Tramp Abroad, A

Tramp Abroad, A, travel narrative by Clemens, published in 1880 under his pseudonym Mark Twain. It is a record of his European tour (1878) with Joseph H. Twichell, whom he calls “Harris,” and describes their adventures in Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, chiefly during a walking trip through the Black Forest and the Alps. Besides the serious, journalistic account of European natural beauties, society, folklore, and history, including enthusiastic descriptions of Alpine scenery that do not fail to praise comparable regions of the U.S., there are passages ranging from crude farce to tall tales and typical satire. Thus a retelling of Whymper's conquest of the Matterhorn is complemented by the author's “ascent of Mont Blanc by telescope,” and a description of ravens in the Black Forest prompts him to recount “Baker's Blue‐Jay Yarn,” concerned with the sense of humor of California jays. Characteristic humor also appears in Clemens's inept drawings, purportedly the work of an art student, and the satirical passages on subjects alien to the average American, such as “the awful German language,” Wagnerian opera, and “The Great French Duel.”