Chapter 3: Through India

The steamship sailed across the Arabian Sea toward India. Fogg spent his days playing cards and reading. Passepartout was delighted by the warm weather. Detective Fix watched them both from a distance. He still believed that Fogg was the bank robber. On October 20th, the ship arrived at Bombay, a major city in India. Fogg noted in his journal that they had gained two days. This was good news for their tight schedule. They would take a train across India to Calcutta. From Calcutta, they would sail to Hong Kong. Passepartout wanted to explore Bombay and see the temples. 'We have only three hours before the train leaves,' Fogg reminded him. Passepartout rushed off to see as much as possible. He visited a beautiful Hindu temple. But he did not know that shoes were forbidden inside. The priests were very angry when they saw his shoes. They knocked him to the ground and took his shoes away. Passepartout had to run back to the train station barefoot. He arrived just in time to catch the train. 'What happened to your shoes?' asked Fogg calmly. Passepartout explained his adventure at the temple. Fogg said nothing but gave him money to buy new shoes. The train traveled through the beautiful Indian countryside. They passed green fields, villages, and ancient ruins. Mountains rose in the distance, covered with thick forests. On the train, Fogg met a British officer named Sir Francis Cromarty. Sir Francis was traveling to join his regiment in Benares. He and Fogg played whist together during the journey. 'Are you really trying to travel around the world in eighty days?' asked Sir Francis. 'Yes,' replied Fogg. 'And what if something goes wrong?' asked the officer. 'Nothing will go wrong if one plans carefully,' said Fogg. At that moment, the train suddenly stopped. They were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest. 'Why have we stopped?' Passepartout asked the conductor. 'The railway ends here,' the conductor explained. 'The next section has not been built yet.' 'But the newspaper said the railway was complete!' exclaimed Passepartout. 'The newspaper was wrong,' said the conductor. Fogg remained calm, as always. 'We will find another way to continue our journey,' he said. The distance to the next station was fifty miles. All the passengers wondered how they would get there. Passepartout looked around for some form of transportation. He found a man with an elephant. The elephant was named Kiouni and was very strong. Fogg offered to buy the elephant from its owner. 'The elephant is not for sale,' said the owner. 'I will pay one thousand pounds,' said Fogg. 'No,' replied the owner. 'Two thousand pounds,' offered Fogg. The owner shook his head again. Fogg did not give up. He kept raising his offer higher and higher. Finally, at two thousand pounds, the owner agreed. Fogg also hired a guide named Parsee to lead them through the jungle. Sir Francis decided to join them on this unusual journey. They all climbed onto the elephant's back. The elephant moved steadily through the thick forest. Passepartout bounced up and down with each step. He held on tightly and tried not to fall off. The jungle was full of strange sounds and exotic animals. Monkeys swung through the trees above them. Colorful birds flew in every direction. Fogg, as usual, showed no interest in the scenery. He sat quietly, thinking about his schedule. They traveled all day and stopped only to rest and eat. At night, they made camp in a clearing in the forest. The guide said they would reach the railway station the next day. But soon they would encounter something unexpected on their path.

Chapter Summary

Comprehension Questions

Why couldn't the travelers continue by train through India?

How did Fogg and his companions travel through the jungle?

How many days had Fogg gained by the time they arrived in Bombay?

Who guided Fogg through the Indian jungle?

Vocabulary

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