Let's Talk The Return Of Tarzan

In a chronological way of thinking, The Return Of Tarzan does not begin with chapter one, but actually, chapter twelve of Tarzan Of The Apes. Here we have the Porters, William Cecil Clayton, and Tarzan at the railway station in northern Wisconsin. The date is August 22, 1893, according to my 1872 chronology printed in ERB-APA #39. At this point, Jane has chosen William Cecil Clayton over Tarzan, and the group is getting ready to disperse. At the last minute, Tarzan has decided not to train with the others, but instead, drive his car back to New York and then return to France. The Porters' along with William Cecil are on their way back to Baltimore, Maryland.

N.C. Wyeth

Chapter twelve then goes on to describe Jane and William Cecil's affairs which cover quite a span of time. The next thing we learn about the ape-man is that he is now twenty-two years old, he has taken the name Jean C. Tarzan, and he is on board a French ship bound for France three days out of New York. This is when the ape-man met the forty-year-old, Count Raoul de Coude, and his twenty-year-old wife, Countess Olga de Coude.

N.C. Wyeth

This is also a point where the 1872 chronology takes one of its five punches in the nose. The Countess de Coude makes the statement, "Oh, nothing at all my dear. I was but recalling with admiration those stupendous skyscrapers, as they call them, of New York." ERB-The Return Of Tarzan. The oldest skyscraper in New York City is the twenty-one-story Flatiron Building on Twenty-third Street where Broadway crosses Fifth Avenue. Completed in 1902, it was built in the shape of a triangle.

New-Story Magazine

In an 1872 chronology, we would have to say that Countess de Coude saw large and wondrous buildings, but no skyscrapers. Does this prove that the 1872 chronology is wrong? Of course not. As I have pointed out many times in my writings the Tarzan series was actually written by two men, not one, as most believe. John Carter's great-nephew, the narrator from Virginia obtained the information to chronicle Tarzan's early to middle life while in England. He was in an old monastery gathering the information that eventually became The Outlaw Of Torn when Greystoke's story was discovered and confirmed.

N.C. Wyeth

This is purely speculation on my part, but after John Carter's great-nephew returned to America he somehow or another met Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author, from Chicago, IL. Since ERB, the author, began writing Tarzan Of The Apes on December 1, 1911, we know that the meeting occurs before that date. Also in December 1907, there are records that show ERB, the author, obtained four books from local book dealers and public libraries that could have been referenced for Tarzan Of The Apes. Therefore, ERB, the author, and Tarzan's meeting probably occurred just prior to that event, in Chicago.

Tarzan Of The Apes

Anyway, John Carter's great-nephew and Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author, somehow or another teamed up to write magazine adventure science-fiction stories for All-Story Magazine. The Virginian chose to be a silent partner. Very silent.

The All-Story

When the two wrote these adventure science fiction stories they did it in such a manner as to protect those person's identity involved. John Carter's great-nephew allowed his great uncle's journal to be used by ERB, the author, to produce a more fictionalized, characters-protected manuscript that saw print as Under The Moons Of Mars. John Carter's great-nephew provided ERB, the author, with his personal notes about the manuscript he was allowed to read in England that occurred between 1243 and 1264. ERB, the author's, more fictionalized, characters protected, the second manuscript eventually saw print as The Outlaw Of Torn. The third adventure science fiction manuscript was published as Tarzan Of The Apes, This story was much different than the preceding two.

Under The Moons Of Mars

John Carter's adventures mostly took place off Earth. The average person wouldn't believe the events anyway, so protecting John Carter's identity was only a minimal task. The Outlaw Of Torn occurred in the 1250s so protecting their identities was no problem at all, thanks to history. Tarzan Of The Apes presented some major drawbacks, however. The events described were not all that old, so how could the two tell the story without exposing the Greystokes' true identity?

