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THE STEAM HOUSE - PART ONE
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The Steam House is also a historic monument located in Herstmonceux Sussex, just a few miles from Rudyard Kipling's house; 'Batemans,' at Burwash. Strange that a famous author of books about India, such as the "Jungle Book," should be so closely sited. Kipling died in the same year that electricity generation ceased in Herstmonceux; 1936. Jules Verne passed away in 1905, just as Charles de Roemer was developing his distribution system in the village. For sure, Rudyard Kipling and Charles de Roemer knew each other, as electricity innovators. Charles also passed in the thirties.
What with Verne predicting that hydrogen would be the fuel of the future, these authors are kindred spirits of sorts, despite one living in France and the others in England. Jules Verne was a frequent traveler to London and the south coast.
PLOT PART ONE
In the summer of 1866, in Aurangabad, the British colonial government announces a bounty on the head of Nana Sahib, who is supposed to be hiding in that presidency. Nana Sahib, disguised as a sage, stalks and kills the man who claims to know face of Nana Sahib. Nana Sahib escapes from Aurangabad the same night and, taking his brother Bala Rao and followers, hidden in Ajanta and Ellora caves respectively, retreats to the Vindhiyanchal mountains to hide from colonial forces.
On the way to Banaras they are interrupted by Hindu fanatics who consider the Steam House to be the chariot of their deity. Banks frightens them away by directing steam exhaust at them. In Banaras, Banks and Maucler notice a man spying on them but resolve not to tell the Colonel. From Banaras, they travel to Allahabad, where they learn that Nana Sahib has been declared dead after a skirmish in the defiles of Satpura. Colonel Munro is shocked by this news, as he wanted to take revenge himself. After Munro's request, they decides to pass through Kanpur, where an emotional Colonel visits his old house and the well which is supposedly the grave of Mrs. Munro and other victims of the massacre.
The group decides to journey towards a northern forest, and pass the Monsoon season there, hunting wild animals. On the way to Terai, they defeat three elephants of an arrogant Gujarati Prince in a competition with Behemoth. Near Terai, they are caught in a violent thunderstorm and Gautami narrowly survives after being struck by lightning. The man who was spying on the Steam House meets Nana in Bhopal and informs him of further plans of the inhabitants of the Steam House.
Nana orders his faithful follower Kalagni to infiltrate the Steam House and lure them near Nana Sahib's hiding place. While returning to their hiding place, near the Pal of Tandil, they are ambushed by British forces, who were directed unwittingly by the madwoman Rowing Flame. A body matching the description of Nana Sahib is found and he is declared dead by the British authorities.
A house on locomotive wheels, is pulled by a mechanical steam powered elephant
Jules Verne was the author of many adventure stories:
1
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
- Full
text Part 1, Part
2
9
Round the Moon (Extraordinary Voyages, #7)
Jules Verne is also known as the Father of Science Fiction
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Best
known for '20,000
Leagues Under the Sea' and Around
The World In Eighty Days, Jules Verne also authored a number of
other popular novels, that made it onto the big screen, such as 'The
Mysterious Island,' and 'Journey To The Centre Of The World.'
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JULES VERNE LINKS & REFERENCE
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