Literature spot B(Around the World in Eighty Days(SB, pages 87 and 89))

Around the World in Eighty Days

by Jules Verne

The story, set in 1873 CE, is about an Englishman, Mr. PhileasFogg, who is trying to complete a journey around the world in eighty days. At this point in the story, he and his travelling companion, the Frenchman Mr. Passepartout, are travelling through India by train. They have befriended another traveller, Sir Francis Cromarty.

The train stopped at eight o’clock, in the midst of a glade some fifteen miles beyond Rothal, where there were several bungalows and workmen’s cabins. The conductor, passing along the carriages, shouted, ‘Passengers will get out here!’

" ‘Where are we?’ asked Sir Francis.

 ‘At the hamlet of Kholby.’

‘Do we stop here?’

‘Certainly. The railway isn’t finished.’

‘What! Not finished?

‘No. There’s still a matter of fifty miles to be laid from here to Allahabad, where the line begins again.’

."‘Yet you sell tickets from Bombay to Calcutta,’ retorted Sir Francis, who was growing warm.'

‘No doubt,’ replied the conductor, ‘but the passengers know that they must provide means of transportation for themselves from Kholby to Allahabad.’

‘Sir Francis,’ said Mr. Fogg quietly, ‘we will, if you please, look about for some means of conveyance to Allahabad.’

 ‘Mr. Fogg, this is a delay greatly to your disadvantage.’

" ‘No, Sir Francis; it was foreseen.’

  " ‘What! You knew that the way—’

‘Not at all, but I knew that some obstacle or other would sooner or later arise on my route. Nothing, therefore, is lost. I have two gained days to sacrifice. A steamer leaves Calcutta for Hong Kong at noon, on the 25th. This is the 22nd, and we shall reach Calcutta in time.’

There was nothing to say to so confident a response.

Mr. Fogg and Sir Francis Cromarty, after searching the village from end to end, came back without having found anything.

" Shall I  go afoot,’ said Phileas Fogg.

Passepartout, who had now rejoined his master, made a wry grimace, as he thought of his magnificent, but too frail Indian shoes. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, ‘Monsieur, I think I have found a means of conveyance.

‘What?’

‘An elephant! An elephant that belongs to an Indian who lives but a hundred steps from here"!’

‘Let’s go and see the elephant,’ replied Mr. Fogg

They soon reached a small hut. Enclosed within some high palings, was the animal in question. An Indian came out of the hut, and, at their request, conducted them within the enclosure.

The elephant, which was reared, not to be an animal that merely carried things around, but for warlike purposes, was half-domesticated.

Happily, however, for Mr. Fogg, the animal’s instruction in this direction had not gone far, and the elephant still preserved its natural gentleness. Kiouni– this was the name of the elephant – could doubtless travel rapidly for a long time, and, in default of any other means of conveyance, MrFogg resolved to hire him.

However, elephants are far from being cheap in India as they are becoming scarce. Male elephants, as they are only suitable for circus shows, are much sought after especially as the majority are domesticated. When therefore MrFogg proposed to the Indian to hire Kiouni, he refused point-blank.

Mr. Fogg persisted, offering the excessive sum of ten pounds an hour for the loan of the elephant to Allahabad. Refused. Twenty pounds? Refused also. Forty pounds? Still refused.

Phileas Fogg, without getting in the least flurried, then proposed to purchase the animal outright, and at first offered a thousand pounds for him. The Indian, perhaps thinking he was going to make a great bargain, still refused.

At two thousand pounds, the Indian yielded.

‘What a price, good heavens!’ cried Passepartout, ‘for an elephant.

It only remained now to find a guide, which was comparatively easy. A young Parsee*, with an intelligent face, offered his services, which MrFogg accepted, promising so generous a reward as to materially stimulate his zeal. The elephant was led out and equipped.

Provisions were purchased at Kholby, and, while Sir Francis and MrFogg took the howdahs* on either side, Passepartout got astride the saddle cloth between them. The Parsee perched himself on the elephant’s neck, and at nine o’clock they set out from the village, the animal marching off through the dense forest of palms by the shortest cut.

