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1IN WHICH PASSEPARTOUT IS ONLY TOO GLAD TO GET OFF WITH THE LOSS OF HIS SHOES Everybody knows that the great reversed
2triangle of land, with its base in the north and its apex in the south, which is called India, embraces fourteen hundred
3thousand square miles, upon which is spread unequally a population of one hundred and eighty millions of souls. The
4British Crown exercises a real and despotic dominion over the larger portion of this vast country, and has a
5governor-general stationed at Calcutta, governors at Madras, Bombay, and in Bengal, and a lieutenant-governor at Agra.
6But British India, properly so called, only embraces seven hundred thousand square miles, and a population of from one
7hundred to one hundred and ten millions of inhabitants. A considerable portion of India is still free from British
8authority; and there are certain ferocious rajahs in the interior who are absolutely independent. The celebrated East
9India Company was all-powerful from 1756, when the English first gained a foothold on the spot where now stands the city
10of Madras, down to the time of the great Sepoy insurrection. It gradually annexed province after province, purchasing
11them of the native chiefs, whom it seldom paid, and appointed the governor-general and his subordinates, civil and
12military. But the East India Company has now passed away, leaving the British possessions in India directly under the
13control of the Crown. The aspect of the country, as well as the manners and distinctions of race, is daily changing.
14Formerly one was obliged to travel in India by the old cumbrous methods of going on foot or on horseback, in palanquins
15or unwieldy coaches; now fast steamboats ply on the Indus and the Ganges, and a great railway, with branch lines joining
16the main line at many points on its route, traverses the peninsula from Bombay to Calcutta in three days. This railway
17does not run in a direct line across India. The distance between Bombay and Calcutta, as the bird flies, is only from
18one thousand to eleven hundred miles; but the deflections of the road increase this distance by more than a third. The
19general route of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway is as follows: Leaving Bombay, it passes through Salcette, crossing
20to the continent opposite Tannah, goes over the chain of the Western Ghauts, runs thence north-east as far as
21Burhampoor, skirts the nearly independent territory of Bundelcund, ascends to Allahabad, turns thence eastwardly,
22meeting the Ganges at Benares, then departs from the river a little, and, descending south-eastward by Burdivan and the
23French town of Chandernagor, has its terminus at Calcutta. The passengers of the "Mongolia" went ashore at half-past
24four p.m.; at exactly eight the train would start for Calcutta. Mr. Fogg, after bidding good-bye to his whist partners,
25left the steamer, gave his servant several errands to do, urged it upon him to be at the station promptly at eight, and,
26with his regular step, which beat to the second, like an astronomical clock, directed his steps to the passport office.
27As for the wonders of Bombay--its famous city hall, its splendid library, its forts and docks, its bazaars, mosques,
28synagogues, its Armenian churches, and the noble pagoda on Malabar Hill, with its two polygonal towers--he cared not a
29straw to see them. He would not deign to examine even the masterpieces of Elephanta, or the mysterious hypogea,
30concealed south-east from the docks, or those fine remains of Buddhist architecture, the Kanherian grottoes of the
31island of Salcette. Having transacted his business at the passport office, Phileas Fogg repaired quietly to the railway
32station, where he ordered dinner. Among the dishes served up to him, the landlord especially recommended a certain
33giblet of "native rabbit," on which he prided himself. Mr. Fogg accordingly tasted the dish, but, despite its spiced
34sauce, found it far from palatable. He rang for the landlord, and, on his appearance, said, fixing his clear eyes upon
35him, "Is this rabbit, sir?" "Yes, my lord," the rogue boldly replied, "rabbit from the jungles." "And this rabbit did
36not mew when he was killed?" "Mew, my lord! What, a rabbit mew! I swear to you--" "Be so good, landlord, as not to
37swear, but remember this: cats were formerly considered, in India, as sacred animals. That was a good time." "For the
38cats, my lord?" "Perhaps for the travellers as well!" After which Mr. Fogg quietly continued his dinner. Fix had gone on
39shore shortly after Mr. Fogg, and his first destination was the headquarters of the Bombay police. He made himself known
40as a London detective, told his business at Bombay, and the position of affairs relative to the supposed robber, and
41nervously asked if a warrant had arrived from London. It had not reached the office; indeed, there had not yet been time
42for it to arrive. Fix was sorely disappointed, and tried to obtain an order of arrest from the director of the Bombay
43police. This the director refused, as the matter concerned the London office, which alone could legally deliver the
44warrant. Fix did not insist, and was fain to resign himself to await the arrival of the important document; but he was
45determined not to lose sight of the mysterious rogue as long as he stayed in Bombay. He did not doubt for a moment, any
46more than Passepartout, that Phileas Fogg would remain there, at least until it was time for the warrant to arrive.
