An excerpt from Volume 1 of The Autobiography of Mark Twain. An example of peer pressure for toeing the party line. Sam Clemens and Joe Twichell, rather than vote for the Republican candidate, Blaine, vote Democratic for Grover Cleveland. Voting is public and Reverend Twichell risks loosing his ministry.

 A story told to Twain while crossing Montana in 1895    

Twain spends much of Chapter 27 discussing the harshness of the environment, particularly in terms of convicts trying to escape a penal colony at Macquarrie Harbor and the efforts of George Augustus Robinson in bringing in the last of the native Tasmanians to “civilization”. Twain thinks very highly of Robinson's efforts but also seems to realize that his efforts were in vain and in fact brought about the destruction of these people.

An unexpected visit by a visiting professor from New Zealand causes the faculty of Yale to take a cram course in all aspects of New Zealand so as not to cause offense.

The identity of Mr.Blank, the influential Irishman of chapter 25, is a mystery. Miriam Shillingsburg published an article on him in the Mark Twain Journal in 1993. Ms.Shillingsburg theorizes that Mr. Blank is one of three possible candidates. None of them are Mr. Charles Casey of Pollerton Castle, Carlow, Ireland. It was with Mr. Casey that Sam Clemens had correspondence, May 15, 1876.:

“Of course I don't know what you hold, but I “call” you anyway! This being translated means: Tell me about this thing. Really & truly, now, is there a Twain Club?”

Mark is entranced by an altocumulous undulatus cloud show in the sky. He tells the history of the gold strike in Ballarat and the protests against the mining licensing tax. He then speaks of the refinements of Australian cities and the compact Ballarat English.

Twain travels from Adelaide to Horsham, in Victoria. He finds a cottonwood tree, of fine detail, like a Kodak, and a peppertree, like an impressionist painting. Outside of town is an agricultural college, the Longerenong Agricultural College, where they grow fruit trees in an arid environment. They had forty pupils, ten were farmers hoping to expand their skills, and the rest city boys getting a trade. The curricula included sheep shearing.