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The Blog of Phileas Fogg : October 24th 1872

From: Harry Hayfield <welshliberaldemocrat~at~yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:52:02 +0100
To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>

Blank

May I formally introduce you to the Princess Aouda. She's the unforunate
vidow of the late Rajah, who if Passepartout hadn't impersonated so expertly
last night and early this morning, would now be nothing more than a
smouldering pile of ashes. I've had to readjust the picture slightly as it
was taken when we were moving her from the elephant into one of the train
carriages in Allahabad (which we have now arrived at) and as you can see she
is still heavily influenced by what the Brigadier calls "hang" (an infusion
of opium and hashish which are two chemicals well known for their influence
on people). And so we have gained another travelling companion, but at the
same time have to say goodbye to another. Namely the Brigadier. The train to
Calcutta passes through Benares where the Brigadier commands. I have to
admit I was a little disappointed to see him go (especially as I was hoping
for another game of shuffleboard on to the way to Hong Kong), but realised
that with him manning the garrsion there British India is bound to remain
British for several centuries to come.

Which brings us back to the Princess. On the way to Allahabad, the Parsee
explained exactly what had happened. Princess Aouda was a celebrated beauty
of the Parsee race, and the daughter of a wealthy Bombay merchant. She had
received a thoroughly English education in that city and would be thought of
as an European. When her parents died, she was married against her will to
the old rajah of Bundelcund; and, knowing the fate that awaited her, she
escaped, was retaken, and devoted by the rajah's relatives, who had an
interest in her death, to the sacrifice from which it seemed she could not
escape.

But escape she did and is now safely travelling with us towards Calcutta
when we shall leave the country that would have seen fit to destroy her and
take her to safer climes. Oh, I am dreadfully sorry, I've just yawned in
public. I suppose it is quite forgiveable seeing as we haven't slept for
nearly 36 hours or so. The next stop is Calcutta and then Hong Kong!

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Received on Wed 25 Oct 2006 - 07:49:31 IST

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