AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS(环游世界80天)-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


As　for　Passepartout；　he；　too；　had　escaped　seasickness；　and　took　his　meals　conscientiously　in　the　forward　cabin。　He　rather　enjoyed　the　voyage；　for　he　was　well　fed　and　well　lodged；　took　a　great　interest　in　the　scenes　through　which　they　were　passing；　and　consoled　himself　with　the　delusion　that　his　master's　whim　would　end　at　Bombay。　He　was　pleased；　on　the　day　after　leaving　Suez；　to　find　on　deck　the　obliging　person　with　whom　he　had　walked　and　chatted　on　the　quays。　
‘If　I　am　not　mistaken；'　said　he；　approaching　this　person　with　his　most　amiable　smile；　‘you　are　the　gentleman　who　so　kindly　volunteered　to　guide　me　at　Suez？'　
‘Ah！　I　quite　recognize　you。　You　are　the　servant　of　the　strange　Englishman……'　
‘Just　so；　Monsieur……'　
‘Fix。'　
‘Monsieur　Fix；'　resumed　Passepartout；　‘I'm　charmed　to　find　you　on　board。　Where　are　you　bound？'　
‘Like　you；　to　Bombay。'　
‘That's　capital！　Have　you　made　this　trip　before？'　
‘Several　times。　I　am　one　of　the　agents　of　the　Peninsula　Company。'　
‘Then　you　know　India？'　
‘Why　…　yes；'　replied　Fix；　who　spoke　cautiously。　
‘A　curious　place；　this　India？'　
‘Oh；　very　curious。　Mosques；　minarets；　temples；　fakirs；　pagodas；　tigers；　snakes；　elephants！　I　hope　you　will　have　ample　time　to　see　the　sights。'　
‘I　hope　so；　Monsieur　Fix。　You　see；　a　man　of　sound　sense　ought　not　to　spend　his　life　jumping　from　a　steamer　upon　a　railway　train；　and　from　a　railway　train　upon　a　steamer　again；　pretending　to　make　the　tour　of　the　world　in　eighty　days！　No；　all　these　gymnastics；　you　may　be　sure；　will　cease　at　Bombay。'　
‘And　Mr　Fogg　is　getting　on　well？'　asked　Fix；　in　the　most　natural　tone　in　the　world。　
‘Quite　well；　and　I　too。　I　eat　like　a　famished　ogre；　it；　the　sea　air。'　
‘But　I　never　see　your　master　on　deck。'　
‘Never；　he　hasn't　the　least　curiosity。'　
‘Do　you　know；　Mr　Passepartout；　that　this　pretended　tour　in　eighty　days　may　conceal　some　secret　errand　…　perhaps　a　diplomatic　mission？'　
‘Faith；　Monsieur　Fix；　I　assure　you　I　know　nothing　about　it；　nor　would　I　give　half…a…crown　to　find　out。'　
After　this　meeting；　Passepartout　and　Fix　got　into　the　habit　of　chatting　together；　the　latter　making　it　a　point　to　gain　the　worthy　man's　confidence。　He　frequently　offered　him　a　glass　of　whisky　or　pale　ale　in　the　steamer　bar…　room；　which　Passepartout　never　failed　to　acomept　with　graceful　alacrity；　mentally　pronouncing　Fix　the　best　of　good　fellows。　
Meanwhile　the　‘Mongolia'　was　pushing　forward　rapidly；　on　the　13th；　Mocha；　surrounded　by　its　ruined　walls　whereon　date…trees　were　growing；　was　sighted；　and　on　the　mountains　beyond　were　espied　vast　coffee…fields。　Passepartout　was　ravished　to　behold　this　celebrated　place；　and　thought　that；　with　its　circular　walls　and　dismantled　fort；　it　looked　like　an　immense　coffee　cup　and　saucer。　The　following　night　they　passed　through　the　Strait　of　Bab…el…Mandeb；　which　means　in　Arabic　‘The　Bridge　of　Tears'；　and　the　next　day　they　put　in　at　Steamer　Point；　north…west　of　Aden　harbour；　to　take　in　coal。　This　matter　of　fuelling　steamers　is　a　serious　one　at　such　distances　from　the　coal　mines；　it　costs　the　Peninsular　Company　some　eight　hundred　thousand　pounds　a　year。　In　these　distant　seas；　coal　is　worth　three　or　four　pounds　sterling　a　ton。　
