Around the World in Eighty Days

d square miles, upon which is spread unequally a population of one hundred and eighty millions of souls. The British Crown exercises a real and despotic dominion over t

utely independent. The celebrated East India Company was all-powerful from 1756, 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 it

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 acro

in of the Western Ghauts, runs thence north-east as far as Burhampoor, skirts the nearly independent territory of Bundelcund, ascends to Allahabad, turns thence eastwardly, me

ore at half-past four p.m.; at exactly

ted 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

he railway station, where he ordered dinner. Among the dishes served up to him, the landl

found it far from palatable. He rang for the landlord, and, on his ap

gue boldly replied, "r

did not mew whe

at, a rabbit mew!

ember this: cats were formerly considered, in I

cats, m

the travell

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

z and 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 Mr. F

day of a Parsee festival. These descendants of the sect of Zoroaster-the most thrifty, civilised, 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, cloth

tion, when he happened to espy the splendid pagoda on Malabar Hill, and was seized with an irresistible desire to see its interior. He was quite ignorant that it is forbidden to Christians to enter certain Indian temples, and t

ing. 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 dow

oeless, and having in the squabble lost his package of

latform. He had resolved to follow the supposed robber to Calcutta, and farther, if necessary. Passepartout did not ob

Poor Passepartout, quite crestfallen, followed his master without a word. Fix was on the poi

An offence has been committed o

arp screech, and the train passed