ABSTRACT
Sir harry parkes left Japan on 22 May 1871, and after crossing the Pacific, the American continent, and the Atlantic Ocean, arrived in England on 9 August. Unfortunately, no record of his thoughts or impressions during this long journey has survived. Even more unfortunate, there are no notes of his reactions to leading Americans whom he may have encountered in the United States. All that remains is a note by a friend that during the voyage to San Francisco 'in fair weather or fog' Parkes 'was always delighted to play a game of deck quoits or bull-board, throwing his whole heart into it with the warm enthusiasm and merry laughter of a schoolboy'. 1
