MARK TWAIN'S LECTURE. - This lecture, delivered in San Francisco on the night of October 2d, appears by the comments of the press of that city to have been a success. The Bulletin says:
The Academy of music was "stuffed," to use an expression of the lecturer, to repletion last night, on the occasion of the delivery of "Mark Twain's" (Samuel Clements') [sic] lecture on the Sandwich Islands. It is perhaps fortunate that the King of Hawaii did not arrive in time to attend, for unless he had gone early he must have been turned away, as many others were who could not gain admittance. Nearly every seat in the house had been engaged beforehand, and those who came last had to put up with the best they could get, while many were obliged to stand up all the evening.
The appearance of the lecturer was the signal for applause, and from the time he closed, the greatest good feeling existed. He commenced by apologizing for the absence of an orchestra. He wasn't used to getting up operas of this sort. He had engaged a musician to come and play, but the trombone player insisted upon having some other musicians to help him. He had hired the man to work and wouldn't stand any such nonsense, and so discharged him on the spot.
The lecturer then proceeded with his subject, and delivered one of the most interesting and amusing lectures ever given in this city. It was replete with information of that character which is seldom got from books, describing all those minor traits of character, customs and habits which are only noted by a close observer, and yet the kind of information which gives the most correct idea of the people described. Their virtues were set forth generously, while their vices were touched off in a humorous style, which kept the audience in a constant state of merriment. From the lecturer's reputation as a humorist, the audience were unprepared for the eloquent description of the volcano of Kilauea, a really magnificent piece of word painting, their appreciation of which was shown by long and continued applause. Important facts concerning the resources of the Islands were given, interspersed with pointed anecdotes and side-splitting jokes. Their history, traditions, religion, politics, aristocracy, royalty, manners and customs, were all described in brief, and in the humorous vein peculiar to the speaker. It would be impossible to do justice to the lecture in a synopsis, and as it will probably be repeated, we shall not attempt it. The lecturer kept his audience constantly interested and amused for an hour and a half and the lecture was unanimously pronounced a brilliant success. After its close, and the audience had risen to leave, he was called out again, and in his funny style apologised for "the infliction," giving as an excuse that he was about writing a book on the Sandwich Islands, and needed funds for its publication.
We are pleased that "Mark Twain" is using the data he gathered here for the purpose of advancing the interests of these Islands. Although Mr. Sam Clements [sic] has been accused of unfairness, we think that his forthcoming work will show that he has been an industrious collator of facts.
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