1 That is, Clemens had written as far as the ninth day of his overland journey (3 August 1861), on which he crossed the Continental Divide, east of Salt Lake City. This became part of the matter of chapter 12 of Roughing It. He had not yet completed what became chapters 10 and 11, however (15 Sept 70 to the postmaster of Virginia City, n. 3; RI 1993, 791, 818–19).

2 Allowing sufficient time both for Clemens to have written about four chapters of his new book since his 21? September letter to Bliss, and for mail to reach Virginia City, Nevada, by 6 October, it is likely that this progress report, doubtless to Goodman, was written around 28 September. In a portion of the letter not paraphrased Clemens may have asked Goodman, and other former colleagues on the Territorial Enterprise, for assistance of the sort he had already requested from Orion Clemens and Hezekiah Hosmer (15 July 70 to OC; 15 Sept 70 to the postmaster of Virginia City).