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Erewhon Revisited
by Samuel Butler
Erewhon Revisited Twenty Years Later Both by the Original
Discoverer of the Country and by his Son。
I forget when； but not very long after I had published 〃Erewhon〃 in
1872； it occurred to me to ask myself what course events in Erewhon
would probably take after Mr。 Higgs； as I suppose I may now call
him； had made his escape in the balloon with Arowhena。 Given a
people in the conditions supposed to exist in Erewhon； and given
the apparently miraculous ascent of a remarkable stranger into the
heavens with an earthly bridewhat would be the effect on the
people generally？
There was no use in trying to solve this problem before； say；
twenty years should have given time for Erewhonian developments to
assume something like permanent shape； and in 1892 I was too busy
with books now published to be able to attend to Erewhon。 It was
not till the early winter of 1900； i。e。 as nearly as may be thirty
years after the date of Higgs's escape； that I found time to deal
with the question above stated； and to answer it； according to my
lights； in the book which I now lay before the public。
I have concluded； I believe rightly； that the events described in
Chapter XXIV。 of 〃Erewhon〃 would give rise to such a cataclysmic
change in the old Erewhonian opinions as would result in the
development of a new religion。 Now the development of all new
religions follows much the same general course。 In all cases the
times are more or less out of jointolder faiths are losing their
hold upon the masses。 At such times； let a personality appear；
strong in itself； and made to seem still stronger by association
with some supposed transcendent miracle； and it will be easy to
raise a Lo here！ that will attract many followers。 If there be a
single great； and apparently well…authenticated； miracle； others
will accrete round it； then； in all religions that have so
originated； there will follow temples； priests； rites； sincere
believers； and unscrupulous exploiters of public credulity。 To
chronicle the events that followed Higgs's balloon ascent without
shewing that they were much as they have been under like conditions
in other places； would be to hold the mirror up to something very
wide of nature。
Analogy； however； between courses of events is one thinghistoric
parallelisms abound； analogy between the main actors in events is a
very different one； and one； moreover； of which few examples can be
found。 The development of the new ideas in Erewhon is a familiar
one； but there is no more likeness between Higgs and the founder of
any other religion； than there is between Jesus Christ and Mahomet。
He is a typical middle…class Englishman； deeply tainted with
priggishness in his earlier years； but in great part freed from it
by the sweet uses of adversity。
If I may be allowed for a moment to speak about myself； I would say
that I have never ceased to profess myself a member of the more
advanced wing of the English Broad Church。 What those who belong
to this wing believe； I believe。 What they reject； I reject。 No
two people think absolutely alike on any subject； but when I
converse with advanced Broad Churchmen I find myself in substantial
harmony with them。 I believeand should be very sorry if I did
not believethat； mutatis mutandis； such men will find the advice
given on pp。 277…281 and 287…291 of this book much what； under the
supposed circumstances； they would themselves give。
Lastly； I should express my great obligations to Mr。 R。 A。
Streatfeild of the British Museum； who； in the absence from England
of my friend Mr。 H。 Festing Jones； has kindly supervised the
corrections of my book as it passed through the press。
SAMUEL BUTLER。
May 1； 1901。
CHAPTER I： UPS AND DOWNS OF FORTUNEMY FATHER STARTS FOR EREWHON
Before telling the story of my father's second visit to the
remarkable country which he discovered now some thirty years since；
I should perhaps say a few words about his career between the
publication of his book in 1872； and his death in the early summer
of 1891。 I shall thus touch briefly on the causes that occasioned
his failure to maintain that hold on the public which he had
apparently secured at first。
His book； as the reader may perhaps know； was published
anonymously； and my poor father used to ascribe the acclamation
with which it was received； to the fact that no one knew who it
might not have been written by。 Omne ignotum pro magnifico； and
during its month of anonymity the book was a frequent topic of
appreciative comment in good literary circles。 Almost coincidently
with the discovery that he was a mere nobody； people began to feel
that their admiration had been too hastily bestowed； and before
long opinion turned all the more seriously against him for this
very reason。 The subscription； to which the Lord Mayor had at
first given his cordial support； was curtly announced as closed
before it had been opened a week； it had met with so little success
that I will not specify the amount eventually handed over； not
without protest； to my father； small； however； as it was； he
narrowly escaped being prosecuted for trying to obtain money under
false pretences。
The Geographical Society； which had for a few days received him
with open arms； was among the first to turn upon himnot； so far
as I can ascertain； on account of the mystery in which he had
enshrouded the exact whereabouts of Erewhon； nor yet by reason of
its being persistently alleged that he was subject to frequent
attacks of alcoholic poisoningbut through his own want of tact；
and a highly…strung nervous state； which led him to attach too much
importance to his own discoveries； and not enough to those of other
people。 This； at least； was my father's version of the matter； as
I heard it from his own lips in the later years of his life。
〃I was still very young；〃 he said to me； 〃and my mind was more or
less unhinged by the strangeness and peril of my adventures。〃 Be
this as it may； I fear there is no doubt that he was injudicious；
and an ounce of judgement is worth a pound of discovery。
Hence； in a surprisingly short time； he found himself dropped even
by those who had taken him up most warmly； and had done most to
find him that employment as a writer of religious tracts on which
his livelihood was then dependent。 The discredit； however； into
which my father fell； had the effect of deterring any considerable
number of people from trying to rediscover Erewhon； and thus caused
it to remain as unknown to geographers in general as though it had
never been found。 A few shepherds and cadets at up…country
stations had； indeed； tried to follow in my father's footsteps；
during the time when his book was still being taken seriously； but
they had most of them returned； unable to face the difficulties
that had opposed them。 Some few； however； had not returned； and
though search was made for them； their bodies had not been found。
When he reached Erewhon on his second visit； my father learned that
others had attempted to visit the country more recentlyprobably
quite independently of his own book； and before he had himself been
in it many hours he gathered what the fate of these poor fellows
doubtless was。
Another reason that made it more easy for Erewhon to remain
unknown； was the fact that the more mountainous districts； though
repeatedly prospected for gold； had been pronounced non…auriferous；
and as there was no sheep or cattle country； save a few river…bed
flats above the upper gorges of any of the rivers； and no game to
tempt the sportsman； there was nothing to induce people to
penetrate into the fastnesses of the great snowy range。 No more；
therefore； being heard of Erewhon； my father's book came to be
regarded as a mere work of fiction； and I have heard quite recently
of its having been seen on a second…hand bookstall； marked 〃6d。
very readable。〃
Though there was no truth in the stories about my father's being
subject to attacks of alcoholic poisoning； yet； during the first
few years after his return to England； his occasional fits of
ungovernable excitement gave some colour to the opinion that much
of what he said he had seen and done might be only subjectively
true。 I refer more particularly to his interview with Chowbok in
the wool…shed； and his highly coloured description of the statues
on the top of the pass leading into Erewhon。 These were soon set
down as forgeries of delirium； and it was maliciously urged； that
though in his book he had only admitted having taken 〃two or three
bottles of brandy〃 with him； he had probably taken at least a
dozen； and that if on the night before he reached the statues he
had 〃only four ounces of brandy〃 left； he must have been drinking
heavily for the preceding fortnight or three weeks。 Those who read
the following pages will； I think； reject all idea that my father
was in a state of delirium； not without surprise that any one
should have ever entertained it。
It was Chowbok who； if he did not originate these calumnies； did
much to disseminate and gain credence for them。 He remained in
England for some years； and never