Samuel L. Clemens traveled around the world to pay his creditors, while I created my own by following him. If I cannot repay my debts, I can at least acknowledge them. Some of these will be clear to readers who consult my endnotes, in particular my obligations to Harsharan Singh Ahluwalia, Coleman O. Parsons, and Miriam Jones Shillingsburg, whose writings on one or more segments of Clemens’s world tour were indispensable. The endnotes also include acknowledgment of personal communications, but because these are scattered and might be missed, I gather them here, with thanks to David Graham (Auckland), Albert Smith (Christchurch), George Griffiths (Dunedin), Margaret von Klemperer (Pietermaritzburg), Edric Russell (Queenstown), Lisa Philip (New York), and Hisako and Ian Ewing (Wellington). Although in the text itself I have acknowledged my indebtedness to Gretchen Sharlow (Center for Mark Twain Studies at Quarry Farm), I do so again here. She provided both encouragement and enlightenment at the beginning of my journey.
To Robert and Eleanor November I owe my serendipitous introduction to Following the Equator, Clemens’s account of his world lecture tour. Serendipity, however, had little to do with the help I received in scores of libraries, museums, and archives along his route. Still, even though help was expected, special thanks are due to Sally Routledge, Bendigo Public Library (Bendigo); Brenda Bailey and David Briggs, Mark Twain Project (Berkeley); Dux van der Walt, City Librarian (Bloemfontein); Jackie Loos, South African Reference Library (Cape Town); Nandika Seneyiratne, Colombo Public Library (Colombo); Ed Melby, Polk County Historical Society (Crookston); Anthony Harris, Otago Museum, and David McDonald, The Hocken Library (Dunedin); Joan Simpson, Killie Campbell Africana Library (Durban); Alexandra de Sas Kropiwnicka and Gillian Vernon, East London Museum (East London); Alan Gribbens, Elmira College (Elmira); William Jervois, Albany History Museum (Grahamstown); Kathy McDonald, Longerenong College (Horsham); Russell Beck and Karl Gillies, Southland Museum and Art Gallery (Invercargill); Kokkie Duminy and Lynette van Greunen, Africana Library (Kimberley); Noel Fields, Maryborough Municipal Library (Maryborough); Kathleen Stringer, North Otago Museum (Oamaru); David Buckley, Patrick McKenzie, and John Morrison, Natal Society Library, and Marjorie Nicholson Hutchin-son, Maritzburg College Museum (Pietermaritzburg); Margaret Herradine, Port Elizabeth Library (Port Elizabeth); Helen Sparks, Queenstown Public Library (Queenstown); and Penny Allen, Wanganui District Council, and Lynley Fowler, Wanganui District Library (Wanganui).
In addition, for useful background information I thank Erin Broacha and Espi Moddie (Bombay); Allay Harendra Bikram, D. D. Pradhan, and Evelyn Shah (Darjeeling); Jan Vorster (Durban); Rhoda Hoft (Grahamstown); Colin D. Kerr (Invercargill); Neil Plunket (Oamaru); Adrian Koopman (Pietermaritzburg); Anton Jansen and Gerard Schuring (Pretoria); Leslie Tucker (Queenstown); Donald Rickard and Graham Rickard (Stawell); Temple Hauptfleisch (Stellenbosch); and Kemp Bailey (Wanganui).
All these and others helped provide the content of this book. They cannot be blamed for whatever errors have crept into it. Nor can the text’s infelicities and obscurities be blamed on those who did their best to expunge them. Readers and critics of the manuscript in various stages of its development include Jane Camhi, Paul Cooper, Miriam Cooper, Cordelia Edvardson, Barbara Horvath, and Ronald Horvath.
Exceptional thanks are due to my friend Ronald Horvath and his colleague Peter Johnson, both at the Department of Geography, University of Sydney, for providing the elegant maps that accompany this volume; to my agents Beth Elon and Deborah Harris, for encouraging me to believe that I am a writer and for advising me to keep Mark Twain on stage; to my editor, Webster Younce, for his tact in persuading me to delete passages that impeded the narrative’s flow; and to my brother Paul for long-term mentoring. It was my great good fortune that my wife Alice not only accompanied me on this around-the-world venture, but also helped carry out the fieldwork and criticized each chapter as it was written and rewritten. In addition, she resigned herself with good grace to living with a man who would talk of little else save this project. In grateful recognition of her participation, support, and encouragement, I dedicate this book to her.