Part 7 (1/2)
”Monsieur Fix,” resumed Passepartout ”I'm charmed to find you on board Where are you bound?”
”Like you, to Bombay”
”That's capital! Have you made this trip before?”
”Several tients of the Peninsular Company”
”Then you know India?”
”Why--yes,” replied Fix, who spoke cautiously
”A curious place, this India?”
”Oh, very curious Mosques, ers, snakes, elephants! I hope you will have ahts”
”I hope so, Monsieur Fix You see, afrom a steamer upon a railway train, and fro to ymnastics, you etting on well?” asked Fix, in the most natural tone in the world
”Quite well, and I too I eat like a fare It's the sea air
”But I never see your master on deck”
”Never He hasn't the least curiosity”
”Do you know, Mr Passepartout, that this pretended tour in eighty days may conceal some secret errand--perhaps a diplomatic mission?”
”Faith, Monsieur Fix, I assure you I know nothing about it, nor would I give half a crown to find out”
After thistogether, the latter ain the worthy lass of whiskey or pale ale in the steamer bar-rooraceful alacrity, ood fellows
Meanwhile the Mongolia was pushi+ng forward rapidly On the 13th, Mocha, surrounded by its ruined walls where date-trees were growing, was sighted, and on the mountains beyond vast coffee-fields were seen Passepartout was ravished to behold this celebrated place, and thought that, with its circular walls and dismantled fort, it looked like an iht they passed through the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, which e of Tears,” and the next day they put in at Steamer Point, northwest of Aden harbor, to take in coal Thissteamers is a serious one at such distances froht hundred thousand pounds a year In these distant seas, coal is worth three or four pounds sterling a ton
The Mongolia had still sixteen hundred and fifty ed to remain four hours at Steamer Point to coal up But this delay, as it was foreseen, did not affect Phileas Fogg's progra Aden on theof the 15th, when she was due, arrived there on the evening of the 14th, a gain of fifteen hours
Mr Fogg and his servant went ashore at Aden to have the passport again visaed Fix, unobserved, followed the returned on board to resu to custo the mixed population of Somanlis, Banyas, Parsees, Jews, Arabs and Europeans who coazed onder upon the fortifications which make this place the Gibraltar of the Indian Ocean, and the vast cisterns where the English engineers were still at work, two thousand years after the engineers of Solomon
”Very curious, very curious,” said Passepartout to hi to the steamer ”I see that it is by nonew”
At six PM the Mongolia slowly moved out of the roadstead, and was soon once ht hours in which to reach Bo in the north-west, and all sails aiding the engine The steamer rolled but little; the ladies, in fresh dresses, reappeared on deck; and the singing and dancing were resu accomplished most successfully, and Passepartout was enchanted with the congenial companion which chance had secured hihtful Fix
On Sunday, October 20th, towards noon, they caht of the Indian coast Two hours later the pilot caainst 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 Bo the thirty-third rubber of the voyage, and his partner and hi, by a bold stroke, captured all thirteen of the tricks, concluded this fine caolia was due at Boain to Phileas Fogg of two days since his departure from London, and he calains