.” 37].
July 7 Tuesday – The Cape Times ran an interview, “Mark Twain on Tour: Arrival in Cape Town, Observations and Comparisons” p.7 [Philippon 23; Scharnhorst 313].
July 8 Wednesday – The Clemenses were in Cape Town, S. Africa, probably sightseeing. Sam received a postcard from Poultney Bigelow who was at Delagoa Bay. In the evening Sam dined at the Castle of Good Hope with General W.H. Goodenough, and probably Mrs. Anna Goodenough, whom he gave an inscribed photograph of himself to during the voyage on the Norman (see on or after July 15) [July 9 to Bigelow]. Note: Lt.
July 9 Thursday – In Cape Town, Sam gave his “At Home” (No. 1) lecture to the 1,200 seat Opera House. Tickets ranged from 5 shillings to 1 & 6 pence. The Cape Argus ran a review of the talk on July 14 [Philippon 23].
H.H. Rogers wrote to Sam, notifying him that Frank Bliss was in New York and had brought him a list of points made by Harper & Brothers in the Uniform Edition matter. Rogers understood it this way:
July 10 Friday – In Cape Town, Sam gave his “At Home” (No. 2) lecture to the 1,200-seat Opera House [Philippon 23]. C.J. Littlewort, secretary of the Owl Club in Claremont, invited Sam to join them on Monday night, July 13 before he would sail. Parsons quotes Sam’s reply:
I also regret that my time is so full that I am obliged to limit to so short a space the time that I may spend with you [“Clubman in S.A.” 253].
July 11 Saturday – In Cape Town, the Clemenses went to tea at Mrs. Van der Merwe’s [July 9 to Bigelow].
In the evening Sam gave his “At Home” (No. 3) lecture to the 1,200 seat Opera House, this time full to “utmost capacity.” The talk was reviewed on July 13 by the South African Telegraph. Several other newspaper articles on Mark Twain ran this day [Philippon 23-4].
July 12 Sunday – Sam’s trio of Cape Town lectures behind him, the family spent the day sightseeing. From FE:
July 13 Monday – Sam gave his final South African “At Home” lecture at the Claremont Town Hall, about seven miles south-southeast of Cape Town. This was a repeat of his No. 1 program. In the evening he was a guest of the Owl Club at Roux’s Masonic Hall in Cape Town. Parsons writes,
July 14 Tuesday – In the afternoon in Cape Town, probably escaping the trunk packing by the ladies, Sam visited the House of Assembly and viewed debates there, as reported by the Cape Times on July 15. The Owl reported on July 18 that Sam was bored in the Assembly’s distinguished visitors’ gallery [Philippon 24].
July 15 Wednesday – At 4 p.m. in Cape Town, the Clemens party, with Robert S. Smythe, sailed for England on the Norman, captained by E.T. Jones. Rodney writes that Carlyle Smythe returned to Australia at this time [195]. In FE Sam wrote,