47Passepartout, however, had no sooner heard his master's orders on leaving the "Mongolia" than he saw at once that they
48were to leave Bombay as they had done Suez and Paris, and that the journey would be extended at least as far as
49Calcutta, and perhaps beyond that place. He began to ask himself if this bet that Mr. Fogg talked about was not really
50in good earnest, and whether his fate was not in truth forcing him, despite his love of repose, around the world in
51eighty days! Having purchased the usual quota of shirts and shoes, he took a leisurely promenade about the streets,
52where crowds of people of many nationalities--Europeans, Persians with pointed caps, Banyas with round turbans, Sindes
53with square bonnets, Parsees with black mitres, and long-robed Armenians--were collected. It happened to be the day of a
54Parsee festival. These descendants of the sect of Zoroaster--the most thrifty, civilised, intelligent, and austere of
55the East Indians, among whom are counted the richest native merchants of Bombay--were celebrating a sort of religious
56carnival, with processions and shows, in the midst of which Indian dancing-girls, clothed in rose-coloured gauze, looped
57up with gold and silver, danced airily, but with perfect modesty, to the sound of viols and the clanging of tambourines.
58It is needless to say that Passepartout watched these curious ceremonies with staring eyes and gaping mouth, and that
59his countenance was that of the greenest booby imaginable. Unhappily for his master, as well as himself, his curiosity
60drew him unconsciously farther off than he intended to go. At last, having seen the Parsee carnival wind away in the
61distance, he was turning his steps towards the station, when he happened to espy the splendid pagoda on Malabar Hill,
62and was seized with an irresistible desire to see its interior. He was quite ignorant that it is forbidden to Christians
63to enter certain Indian temples, and that even the faithful must not go in without first leaving their shoes outside the
64door. It may be said here that the wise policy of the British Government severely punishes a disregard of the practices
65of the native religions. Passepartout, however, thinking no harm, went in like a simple tourist, and was soon lost in
66admiration of the splendid Brahmin ornamentation which everywhere met his eyes, when of a sudden he found himself
67sprawling on the sacred flagging. He looked up to behold three enraged priests, who forthwith fell upon him; tore off
68his shoes, and began to beat him with loud, savage exclamations. The agile Frenchman was soon upon his feet again, and
69lost no time in knocking down two of his long-gowned adversaries with his fists and a vigorous application of his toes;
70then, rushing out of the pagoda as fast as his legs could carry him, he soon escaped the third priest by mingling with
71the crowd in the streets. At five minutes before eight, Passepartout, hatless, shoeless, and having in the squabble lost
72his package of shirts and shoes, rushed breathlessly into the station. Fix, who had followed Mr. Fogg to the station,
73and saw that he was really going to leave Bombay, was there, upon the platform. He had resolved to follow the supposed
74robber to Calcutta, and farther, if necessary. Passepartout did not observe the detective, who stood in an obscure
75corner; but Fix heard him relate his adventures in a few words to Mr. Fogg. "I hope that this will not happen again,"
76said Phileas Fogg coldly, as he got into the train. Poor Passepartout, quite crestfallen, followed his master without a
77word. Fix was on the point of entering another carriage, when an idea struck him which induced him to alter his plan.
78"No, I'll stay," muttered he. "An offence has been committed on Indian soil. I've got my man." Just then the locomotive
79gave a sharp screech, and the train passed out into the darkness of the night.
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