forty-first and the forty-second
parallels of latitude. President Lincoln himself fixed the termination
of the new line at Omaha, in Nebraska. The work was immediately begun
and continued with characteristic American energy, which is neither
red-tapeish nor bureaucratic. The rapidity of the work did not affect
its completeness; they laid a mile and a half of line across the
prairie every day; an engine, carrying the rails to be used next day,
ran on the line only just laid, and advanced as quickly as they were
fixed.

The Pacific railroad has several branches in the States of Iowa,
Kansas, Colorado, and Oregon. When it leaves Omaha the line runs along
the left bank of the river Platte, as far as the mouth of the northern
branch, follows the south branch, crosses the Laramine territory and
the Wahsatch Mountains to Salt Lake City (the Mormon capital), plunges
into the Tuilla Valley across the desert, Mounts Cedar and Humboldt,
the Humboldt river and the Sierra Nevada, and then descends by
Sacramento to the Pacific; the gradient all the way, even over the
Rocky Mountains, not exceeding a hundred and twelve feet to the mile.

Such was the line along which Phileas Fogg hoped to be carried to New
York in seven days in time to reach the Steamer to Liverpool on the
11th.

The car in which our travellers were seated was a sort of long
omnibus, with four wheels at each end, without compartments; rows of
seats were placed at each side, a passage running between them from
end to end of this carriage, and practically of the train, for every
carriage was closely connected with the next. There were drawing-room
cars, smoking-cars, and restaurants. The only thing wanting was the
theatre-car, but no doubt that will some day be supplied. Vendors of
books and papers, eatables, drinkables, and tobacco, continually
passed through the train.

The train started from Oakland Station at six p.m. It was already
dark, and snow was threatening; the pace did not exceed twenty miles
an hour, including stoppages. There was not much conversation amongst
the passengers, and most of them soon went to sleep. Passe-partout was
next to the detective, but did not address him, for after what had
happened there could be no sympathy between them. Fix had not altered,
but Passe-partout was extremely reserved, and on the least suspicion
would have strangled his former friend.

In about an hour snow began to fall, but not sufficiently thick to
hinder the