eamer　rolled　but　little；　the　ladies；　in　fresh　toilets；　reappeared　on　deck；　and　the　singing　and　dancing　were　resumed。　The　trip　was　being　accomplished　most　successfully；　and　Passepartout　was　enchanted　with　the　congenial　companion　which　chance　had　secured　him　in　the　person　of　the　delightful　Fix。　On　Sunday；　October　20th；　towards　noon；　they　came　in　sight　of　the　Indian　coast：　two　hour　later　pilot　came　on　board。　A　range　of　hills　lay　against　the　sky　in　the　horizon；　and　soon　the　rows　of　palms　which　adorn　Bombay　came　distinctly　into　view。　The　steamer　entered　the　road　formed　by　the　islands　in　the　bay；　and　at　half…past　four　she　hauled　up　at　the　quays　of　Bombay。
  Phileas　Fogg　was　in　the　act　of　finishing　the　thirty…third　rubber　of　the　voyage；　and　his　partner　and　himself　having；　by　a　bold　stroke；　captured　all　thirteen　of　the　tricks；　concluded　this　fine　campaign　with　a　brilliant　victory。
  The　‘Mongolia'　was　due　at　Bombay　on　the　22nd；　she　arrived　on　the　20th。　This　was　a　gain　to　Phileas　Fogg　of　two　days　since　his　departure　from　London；　and　he　calmly　entered　the　fact　in　the　itinerary；　in　the　column　of　gains。
  CHAPTER　X
  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　and　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　in　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　rajahs　in　the　interior　who　are　absolutely　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　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　palanquins　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　Calcutta；　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　Salcette；　crossing　to　the　continent　opposite　Tannah；　goes　over　the　chain　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；　meeting　the　Ganges　at　Benares；　then　departs　from　the　river　a　little；　and；　descending　south…eastward　by　Burdivan　and　the　French　town　of　Chandernagor；　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。
  Mr　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　Elephanta；　or　the　mysterious　hypogea；　concealed　southeast　from　the　docks；　or　those　fine　remains　of　Buddhist　architecture；　the　Kanherian　grottoes　of　the　island　of　Salcette。
  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。
  Mr　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？'
  ‘Mew；　my　lord！　What；　a　rabbit　mew！　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　travellers　as　well！'
  After　which　Mr　Fogg　quietly　continued　his　dinner。　Fix　had　gone　on　shore　shortly　after　Mr　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；　anymore　than　Passepartout；　that　Phileas　Fogg　would　remain　there；　at　least　until　it　was　time　for　the　warrant　to　arrive。
  Passepartout；　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　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　Fogg　talked　about　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；　Sindis　with　square　bonnets；　Parsees　with　black　mitres　and　long…robed　Armenians　…　were　collected。　It　happened　to　be　the　day　of　a　Parsee　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…coloured　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　Parsee　carnival　wind　away　in　the　distance；　he　was　turning　his　steps　towards　the　station；　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　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。
  Passepartout；　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　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