Note: First published as a serial in 12 parts (one chapter per issue; including the Peter Newell illustrations, credited). Harper's Weekly vol. 41, #2294–2105; February 6 to April 24, 1897; page-span p136 (e-copy at HathiTrust) to p414.   The first instalment and most others appear under complex headings that begin with the main title and the entire long subtitle: The Pursuit of the House-Boat. Being ... Sherlock Holmes, Esq. Bangs was humor editor of multiple Harper magazines from 1889 to 1900 and "from 1899 to 1901 served as active editor of Harper's Weekly" -- Wikipedia

Synopsis: "Mr. Bangs continues to have trouble with rebellious heroines. Now they are the defunct heroines of antiquity, whom Mr. Bangs rediscovered in [book 1]. They rebelled against Mr. Bangs's leaving them out of the organization of the club, and, having visited it in a body, were carried off to sea by the ghosts of Captain Kidd and other unregenerate denizens of the lower world. Fortunately the entire outfit was rescued." -- advertisement by the publisher, New-York Tribune 1897-05-26 p3 "Harper & Brothers Publish To-day" "The best thing ... is Peter Newell's pictures. ... the artist has surpassed the author. // Whether one is pleased or wearied by a perusal of [TPotH] depends a good deal on one's mood. ... The main feature of interest lies in the fact that Sherlock Holmes, who was basely done to death by his parent, Conan Doyle, makes his appearance among the Associated Shades just in time ..." -- full review Chicago Tribune 1897-06-05 p10 (as mediocre) "The fun, as before, consists in the whimsical approximation of the departed great, and in making them say and do things more or less in character. But the fantasy has a coherency of its own. -- review The Scotsman 1897-06-24 p7 (as excellent)