Bob Abbett

When John Carter's great-nephew, the narrator, agreed to let ERB, the author, pin Tarzan Of The Apes, The Return Of Tarzan, The Beasts Of Tarzan, Tarzan And The Jewels Of Opar, and Jungle Tales Of Tarzan it was agreed that ERB, the author, would take steps to protect the true Greystoke's identity.  Keeping his part of the bargain ERB, the author, modernized the story by sixteen years, added obvious contradictions, added his true life experiences, etc. Thus, you have the false sailing date of 1888. The false 1908 date on Jane's letter, the false description of gas-powered automobiles, and the purposeful mentioning of skyscrapers and limousines.

Edmund Monroe Jr.

If you will note, these five contradictions are due to modernization. Not one of the five has an actual bearing on the stories themselves. Besides these minor discrepancies, Tarzan's 1872 birth date runs hand in hand with ERB's provided information. Using Tarzan Of The Apes provided 1888 date you can accept the modernization, but the lunar eclipse in The Jungle Tales Of Tarzan does not occur, Korak is not Tarzan's son, The Son Of Tarzan is pinned years before the events take place, and the list goes on and on. These are major alterations that change ERB's presented story greatly.

Barclay Shaw

One of the lighter subjects about The Return Of Tarzan often overlooked is the name the civilized Tarzan first took. In Tarzan Of The Apes, ERB calls the ape-man Tarzan even after he left Africa. In The Return Of Tarzan, we find that the ape-man took the name, Jean C. Tarzan. This name was most likely taken by Tarzan as D'Arnot and the jungle lord walked to civilization. We know Tarzan was definitely going by that name when he arrived in northern Wisconsin. The reason I say this is because in chapter thirteen of The Return Of Tarzan while Jane and Hazel are going through pictures the two discover John Caldwell and Tarzan are the same person. Jane says, "Tarzan of the Apes took the name Jean C, Tarzan." Jane has not seen the ape-man since the train station in northern Wisconsin, so therefore, he had to be using the name there for her to know it.

Bob Abbett

There is also the subject of Lord Tennington's yacht which is named the Lady Alice. Remember? Alice is Tarzan's mother's name and William Cecil's aunt's. Note that Tennington is English, in the House of Lords, from London, his yacht's name is the Lady Alice, and he is chums with William Cecil. Is it possible Tennington is kin to the Claytons?

Thomas Yeates

While visiting America ERB is totally silent about any adventures Tarzan may have experienced. After returning to France the jungle lord had his big fight at the Rue Maule he states, "Never again shall I miss an opportunity to traverse it, for it has given me the first real entertainment I have had since I left Africa." ERB-The Return Of Tarzan.

Al Anderson

Also by The Return Of Tarzan's end, we discover that the ape-man has become quite a linguist. When La is about to sacrifice Tarzan for the first time he addresses her in French, English, Arab, Waziri, and as a last resort, the mongrel tongue of the West Coast. Once you include Mangani that is a slew of languages for a twenty-two-year-old ape-man.

The Return Of Tarzan

The Return Of Tarzan also reveals some light on Tarzan's visits to France. "In the daytime, he haunted the libraries and picture galleries. He had become an omnivorous reader," ERB-The Return Of Tarzan. During the night the ape-man enjoyed music halls. Note the Russian sets Tarzan up one night on the way home from a music hall. If the jungle lord had not been a regular there the setup could not have been set up. The ape-man also enjoyed operas. "That evening they attended the opera." ERB-The Return Of Tarzan. "On several occasions, Tarzan accompanied the countess to her home after the opera, ERB-The Return Of Tarzan. We are also informed that the ape-man spent a lot of time in the theaters in Paris. When Tarzan first laid eyes on Nikolas Rokoff and Alexis Paulvitch they reminded him of melodramatic villains he had seen in the theaters in Paris,

Walpole Champney

ERB informs us that while in France the ape-man belonged to the select Parisian club. "Occasionally he smiled as he recalled some friend who might even at the moment be sitting placid and immaculate within the precincts of his select Parisian club - just as Tarzan had sat but a few months before." ERB-The Return Of Tarzan. We also know while Tarzan frequented this exquisite club he took riding lessons. "This march to Aumale was fatiguing to Tarzan, whose equestrian experiences hitherto had been confined to a course of riding lessons in a Parisian academy." ERB-The Return Of Tarzan.

