country selected for depiction is India, and the characters, except for the French traveler Maucler, are once more Englishmen. Thus, in a way, Verne had gone back to his first love. His own practical qualities endeared to him this calmly practical race. He was a Breton, a race quite as much English as French in its characteristics. Indeed, Verne himself was called among his confreres "a half Englishman." Certainly the characters of "The Steam House" are appreciatively and even affectionately drawn, especially those of the hunter Captain Hood and his servant Fox.
The events of the great "Indian Mutiny" of 1857 which supply the story of the book, are described with impartiality toward both sides. This warm denunciation of the sufferings and wrongs of Hindoos as well as Englishmen, has brought forth more than one protest from British sources.
As for the selection of India as the seat of the story, Verne himself explained that his purpose was to cover, one by one, each of the countries of the globe, more especially those little known, so as to make of his completed works a sort of universal geography. Traveling under his guidance, he meant that we should travel everywhere.
The mechanical invention of the steam house itself is in no way impossible. Such a construction was rather beyond the skill of thirty years ago when the book was written; but almost any good engineering firm to-day would contract to build you such a "steam-house" if you cared to afford the expense. In fact our automobiles have already quite out-done this somewhat clumsy giant steam-engine, both in power and in speed.
Mainly then "The Steam House" and more especially its second book, "Tigers and Traitors" will be remembered as a thrilling hunting story. "Big game" incidents of the most exciting yet most natural character, such as the invasion of the naturalist's kraal, throng its busy pages.
