Phileas Fogg arrives to Bombay two days ahead of schedule on the passenger ship Mongolia. Even with this extra time, Fogg skips looking at all of the wonders of Bombay, and instead heads to the train station for dinner. The landlord recommends the native rabbit, which Fogg orders. Fogg states that the food is not to his liking. Fix went to the police station to inquire about the warrant for the robber’s arrest. Passepartout, unlike the other two, decided to take in the sights of the city, and lost track of time as he explored. He barely arrives on time to the train station, where Fogg was ready to leave him. Passepartout is portrayed as a fool for wishing to see and experience the culture of Bombay.
Bombay in the 19th Century:
Bombay was originally seven small islands before the 1800s, but through drainage and reclamation projects, the swamps separating the islands were filled in to turn Bombay into the one large island of Mumbai today. The old city covers about 26 square miles, and lacks any significant vegetation. Around 1864, close to when Phileas Fogg would be running through Bombay, there were about 816,562 citizens.