Mark Twain arrived in Hobart on the 2 November 1895.
After Hobart he departed for New Zealand.
Part Two of an article was published in a local newspaper: Tasmanian News.
“You’re really leaving Australia for a time today, Mr Clemens,” I said at length. “Are you sorry?”
“Yes,” he said slowly. “I didn’t come to stay, but I’m sorry downright sorry. In this Australian trip the change to me has been delightful. I’ve met a good many people, and they’ve all been hearty and friendly. The same thing applies to my audiences, who have all along welcomed me in a fashion which is exceedingly pleasant to a stranger. All my impressions of the country and of the people are of a pleasant sort, for the reason that it is the human element that makes a country beautiful or otherwise. All this now (and he indicated Mt Wellington and its environment) all this is beautiful, but it seems to me that this could not be beautiful of itself. Scenery by itself is all very well; but the weather can damage scenery. You must have the pleasant human element to counteract the effects of climate and circumstance. Any country is pleasant, if the people are pleasant; any country is beautiful if the people receive you kindly. There’d be no perceptible beauty to a lone man in a tropical sunset if there were irreconcilable cannibals in the foreground; there is no scenery in the world that could be beautiful in the circumstances. The idea that scenery is beautiful of itself is mere nonsense, in one way or the other it must be modified by the human element.”
With the memory of certain “artistic” discussions hot at heart it seemed to me we were getting into devious ways. So, I changed the subject.
“Now you are an American, Mr Clemens.” (He bowed.) “I have heard it said that the people of Australia and particularly of Victoria, are not unlike your own people. Can you express and opinion on the point? Considered as a British offshoot, would you regard the people of Australia as developing traits of character and manner differing from those of the insular English, and approximating more closely to those that obtain among the citizens of the States?”
“Unquestionably. One notices that at once. In speech and manner, you Australians have a sort of frank and friendly way that lacks something of the English reserve. They differ, as you suggest, from the English people in England and just in proportion, they develop a certain similarity to the people of the United States. That is so.”
“You’ve seen something of the press in Australia. Now will you… “
“Wait! Let me anticipate you. I’m not sure that I’m prepared to follow the line of your questioning. I’ve seen your newspapers, as you say. The Bulletin, I’m told is the most typical paper of the purely Australian type. Well, I think that paper is very brightly written. The men who make the pictures in it have excellent talent. But to go into anything like criticism of your newspapers-I can’t do it. Criticism from me could be of no value unless I sat down to my table and put my mind to it. To criticize I must go to work- and go to work right, seeing the end I want to see. It’s an offense to people or things to criticize them without due reflection. The fact that it is a common offense does not warrant me in committing it.”
After Hobart he departed for New Zealand.
Part Two of an article was published in a local newspaper: Tasmanian News.
“You’re really leaving Australia for a time today, Mr Clemens,” I said at length. “Are you sorry?”
“Yes,” he said slowly. “I didn’t come to stay, but I’m sorry downright sorry. In this Australian trip the change to me has been delightful. I’ve met a good many people, and they’ve all been hearty and friendly. The same thing applies to my audiences, who have all along welcomed me in a fashion which is exceedingly pleasant to a stranger. All my impressions of the country and of the people are of a pleasant sort, for the reason that it is the human element that makes a country beautiful or otherwise. All this now (and he indicated Mt Wellington and its environment) all this is beautiful, but it seems to me that this could not be beautiful of itself. Scenery by itself is all very well; but the weather can damage scenery. You must have the pleasant human element to counteract the effects of climate and circumstance. Any country is pleasant, if the people are pleasant; any country is beautiful if the people receive you kindly. There’d be no perceptible beauty to a lone man in a tropical sunset if there were irreconcilable cannibals in the foreground; there is no scenery in the world that could be beautiful in the circumstances. The idea that scenery is beautiful of itself is mere nonsense, in one way or the other it must be modified by the human element.”
With the memory of certain “artistic” discussions hot at heart it seemed to me we were getting into devious ways. So, I changed the subject.
“Now you are an American, Mr Clemens.” (He bowed.) “I have heard it said that the people of Australia and particularly of Victoria, are not unlike your own people. Can you express and opinion on the point? Considered as a British offshoot, would you regard the people of Australia as developing traits of character and manner differing from those of the insular English, and approximating more closely to those that obtain among the citizens of the States?”
“Unquestionably. One notices that at once. In speech and manner, you Australians have a sort of frank and friendly way that lacks something of the English reserve. They differ, as you suggest, from the English people in England and just in proportion, they develop a certain similarity to the people of the United States. That is so.”
“You’ve seen something of the press in Australia. Now will you… “
“Wait! Let me anticipate you. I’m not sure that I’m prepared to follow the line of your questioning. I’ve seen your newspapers, as you say. The Bulletin, I’m told is the most typical paper of the purely Australian type. Well, I think that paper is very brightly written. The men who make the pictures in it have excellent talent. But to go into anything like criticism of your newspapers-I can’t do it. Criticism from me could be of no value unless I sat down to my table and put my mind to it. To criticize I must go to work- and go to work right, seeing the end I want to see. It’s an offense to people or things to criticize them without due reflection. The fact that it is a common offense does not warrant me in committing it.”