Chapter 9

           ThedistancebetweenSuezandAdenispreciselythirteenhundredandtenmiles,andtheregulationsofthecompanyallowthesteamersonehundredandthirty-eighthoursinwhichtotraverseit. TheMongolia,thankstothevigorousexertionsoftheengineer,seemedlikely,sorapidwasherspeed,toreachherdestinationconsiderablywithinthattime. ThegreaterpartofthepassengersfromBrindisiwereboundforIndiasomeforBombay,othersforCalcuttabywayofBombay,thenearestroutethither,nowthatarailwaycrossestheIndianpeninsula. Amongthepassengerswasanumberofofficialsandmilitaryofficersofvariousgrades,thelatterbeingeitherattachedtotheregularBritishforcesorcommandingtheSepoytroops,andreceivinghighsalarieseversincethecentralgovernmenthasassumedthepowersoftheEastIndiaCompany:forthesub-lieutenantsget280pounds,brigadiers,2,400pounds,andgeneralsofdivisions,4,000pounds. Whatwiththemilitarymen,anumberofrichyoungEnglishmenontheirtravels,andthehospitableeffortsofthepurser,thetimepassedquicklyontheMongolia. Thebestoffarewasspreaduponthecabintablesatbreakfast,lunch,dinner,andtheeighto’clocksupper,andtheladiesscrupulouslychangedtheirtoiletstwiceaday;andthehourswerewhirledaway,whentheseawastranquil,withmusic,dancing,andgames. 

           ButtheRedSeaisfullofcaprice,andoftenboisterous,likemostlongandnarrowgulfs. WhenthewindcamefromtheAfricanorAsiancoasttheMongolia,withherlonghull,rolledfearfully. Thentheladiesspeedilydisappearedbelow;thepianosweresilent;singinganddancingsuddenlyceased.Yetthegoodshipploughedstraighton,unretardedbywindorwave,towardsthestraitsofBab-el-Mandeb. WhatwasPhileasFoggdoingallthistime? 

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