Around the World in 80 Days: Chapters 9-12

'Very curious, very curious," said Passepartout to himself. 'I see it is by no means useless to travel if a man wants to see something new.'

Chapter 9: In Which the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean Prove Propitious to the Designs of Phileas Fogg.

The ship leaves Suez, headed for Bombay, India. Passepartout is curious about India and asks Detective Fix many questions. Detective Fix is curious about Phileas Fogg and asks Passepartout many questions as well!

• Vocabulary: caprice, boisterous, propitiate, indefatigably, amiable, minaret, cistern
• Discussion questions from Trail Guide to World Geography

Chapter 10: In Which Passepartout Is Only Too Glad to Get Off with the Loss of His Shoes.

Detective Fix, Phileas Fogg, and Passepartout arrive in Bombay with a few hours to spare before the train is to leave for Calcutta. Detective Fix checks with local police to see if his arrest warrant has arrived from London. It has not. Passepartout sets out to run errands and to do some sightseeing. Passepartout is curious to see the inside of a temple and does not stop to learn about the custom of removing shoes before entering. The priests are furious with Passepartout and he flees in terror, barely arriving in time to board the train.

• Vocabulary: despotic, dominion, rajah, insurrection, cumbrous, deign, grottoes, promendade, crestfallen
• Discussion questions from Trail Guide.
• Label India and the cities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras
• Label the Indus and Ganges Rivers
• Review what we have learned about India

Chapter 11: In Which Phileas Fogg Secures a Curious Means of Conveyance at a Fabulous Price.

Phileas Fogg and Passepartout discover that the railway isn’t finished and they must find another way through the jungle. Phileas Fogg buys an elephant!

• Vocabulary: viaduct, verdant, rite, reverie, vagabond, maledictions, obstinately, conveyance, zebu, avarice, howdah
• Discussion questions from Trail Guide
• Writing Assignment:Passepartout found an unusual conveyance (an elephant!) for his master to purchase as a means to continue the journey. Write an adventure story where you are in a time crunch and you must find a conveyance for a quick departure.

Chapter 12: In Which Phileas Fogg and His Companions Venture Across the Indian Forests, and What Ensued.

Phileas Fogg and his companions cross the Indian forest on the back of an elephant and witness a suttee.

• Vocabulary: jostled, copses, syenite, suffice, ravenously, Brahmin, discordant, lugubrious, caparisoned, haggard, pillage, suttee
• Discussion questions from Trail Guide