The story, set in 1873 CE, is about an Englishman, Mr. PhileasFogg, who is trying to complete a journey around the world in eighty days. At this point in the story, he and his travelling companion, the Frenchman Mr. Passepartout, are travelling through India by train. They have befriended another traveller, Sir Francis Cromarty.

The train stopped at eight o’clock, in the midst of a glade some fifteen miles beyond Rothal, where there were several bungalows and workmen’s cabins. The conductor, passing along the carriages, shouted, ‘Passengers will get out here!’

 ‘Where are we?’ asked Sir Francis.

 ‘At the hamlet of Kholby.’

 ‘Do we stop here?’

‘Certainly. The railway isn’t finished.’

‘What! Not finished?

‘No. There’s still a matter of fifty miles to be laid from here to Allahabad, where the line begins again.’

‘Yet you sell tickets from Bombay to Calcutta,’ retorted Sir Francis, who was growing warm.'

‘No doubt,’ replied the conductor, ‘but the passengers know that they must provide means of transportation for themselves from Kholby to Allahabad.’

‘Sir Francis,’ said Mr. Fogg quietly, ‘we will, if you please, look about for some means of conveyance to Allahabad.’

‘Mr. Fogg, this is a delay greatly to your disadvantage.’

" ‘No, Sir Francis; it was foreseen.’

  " ‘What! You knew that the way—’

‘Not at all, but I knew that some obstacle or other would sooner or later arise on my route. Nothing, therefore, is lost. I have two gained days to sacrifice. A steamer leaves Calcutta for Hong Kong at noon, on the 25th. This is the 22nd, and we shall reach Calcutta in time.’

There was nothing to say to so confident a response.

Mr. Fogg and Sir Francis Cromarty, after searching the village from end to end, came back without having found anything.

" Shall I  go afoot,’ said Phileas Fogg.

Passepartout, who had now rejoined his master, made a wry grimace, as he thought of his magnificent, but too frail Indian shoes. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, ‘Monsieur, I think I have found a means of conveyance.’

‘What?

‘An elephant! An elephant that belongs to an Indian who lives but a hundred steps from here"!’

‘Let’s go and see the elephant,’ replied Mr Fogg.

They soon reached a small hut. Enclosed within some high palings, was the animal in question. An Indian came out of the hut, and, at their request, conducted them within the enclosure.

The elephant, which was reared, not to be an animal that merely carried things around, but for warlike purposes, was half-domesticated.

Happily, however, for Mr. Fogg, the animal’s instruction in this direction had not gone far, and the elephant still preserved its natural gentleness. Kiouni– this was the name of the elephant – could doubtless travel rapidly for a long time, and, in default of any other means of conveyance, MrFogg resolved to hire him.

However, elephants are far from being cheap in India as they are becoming scarce. Male elephants, as they are only suitable for circus shows, are much sought after especially as the majority are domesticated. When therefore Mr Fogg proposed to the Indian to hire Kiouni, he refused point-blank.

Mr Fogg persisted, offering the excessive sum of ten pounds an hour for the loan of the elephant to Allahabad. Refused. Twenty pounds? Refused also. Forty pounds? Still refused.

Phileas Fogg, without getting in the least flurried, then proposed to purchase the animal outright, and at first offered a thousand pounds for him. The Indian, perhaps thinking he was going to make a great bargain, still refused.

At two thousand pounds, the Indian yielded.

‘What a price, good heavens!’ cried Passepartout, ‘for an elephant.’

It only remained now to find a guide, which was comparatively easy. A young Parsee*, with an intelligent face, offered his services, which MrFogg accepted, promising so generous a reward as to materially stimulate his zeal. The elephant was led out and equipped.

Provisions were purchased at Kholby, and, while Sir Francis and MrFogg took the howdahs* on either side, Passepartout got astride the saddle cloth between them. The Parsee perched himself on the elephant’s neck, and at nine o’clock they set out from the village, the animal marching off through the dense forest of palms by the shortest cut.

Parsee: A person living in South Asia but descended from Persis.

Howdah: A seat for riding an elephant.