Everybody knows that the great reversed triangle of land, with its base in the north and its apex in the south, which is called India, embraces fourteen hundred thousand square miles, upon which is spread unequally a population of one hundred and eighty millions of souls. The British Crown exercises a real and despotic dominion over the larger portion of this vast country, and has a governor-general stationed at Calcutta, governors at Madras, Bombay, and in Bengal, and a lieutenant-governor at Agra.

But British India, properly so called, only embraces seven hundred thousand square miles, and a population of from one hundred to one hundred and ten millions of inhabitants. A considerable portion of India is still free from British authority; and there are certain ferocious rajahs in the interior who are absolutely independent. The celebrated East India Company was all-powerful from 1756, when the English first gained a foothold on the spot where now stands the city of Madras, down to the time of the great Sepoy insurrection. It gradually annexed province after province, purchasing them of the native chiefs, whom it seldom paid, and appointed the governor-general and his subordinates, civil and military. But the East India Company has now passed away, leaving the British possessions in India directly under the control of the Crown. The aspect of the country, as well as the manners and distinctions of race, is daily changing.

Formerly one was obliged to travel in India by the old cumbrous methods of going on foot or on horseback, in palanquins or unwieldy coaches; now, fast steamboats ply on the Indus and the Ganges, and a great railway, with branch lines joining the main line at many points on its route, traverses the peninsula from Bombay to Calcutta in three days. This railway does not run in a direct line across India. The distance between Bombay and Calcutta, as the bird flies, is only from one thousand to eleven hundred miles; but the deflections of the road increase this distance by more than a third.

The general route of the Great Indian Peninsula Railway is as follows: - Leaving Bombay, it passes through Salcette, crossing to the continent opposite Tannah, goes over the chain of the Western Ghauts, runs thence north-east as far as Burhampoor, skirts the nearly independent territory of Bundelcund, ascends to Allahabad, turns thence eastwardly, meeting the Ganges at Benares, then departs from the river a little, and, descending south-eastward by Burdivan and the French town of Chandernagor, has its terminus at Calcutta.

The passengers of the `Mongolia' went ashore at half-past four p.m.; at exactly eight the train would start for Calcutta.

Mr Fogg, after bidding good-bye to his whist partners, left the steamer, gave his servant several errands to do, urged it upon him to be at the station promptly at eight, and, with his regular step, which beat to the second, like an astronomical clock, directed his Steps to the passport office. As for the wonders of Bombay - its famous city hall, its splendid library, its forts and docks, its bazaars, mosques, synagogues, its Armenian churches, and the noble pagoda on Malabar Hill with its two polygonal towers - he cared not a straw to see them. He would not deign to examine even the masterpieces of Elephanta, or the mysterious hypogea, concealed southeast from the docks, or those fine remains of Buddhist architecture, the Kanherian grottoes of the island of Salcette.

Having transacted his business at the passport office, Phileas Fogg repaired quietly to the railway station, where he ordered dinner. Among the dishes served up to him, the landlord especially recommended a certain giblet of `native rabbit', on which he prided himself.

Mr Fogg accordingly tasted the dish, but, despite its spiced sauce, found it far from palatable. He rang for the landlord, and on his appearance, said, fixing his clear eyes upon him, `Is this rabbit, sir?'

`Yes, my lord,' the rogue boldly replied, `rabbit from the jungles.'

`And this rabbit did not mew when he was killed?'

`Mew, my lord! What, a rabbit mew! I swear to you--'

`Be so good, landlord, as not to swear, but remember this: cats were formerly considered, in India, as sacred animals. That was a good time.'

`For the cats, my lord?'

`Perhaps for the travellers as well!'

After which Mr Fogg quietly continued his dinner. Fix had gone on shore shortly after Mr Fogg, and his first destination was the headquarters of the Bombay police. He made himself known as a London detective, told his business at Bombay, and the position of affairs relative to the supposed robber, and nervously asked if a warrant had arrived from London. It had not reached the office; indeed, there had not yet been time for it to arrive. Fix was sorely disappointed, and tried to obtain an order of arrest from the director of the Bombay police. This the director refused, as the matter concerned the London office, which alone could legally deliver the warrant. Fix did not insist, and was fain to resign himself to await the arrival of the important document; but he was determined not to lose sight of the mysterious rogue as long as he stayed in Bombay. He did not doubt for a moment, anymore than Passepartout, that Phileas Fogg would remain there, at least until it was time for the warrant to arrive.

