Larry Howe is correct. With wires crossed, and unable to lay hands on
Gilman's book at that moment, I was remembering a different book and
assigning it Gilman's title. The book I was remembering was Robinson's IN
BAD FAITH, published about the same time in the late 80s, but it barely
mentions Melville in passing, although it addresses the theme of deception.

Of course, by the time he published HF, Twain hardly needed literary sources
of inspiration in order to write about confidence games, impostors, and con
artists.

But if he did need to "defend" the Mississippi steamboat culture, he could
hardly blame Melville with his small audience of readers. A glance through
McDermott's BEFORE MARK TWAIN presents a broad sampling of what had been
said --and it ignores Melville altogether.

Kevin Mac Donnell
Austin TX