Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

Jul 12, 2017

"among the harpooners my research was nearing its end" [BLAC] 

We have one of the most iconic openings in the Sherlock Holmes stories in "The Adventure of Black Peter" - the year '95, Holmes in disguise, returning from the butcher's with his weapon of choice: a harpoon.

 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle pulled on his own knowledge of whaling vessels and voyages (as referenced in an earlier IHOSE episode), but how likely was the occurrence which we learned of in this story? The era of hand-held harpooning was over by that time. How does one go about practice-harpooning a pig in polite London society? And what of the physics of the demonstration?

 

These questions and more await in this episode of Trifles...

Please leave us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice, and consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.

 

Links

 

Music credits

Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra 

Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band