Latest / Thrilling Adventures - Daily / 10 - Around The World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne
Transcript
- Chapter ten, in which passepartout is only too glad to get off with the loss of his shoes. Everybody knows that the great reversed triangle of land, with its base in the north and its apex in the south, which is called India, embraces fourteen hundred thousand square miles, upon which is spread unequally a population of one hundred eighty millions of souls. The British Crown exercises a real and despotic dominion over the larger portion of this vast country, and has a Governor General stationed at Calcutta, governors at Madras, Bombay and m Bengal, and a Lieutenant governor at Agra. But British India, properly so called, only embraces seven hundred thousand square miles and a population of from one hundred to one hundred and ten millions of inhabitants. A considerable portion of India is still free from British authority, and there are certain ferocious Rajas in the interior who are absolutely independent. The celebrated East India Company was all powerful from seventeen fifty six, when the English first gained a foothold on the spot where now stands the city of Madras. Down to the time of the Great Sepoy Insurrection. It gradually annexed province after province, purchasing them of the native chiefs, whom its seldom paid, and appointed the Governor General and his subordinates civil and military. But the East India Company has now passed away, leaving the British possessions in India directly under the control of the Crown. The aspect of the country, as well as the manners and distinctions of race, is daily changing. Formerly one was obliged to travel in India by the old cumbrous methods of going on foot or on horseback in palanquin's or unwieldy coaches. Now, fast steamboats ply on the Indus and the Ganges, and a great railway with branch lines joining the main line at many points on its route, traverses the peninsula from Bombay to Calcutta in three days. This railway does not run in a direct line across India. The distance between Bombay and Klcutta, as the bird flies, is only from one thousand to eleven hundred miles, but the deflections of the road increase this distance by more than a third. The general route of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway is as follows. Leaving Bombay, it passes through Salsette, crossing to the continent opposite Tenna, goes over the chain of the Western Gouts, runs thence northeast as far as Burhampur, skirts the nearly independent territory of Bundelkund, ascends to Allahabad, turns thence easterly, meeting the Ganges at Benaris, then departs from the river a little and descending southeastward by Berdivan and the French town of Chanternagore has its terminus at Calcutta. The passengers of the Mongolia went ashore at half past four p m. At exactly eight, the train would start for Calcutta. Mister Fogg, after bidding good bye to his whist partners, left the steamer, gave his servant several errands to do, urged it upon him to be at the station promptly at eight, and with his regular step, which beat to the second like an astronomical clock, directed his steps to the passport office. As for the wonders of Bombay, its famous city hall, its splendid library, its forts and docks, its bazaars, mosques, synagogues, its Armenian churches, and the noble pagoda on Malabar Hill, with its two polygonal towers. He cared not a straw to see them. He would not deign to examine even the masterpieces of Elaphanta, or the mysterious Hypogea concealed southeast from the docks, or those fine remains of Buddhist architecture, the Canarian grottos of the island of South Set. Having transacted his business at the passport office, Phileas Fogg repaired quietly to the railway station, where he ordered dinner. Among the dishes served up to him, the landlord especially recommended a certain giblet of native rabbit, on which he prided himself. Mister Fogg accordingly tasted the dish, but, despite its spiced sauce, found it far from palatable. He rang for the landlord, and on his appearance, said, fixing his clear eyes upon him, is this rabbit, sir? Yes, my lord. The rogue boldly replied, rabbit from the jungles. And this rabbit did not mew when he was killed. Me, Oh, my lord, what a rabbit muwle I swear to you be so good, Landlord, as not to swear. But remember this cats were formerly considered in India as sacred animals. That was a good time for the cats, my Lord, perhaps for the travelers as well, after which mister Fogg quietly continued his dinner. Fix had gone on shore shortly after mister Fogg, and his first destination was the headquarters of the Bombay Police. He made himself known as a London detective, told his business at Bombay and the position of affairs relative to the supposed robber, and nervously asked if a warrant had arrived from London, it had not reached the office. Indeed, there had not yet been time for it to arrive. Fix was sorely disappointed and tried to obtain an order of arrest from the Director of the Bombay Police. This the director refused, as the matter concerned the London office, which alone could legally deliver the warrant. Fix did not insist and was fain to resign himself to await the arrival of the important document. But he was determined not to lose sight of the mysterious rogue as long as he stayed in Bombay. He did not doubt for a moment any more than Passepartout that Phileas Fogg would remain there, at least until it was time for the warrant to arrive. Passe Partout, however, had no sooner heard his master's orders on leaving the Mongolia than he saw at once that they were to leave Bombay as they had done Suez in Paris, and that the journey would be extended at least as far as Calcutta, and perhaps beyond that place. He began to ask himself if this bet that mister Fogg talked to was not really in good earnest, and whether his fate was not in truth forcing him, despite his love of repose around the world in eighty days, having purchased the usual quota of shirts and shoes, he took a leisurely promenade about the streets where crowds of people of many nationalities Europeans, Persians with pointed caps, Banyas with round turbans, Cindhis with square bonnets, Parsis with black miters, and long robed Armenians were collected. It happened to be a day of a Parsi festival. These descendants of the sect of Zoroaster, the most thrifty, civilized, intelligent, and austere of the East Indians, among whom are counted the richest native merchants of Bombay, were celebrating a sort of religious carnival, with processions and shows, in the midst of which Indian dancing girls, clothed in rose colored gauze, looped up with gold and silver, danced airily but with perfect modesty, to the sound of viols and the clanging of tambourines. It is needless to say that Passepartout watched these curious ceremonies with staring eyes and gaping mouth, and that his countenance was that of the greenest booby imaginable. Unhappily, for his master as well as himself, his curiosity drew him unconsciously farther off than he intended to go. At last, having seen the Parsi carnival wind away in the distance, he was turning his steps towards the station when he happened to a spy the splendid pagoda on Malabar Hill, and was seized with an irresistible desire to see its interior. He was quite ignorant that it was forbidden to Christians to enter certain Indian temples, and that even the faithful must not go in without first leaving their shoes outside the door. It may be said here that the wise policy of the British government severely punishes a disregard of the practices of the native religions. Passpartiu, however, thinking no harm, went in like a simple tourist, and was soon lost in admiration of the splendid Brahmin ornamentation which everywhere met his eyes, when all of a sudden he found himself sprawling on the sacred flagging. He looked up to behold three enraged priests, who forthwith fell upon him, tore off his shoes and began to beat him with loud, savage exclamations. The agile Frenchman was soon upon his feet again and lost no time in knocking down two of his long gowned adversaries with his fists and a vigorous application of his toes. Then rushing out of the pagoda as fast as his legs could carry him, he soon escaped the third priest by mingling with the crowd in the streets. At five minutes before eight pass PARTI two hatless, shoeless, and having in the squabble lost his package of shirts and shoes, rushed breathlessly into the station. Fix, who had followed mister Fogg to the station and saw that he was really going to leave Bombay, was there upon the platform. He had resolved to follow the supposed robber to Calcutta and farther if necessary. Passe Partout did not observe the detective, who stood in an obscure corner, but Fix heard him relate his adventures in a few words to mister Fogg. I hope this will not happen again, said Phileas Fogg coldly. As he got into the train. Poor Passepartout, quite crestfallen, followed his master without a word. Fix was on the point of entering another carriage when an idea struck him, which induced him to alter his plan. No, I'll stay, muttered he an A fence has been committed on Indian soil. I've got my man. Just then the locomotive gave a sharp screech, and the train passed out into the darkness of the night. End of chapter