Passepartout, however, had no sooner heard his master's orders on leaving the `Mongolia', than he saw at once that they were to leave Bombay as they had done Suez and Paris, and that the journey would be extended at least as far as Calcutta, and perhaps beyond that place. He began to ask himself if this bet that Mr Fogg talked about was not really in good earnest, and whether his fate was not in truth forcing him, despite his love of repose, around the world in eighty days!

Having purchased the usual quota of shirts and shoes, he took a leisurely promenade about the streets, where crowds of people of many nationalities - Europeans, Persians with pointed caps, Banyas with round turbans, Sindis with square bonnets, Parsees with black mitres and long-robed Armenians - were collected. It happened to be the day of a Parsee festival. These descendants of the sect of Zoroaster - the most thrifty, civilized, intelligent and austere of the East Indians, among whom are counted the richest native merchants of Bombay - were celebrating a sort of religious carnival, with processions and shows, in the midst of which Indian dancing-girls, clothed in rose-coloured gauze, looped up with gold and silver, danced airily, but with perfect modesty, to the sound of viols and the clanging of tambourines. It is needless to say that Passepartout watched these curious ceremonies with staring eyes and gaping mouth, and that his countenance was that of the greenest booby imaginable.

Unhappily for his master, as well as himself, his curiosity drew him unconsciously farther off than he intended to go. At last, having seen the Parsee carnival wind away in the distance, he was turning his steps towards the station, when he happened to espy the splendid pagoda on Malabar Hill, and was seized with an irresistible desire to see its interior. He was quite ignorant that it is forbidden to Christians to enter certain Indian temples, and that even the faithful must not go in without first leaving their shoes outside the door. It may be said here that the wise policy of the British Government severely punishes a disregard of the practices of the native religions.

Passepartout, however, thinking no harm, went in like a simple tourist, and was soon lost in admiration of the splendid Brahmin ornamentation which everywhere met his eyes, when of a sudden he found himself sprawling on the sacred flagging. He looked up to behold three enraged priests, who forthwith fell upon him, tore off his shoes, and began to beat him with loud, savage exclamations. The agile Frenchman was soon upon his feet again, and lost no time in knocking down two of his long-gowned adversaries with his fists and a vigorous application of his toes; then, rushing out of the pagoda as fast as his legs could carry him, he soon escaped the third priest by mingling with the crowd in the streets.

At five minutes before eight, Passepartout, hatless, shoeless, and having in the squabble lost his package of shirts and shoes, rushed breathlessly into the station.

Fix, who had followed Mr Fogg to the station, and saw that he was really going to leave Bombay, was there, upon the platform. He had resolved to follow the supposed robber to Calcutta, and farther, if necessary. Passepartout did not observe the detective, who stood in an obscure comer; but Fix heard him relate his adventures in a few words to Mr Fogg.

`I hope that this will not happen again,' said Phileas Fogg, coldly, as he got into the train. Poor Passepartout, quite crestfallen, followed his master without a word. Fix was on the point of entering another carriage, when an idea struck him which induced him to alter his plan.

`No, I'll stay,' muttered he. `An offence has been committed on Indian soil. I've got my man.'

Just then the locomotive gave a sharp screech, and the train passed out into the darkness of the night.

谁都知道，印度的地形是顶朝南，底朝北的一个倒放的大三角形。面积一百四十万平方英里，人口分布非常不均。共有一亿八千万。在这个幅员广大的国家里，英国政府实际上只能控制一部分。它在加尔各答设有全印总督，在马德拉斯、孟买和孟加拉都有地方总督，在亚格拉还有一个代理总督。

但是，真正名副其实的所谓英属印度，只有七十万平方英里的面积和一亿到一亿一千万的人口。由此可见，还有很大一部分地区是英国女皇权力管不到的地方。实际上，印度内地依然存在着一些使英国认为凶猛可怕的土王，他们仍然保持着完全独立。

