The Pursuit of the House-Boat - Being Some Further Account of the Divers Doings of the Associated Shades, Under the Leadership of Sherlock Holmes, Esq

By John Kendrick Bangs

This is John Kendrick Bangs' 1897 novel, “The Pursuit of the House-Boat”. A deceased Sherlock Holmes is employed by the Associated Shades club to help them after the House-Boat has been commandeered by the nefarious Captain Kidd. An amusing and entertaining detective romp set in the afterlife, “The Pursuit of the House-Boat” constitutes a must-read for lovers of quirky fiction and is not to be missed by fans of Bang's work. John Kendrick Bangs (1862–1922) was an American editor, author, and satirist. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Mar 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9781473360631

John Kendrick Bangs

John Kendrick Bangs (1862–1922) was an American writer and editor best known for his works in the fantasy genre. Bangs began his writing career in the 1880s when he worked for a literary magazine at Columbia College. Later, he held positions at various publications such as Life, Harper's Bazaar and Munsey’s Magazine. Throughout his career he published many novels and short stories including The Lorgnette (1886), Olympian Nights (1902) and Alice in Blunderland: An Iridescent Dream (1907).

Book preview

The Pursuit of the

House-Boat

Being Some Further Account of the Divers Doings of the Associated Shades, under the Leadership of Sherlock Holmes, Esq.

By

John Kendrick Bangs

Illustrated By Peter Newell

Contents

The Pursuit of the House-Boat

Boating – A Very Short History of Boats.

I

The Associated Shades Take Action

II

The Stranger Unravels a Mystery and Reveals Himself

III

The Search-Party is Organized

IV

On Board the House-Boat

V

A Conference on Deck

VI

A Conference Below-Stairs

VII

The Gehenna is Chartered

VIII

On Board the Gehenna

IX

Captain Kidd Meets with an Obstacle

X

A Warning Accepted

XI

Marooned

XII

The Escape and the End

Boating – A Very Short History of Boats.

Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat or the recreational use of a boat, whether powerboats, sailboats or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or waterskiing. It is a popular activity, and there are millions of boaters worldwide. A ‘boat’ itself, is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to work or travel on water – used by humans even before recorded history. Boats come in an enormous variety of shapes, sizes and construction, due to intended purpose, available materials and local traditions. For example, canoes have an incredibly long history with various versions used throughout the world for transportation, fishing or sport. Fishing boats in turn, vary widely in style mostly to match local conditions. Pleasure boats represent a less practical approach and can include anything from ski boats, pontoon boats to sailboats… the list goes on! Most small boats are designed for inland lakes or protected coastal areas, whereas others, such as the ‘whaleboat’ are operated from another ship, in an offshore environment.

In naval terms, a boat is a vessel small enough to be carried aboard another vessel (a ship). Yet for reasons of naval tradition, submarines are also usually referred to as ‘boats’ rather than ‘ships’, regardless of their size. ‘Dugouts’ are the oldest boats archaeologists have found, dating back about eight thousand years. It is known however that boats served as transport since early times; circumstantial evidence, such as the early settlement of Australia over 40,000 years ago, findings in Crete dated 130,000 years ago, and findings in Flores dated to 900,000 years ago, suggest that boats have been used since prehistoric times. The earliest boats are thought to have been logboats (a boat made from a hollowed tree trunk), and the oldest recovered boat in the world is the Pesse canoe, (a logboat) from a Pinus sylvestris, constructed somewhere between 8200 and 7600 BC. This canoe is exhibited in the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands. Other very old dugout boats, as well as other types have also been recovered, for instance a 7,000 year-old seagoing reed boat, found in Kuwait.

Boats played an incredibly important part in the commerce between the Indus Valley Civilisation and Mesopotamia, and much evidence of boat modelling has been discovered at various Indus Valley sides. The ‘Uru’ wooden big boat was made in Beypore, a village in South Calicut, Kerala, in south-western India – but was also used by the Arabs and Greeks since ancient times as trading vessels. This mammoth wooden ship was constructed using teak, without any iron or blueprints and which has a transportation capacity of 400 tonnes. A boats construction is usually its defining feature; and the measure of its success or failure at sea. There are several key components which make up the main structure of most boats though. These are, the ‘hull’; the main component that provides buoyancy. The ‘gunnel’; the sides of the boat, offering protection from the water and making it harder to sink. The ‘deck’; the roughly horizontal, but chambered structures spanning the hull of the boat (more commonly found in ships), and above the deck are the ‘superstructures.’ Underneath is the ‘cabin’, which similarly to the ‘superstructure’ will have many constituent parts.

