Because Mark Twain's notes bear directly on the texts and branch out in so many imaginative paths indirectly, the notes are translated into type as faithfully as possible.

They have been grouped on the basis of physical characteristics, comparisons with the manuscript, the matter treated within each set, internal cohesion, and topical references. When Mark Twain numbered his pages, his numbers have been printed. In addition, I have given a number to each manuscript leaf within a sequence.

No emendations have been made in Mark Twain's holograph notes. His ampersand has been retained, except in the case of the notebook entry. Single underlinings are presented as italics, double underlinings are rendered in small capital letters. Cancellations are included and marked by angle brackets, thus <>; substitutions by vertical arrows, thus ↑↓, though context usually makes substitutions clear without the arrows; added words or phrases, by carets, thus ; additions at some later date in pencil or ink different from the original by boldface, thus Marie; and editorial explanation by square brackets, thus . Mark Twain's alternate readings are separated by slashes, thus Fischer/Stein. Doubtful readings are in square brackets, preceded by question marks.