自从1756年——那一年英国在现今马德拉斯城所在的地方建立了它在印度的第一个殖民机构———直到印度士兵大起义的那一年，那人所共知的东印度公司曾经专横一时，它逐步吞并了很多省，名义上是用分期付欺的地价券从土王手里买来的，其实这些地价券很少兑现，甚至根本就不兑现。当时全印总督和总督府文武官员都由东印度公司任命。如今东印度公司已经不存在了，英属印度已经改为直属英皇管辖。

如今印度的面貌、风俗和种族争执也在日益改变。从前在印度旅行只靠那些古老的办法，例如：步行、骑马、坐双轮车或独轮车、坐轿子、用人驮、坐马车等等。如今在恒河与印度河上，有快速轮船航行。又有一条大铁路横贯整个印度，并且沿途还有支线。只用三天，就可从孟买到达加尔各答。

这条横贯印度的铁路线并不是笔直的。直线距离本来只有一千到一千一百英里，即使中等速度的火车，也要不了三天就可以走完全程。但是，全线实际的长度却至少增加了三分之一，这是由于铁路路线向北延伸要经过半岛北部的阿拉哈巴德的缘故。

这儿，概括地介绍一下大印度半岛铁路沿线的重点站。火车离开孟买岛穿过萨尔赛特岛，进入位于塔那前面的大陆腹地，穿过西高止山脉向东北直达布尔汉普尔，再穿过差不多可以算是独立的本德尔汗德上邦的领地，北上到阿拉哈巴德，再向东进，在贝拿勒斯与恒河相遇，然后离开恒河不远向东南下行经过布德万和法属殖民地昌德纳戈尔直奔终点站加尔各答。

蒙古号上的旅客在孟买下船的时间是午后四点半，往加尔各答的火车开车时间是八点正。

福克先生向牌友们告别以后，就上了岸。他吩咐路路通去买一些东西，并且一再叮嘱他务必要在八点以前回到车站。然后他就象一架天文钟的钟摆在数秒似的一步一步走向领事馆办理护照签证去了。

虽然孟买风光美丽景色新奇，但不论是宏伟的市政厅也好，漂亮的图书馆也好，城堡也好，船坞也好，棉花市场也好，百货商场也好，回教的清真寺也好，犹太教的教堂也好，亚美尼亚人的礼拜堂也好，以及在玛勒巴山上的有两个多角宝塔的美丽的寺院也好，这一切，福克先生连一眼也不想看。他既不去欣赏象山的名胜，也不去访问那些深藏在盂买湾东南的神秘地窖；就连萨尔赛特岛上的冈艾里石窟这种巧夺天工的佛教建筑遗迹，他也不屑于去瞧一眼。

好了！没别的事了。福克先生走出了领事馆，就不慌不忙地走回车站。他打算在车站上吃晚饭。饭店老板在所有的菜中特别向他推荐了当地特产炒兔子肉，说这个菜的味道最美。

福克先生接受了他的推荐，要了一盘兔子肉，仔细地品尝了一番。虽然兔肉里加了五香佐料，可是福克先生还是觉得有一股令人作呕的怪味。

福克把饭店老板叫来了。

“掌柜的，这就是兔子肉？”他望着饭店老板问道。

“是啊，老爷。”这家伙厚着脸皮回答说，“灌木林里的兔子。”

“你们宰兔子的时候，听见它喵—喵—叫没有？”

“喵—喵—叫！天晓得，我的老爷，这是兔子肉呀！我敢给您起誓……”

“别起誓啦！掌柜的，”福克冷冷地说，“您还记得吗？从前猫在印度是神圣的动物，那年头真是它们的黄金时代。”

“猫的黄金时代？”

“也可以说是旅客的黄金时代。”

福克先生说完了这句话，就继续静静地吃自己的晚饭。

就在福克先生下船以后不大一会儿，侦探费克斯也下了船。他一下船就跑去找孟买警察局长。他向局长说明了自己的身分和他的任务以及目前他盯着的这个嫌疑犯的情况，然后又问局长是否接到了伦敦寄来的拘票？局长说，他什么也没收到。实际上，在福克动身以后才发出的拘票。也不会这么快就到孟买。

费克斯这一下给弄得非常尴尬。他希望孟买警察局能给他签一张拘捕福克的拘票，局长拒绝了。因为这是英国首都警察厅的职权，只有首都警察厅才有权签发拘票。这种严格遵守原则和法律的精神充分说明了当时英国人的一种风气：凡是涉及个人自由的问题决不允许有任何武断。