Until the mid-nineteenth century most boats were constructed using natural materials, primarily wood although reed, bark and animal skins were also used. However, this changed with the industrial revolution, when many boats were made with iron or steel frames (now readily available and reasonably inexpensive to construct) – but still planked in wood. In 1855 ferro-cement boat construction was patented by the French as Ferciment. This is a system by which a steel or iron wire framework is built in the shape of a boat’s hull and covered (trowelled) over with cement. Reinforced with bulkheads and other internal structure, it is strong but heavy, easily repaired, and, if sealed properly, will not leak or corrode. These materials and methods were copied all over the world, and have faded in and out of popularity to the present.

As the forests of Britain and Europe continued to be over-harvested to supply the keels of larger wooden boats, and the Bessemer process (patented in 1855) cheapened the cost of steel, steel ships and boats began to be more common. By the 1930s boats built of all steel from frames to plating were seen replacing wooden boats in many industrial uses, even the fishing fleets. In the mid-20th century aluminium gained popularity. Though much more expensive than steel, there are now aluminium alloys available that will not corrode in salt water, and an aluminium boat built to similar load carrying standards could be built lighter than steel. Such construction methods have changed dramatically in recent years though – as around the mid-1960s, boats made of glass-reinforced plastic, more commonly known as fibreglass, became popular, especially for recreational boats. A great number of small and large scale pleasure boats are now made using this material.

Fibreglass boats are strong, and do not rust (iron oxide), corrode, or rot. They are, however susceptible to structural degradation from sunlight and extremes in temperature over their lifespan.

People have even made their own boats or watercraft out of materials such as foam or plastic, but most home-builds today are built of plywood and either painted or covered in a layer of fibreglass and resin. This type of boating for pleasure might involve a singlehanded vessel, or the boat may be crewed by families and friends – proceeding on its own, or joining a flotilla with other like-minded voyagers. They also may be operated by their owners, who often also gain pleasure from maintaining and modifying their craft to suit their needs and taste. Boating for trade, food, travel and recreation is an immensely widespread activity over the globe, and it is showing no signs of abating. We hope the reader enjoys this book.

The Pursuit of the House-Boat

I

The Associated Shades Take Action

The House-boat of the Associated Shades, formerly located upon the River Styx, as the reader may possibly remember, had been torn from its moorings and navigated out into unknown seas by that vengeful pirate Captain Kidd, aided and abetted by some of the most ruffianly inhabitants of Hades. Like a thief in the night had they come, and for no better reason than that the Captain had been unanimously voted a shade too shady to associate with self-respecting spirits had they made off with the happy floating club-house of their betters; and worst of all, with them, by force of circumstances over which they had no control, had sailed also the fair Queen Elizabeth, the spirited Xanthippe, and every other strong-minded and beautiful woman of Erebean society, whereby the men thereof were rendered desolate.

I can’t stand it! cried Raleigh, desperately, as with his accustomed grace he presided over a special meeting of the club, called on the bank of the inky Stygian stream, at the point where the missing boat had been moored. Think of it, gentlemen, Elizabeth of England, Calpurnia of Rome, Ophelia of Denmark, and every precious jewel in our social diadem gone, vanished completely; and with whom? Kidd, of all men in the universe! Kidd, the pirate, the ruffian—

Don’t take on so, my dear Sir Walter, said Socrates, cheerfully. What’s the use of going into hysterics? You are not a woman, and should eschew that luxury. Xanthippe is with them, and I’ll warrant you that when that cherished spouse of mine has recovered from the effects of the sea, say the third day out, Kidd and his crew will be walking the plank, and voluntarily at that.

But the House-boat itself, murmured Noah, sadly. That was my delight. It reminded me in some respects of the Ark.

The law of compensation enters in there, my dear Commodore, retorted Socrates. For me, with Xanthippe abroad I do not need a club to go to; I can stay at home and take my hemlock in peace and straight. Xanthippe always compelled me to dilute it at the rate of one quart of water to the finger.

Well, we didn’t all marry Xanthippe, put in Cæsar, firmly, therefore we are not all satisfied with the situation. I, for one, quite agree with Sir Walter that something must be done, and quickly. Are we to sit here and do nothing, allowing that fiend to kidnap our wives with impunity?

Not at all, interposed Bonaparte. The time for action has arrived. All things considered he is welcome to Marie Louise, but the idea of Josephine going off on a cruise of that kind breaks my heart.

No question about it, observed Dr. Johnson. We’ve got to do something if it is only for the sake of appearances. The question really is, what shall be done first?

I am in favor of taking a drink as the first step, and considering the matter of further action afterwards, suggested Shakespeare, and it was this suggestion that made the members unanimous upon the necessity for immediate action, for when the assembled spirits called for their various favorite beverages it was found that there were none to be had, it being Sunday, and all the establishments wherein liquid refreshments were licensed