The　‘Mongolia'　had　still　sixteen　hundred　and　fifty　miles　to　traverse　before　reaching　Bombay；　and　was　obliged　to　remain　four　hours　at　Steamer　Point　to　coal　up。　But　this　delay；　as　it　was　foreseen；　did　not　affect　Phileas　Fogg's　programme；　besides；　the　‘Mongolia'；　instead　of　reaching　Aden　on　the　morning　of　the　15th；　when　she　was　due；　arrived　there　on　the　evening　of　the　14th；　a　gain　of　fifteen　hours。　
Mr　Fogg　and　his　servant　went　ashore　at　Aden　to　have　the　passport　again　visaed；　Fix；　unobserved；　followed　them。　The　visa　procured；　Mr　Fogg　returned　on　board　to　resume　his　former　habits；　while　Passepartout；　acomording　to　custom；　sauntered　about　among　the　mixed　population　of　Somalis；　Banyans；　Parsees；　Jews；　Arabs　and　Europeans　who　comprise　the　twenty…five　thousand　inhabitants　of　Aden。　He　gazed　with　wonder　upon　the　fortifications　which　make　this　place　the　Gibraltar　of　the　Indian　Ocean；　and　the　vast　cisterns　where　the　English　engineers　were　still　at　work；　two　thousand　years　after　the　engineers　of　Solomon。　
‘Very　curious；　very　curious；'　said　Passepartout　to　himself；　on　returning　to　the　steamer。　‘I　see　that　it　is　by　no　means　useless　to　travel；　if　a　man　wants　to　see　something　new。'　At　six　p。m。　the　‘Mongolia'　slowly　moved　out　of　the　roadstead；　and　was　soon　once　more　on　the　Indian　Ocean。　She　had　a　hundred　and　sixty…eight　hours　in　which　to　reach　Bombay；　and　the　sea　was　favourable；　the　wind　being　in　the　north…west；　and　all　sails　aiding　the　engine。　The　steamer　rolled　but　little；　the　ladies；　in　fresh　toilets；　reappeared　on　deck；　and　the　singing　and　dancing　were　resumed。　The　trip　was　being　acomomplished　most　sucomessfully；　and　Passepartout　was　enchanted　with　the　congenial　companion　which　chance　had　secured　him　in　the　person　of　the　delightful　Fix。　On　Sunday；　October　20th；　towards　noon；　they　came　in　sight　of　the　Indian　coast：　two　hour　later　pilot　came　on　board。　A　range　of　hills　lay　against　the　sky　in　the　horizon；　and　soon　the　rows　of　palms　which　adorn　Bombay　came　distinctly　into　view。　The　steamer　entered　the　road　formed　by　the　islands　in　the　bay；　and　at　half…past　four　she　hauled　up　at　the　quays　of　Bombay。　
Phileas　Fogg　was　in　the　act　of　finishing　the　thirty…third　rubber　of　the　voyage；　and　his　partner　and　himself　having；　by　a　bold　stroke；　captured　all　thirteen　of　the　tricks；　concluded　this　fine　campaign　with　a　brilliant　victory。　
The　‘Mongolia'　was　due　at　Bombay　on　the　22nd；　she　arrived　on　the　20th。　This　was　a　gain　to　Phileas　Fogg　of　two　days　since　his　departure　from　London；　and　he　calmly　entered　the　fact　in　the　itinerary；　in　the　column　of　gains。　

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
CHAPTER　X
IN　WHICH　PASSEPARTOUT　IS　ONLY　TOO　GLAD　TO　GET　OFF　WITH　THE　LOSS　OF　HIS　SHOES。
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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　acomordingly　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？'　
‘Pe