Daryl Mandryk

Now for the dating game. The Return Of Tarzan has several dateable events that could test both the 1888 and 1872 chronologies. For instance, the newspaper Rokoff called as part of his scandal. The newspaperman that came to Rokoff's room was from the Matin. Is the newspaper "Matin" fact or fiction? Was it in existence in 1894 which is the year the events occur in an 1872 chronology? Was it in existence in 1910, which is the year the event occurs in an 1888 chronology?

Neal Adams

You also have the duel between Tarzan and Count de Coude. When was dueling outlawed in France? Does that date best support the 1894 theory, or the 1910 theory?

Harry Wooly

There is the guillotine question. When the ape-man took Gernois' papers from Rockoff the Russian stated, "They would guillotine you." ERB-The Return Of Tarzan. When did the French stop using the guillotine for execution? Does that date best support the 1894 theory, or the 1910 theory?

Harry Wooly

Finally, there are the coins Rokoff used to cheat Clayton and the sailors in the lifeboat. After the Lady Alice sinks and the survivors are stranded for a week without food the men draw coins to see who would be lunch. The oldest coin was dated 1875 and was slightly thinner than the rest. The other coin described was dated 1888. As mentioned earlier, in an 1872 chronology the date is 1894. Would the 1875 coin have enough time to wear thin? In an 1888 chronology, the date is 1910. Would 1875 and 1888 coins be everyday pocket change in 1910?

Joe Kubert

The last question is about Tarzan's age at the beginning and end of The Return Of Tarzan. Actually, The Return Of Tarzan is one of the easiest to deduct. At the beginning of The Return Of Tarzan, we are informed. "He tried to look forward with pleasurable sensations to his return to the jungle of his birth and boyhood; the cruel, fierce jungle in which he had spent twenty of his twenty-two years." ERB-The Return Of Tarzan. We know that from this passage Tarzan is twenty-two years old when he is three days out of New York.

The Return Of Tarzan

We also know that the jungle lord is twenty-two at The Return Of Tarzan's end. When the French discover the Porter's it is stated, "D'Arnot's ship had been cruising along the coast, on patrol duty, when at the lieutenants' suggestion they had anchored off the little landlocked harbor to have another look at the cabin and the jungle in which many of the officers and men had taken part in exciting adventures two years before." ERB-The Return Of Tarzan.

Bob Eggleton

The same French warship from Tarzan Of The Apes discovers the Porters a second time. Upon first thought, I imagined after the mutineers dumped the Porter party they eventually sailed north along the African coastline. While in French, or international waters, the warship tried to make contact with the mutineers. The mutineers panicked and fled back south towards Portuguese Angola at full sail. The French warship in pursuit suspected they were slave runners. Under those circumstances, I could see the French entering Portuguese waters. When the French captured the mutineers they learned about the Porter party. Now the French Navy had a legitimate reason to beach on Portuguese Angolian soil.

The Arrow

The description in The Return Of Tarzan once again clearly describes the same French military vessel patrolling the coastline of Portuguese Angola two years later. I just don't see a French warship patrolling Portuguese Angolian coastlines unauthorized. Maybe they were patrolling just outside Portuguese Angola territory in international waters and decided to make shore for an old-time sentimental visit. Maybe the French and Portuguese governments were working in unison trying to catch King Leopold II's slave ships. 

The Lady Alice

About The Author

James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines, over a span of forty-five years. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled, Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory).instead of the more excepted date May 1888.

James Michael Moody is also the author of the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, and Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022. Swordsman On Unium is going through the publishing process.