费克斯没有坚持自己的要求。他知道现在没有别的办法，只好耐心等待拘票，他决定在

这个不可捉摸的家伙停留在孟买的时候，一刻也不放松他。费克斯相信福克会留在孟买的。我们知道，路路通也是这样想的。这样，就有时间等待伦敦寄来的拘票。

但是，路路通在离开蒙古号的时候一听到他主人的吩咐就完全明白了：这回到孟买又和到巴黎和苏伊士的时候一样，并不是就此结束，起码得一直走到加尔各答，说不定还要远些。他开始寻思：莫非福克先生打赌是真有其事；莫非真的自己的命运注定了不能如愿地吃口安稳饭而偏偏要叫自己去作这个八十天环绕地球的旅行？

路路通买好了几件衬衣、几双袜子之后，看看时候还早，就在盂买大街上溜达起来。大街上熙熙攘攘尽是人。其中有不同国籍的欧洲人，戴尖帽子的波斯人、用布带缠头的本雅斯人、戴方帽子的信德人、穿长袍子的亚美尼亚人、戴黑色高帽子的帕西人。原来这天正是帕西人（或叫盖伯人）的节日，他们这一族是信奉拜火教民族的后裔，在印度人当中，数他们技艺最巧、文化最高、头脑最聪明、作风最严肃。如今孟买当地的富商都是这一族人。这一天，他们正在庆祝祭神节，有游行，还有文娱活动，跳舞的姑娘披着用金丝银线绣花的玫瑰色的纱丽，合着三弦琴和铜锣的拍子舞得婀娜多姿，而且端庄合仪。

路路通一看到这种新奇的宗教仪式，不用说会睁大眼睛，竖起耳朵，把舞蹈看个饱，把音乐听个够；他的表情和他那副尊容也不用说会象人们可能想象出的那种最没见过世面的傻瓜。

不幸的是路路通这种好奇心竟然失去了分寸，险些儿破坏了他主人这次旅行的计划。

事实是这样的：路路通一路上看完了这场帕西人的节日仪式，就向车站走去。可是当他路过玛勒巴山，看见那座美丽的寺院的时候，他忽然心血来潮，想到里面去看看稀罕。

但是有两件事他全不知道：第一，某些印度神庙有明文规定禁止基督徒入内；其次，即便是信徒进庙，也必须先把鞋子脱在门外。这儿应该说明：英国政府为了政策上的需要，很尊重并保护印度的宗教，不论何人即便是对本地宗教稍微有一点亵渎，也会受到严厉的处分。

路路通一点也没想到会闯下大祸，就象平平常常的游客一样走进了玛勒巴山的寺院里，他正在欣赏那金碧辉煌光彩夺目的印度教的装饰，突然被人推倒在神殿里的石板地上了。原来是三个僧侣怒气冲冲，扑了过来，扒下了他的鞋袜，给他一顿老拳还夹杂着一阵臭骂。

这个又结实又灵活的法国小伙子豁地翻过身来，左一拳，右一脚，三个敌手就被他打翻了两个，趁这两个僧侣被长道袍绊住不能动弹的时候，他拔腿就跑，三脚两步冲出了庙门，转眼之间，已经把那个跟踪追来的第三个僧侣和他带的一大帮人撇在老远老远的后边了。

现在离八点钟只有五分钟了，火车眼看就要开走，路路通光着头，赤着脚逃到车站，连方才买的一包东西，也在打架的时候丢了。

费克斯也在那个月台上。他暗中跟着福克来到车站，现在他知道了这个坏蛋福克就要离开孟买。他马上决定跟着走，去加尔各答，即使再远些，他也得盯着他。路路通没有看见费克斯，因为他藏在阴暗的地方。而费克斯却听见了路路通对他主人简单地叙述着自己的遭遇。

“我希望你别再碰到这种事了。”福克简单地说了这么一句，就走进了车厢。

这倒霉的小伙子，光着脚，狼狈不堪地跟主人上了车，连一句话也没说。

费克斯正要上另一节车厢的当儿，忽然灵机一动，便马上改变了主意，决定不走了！

“不，我得留下，”他自言自语地说，“既然他在印度境内犯了罪……我就能抓人。”

火车随着一声惊人的汽笛声，在深沉的夜色里消失了。