Chapter 1
On 2 October 1872, Phileas Fogg bet his life savings that he could travel around the world in 80 days.
Mr. Fogg, an English gentleman, lived at No.7 Saville Row in London, but not much else was known about him. He never went to the business and social places where important Londoners gathered. Nor did he hold a regular job. He seemed to be quite rich, but nobody knew where all his money came from. He spent most of his time at the Reform Club, reading in the library there and playing whist, a popular English card game. Otherwise, he kept mostly to himself.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Phileas Fogg was that his life centred upon the clock. His own clock told not only the hour, minute and second, but also the month and year. Fogg was never early and never late, and his activities followed the same pattern day after day.
For example, at exactly 11:30 every morning, Phileas Fogg went to the Reform Club. He ate lunch and dinner there each day at exactly the same time, in the same room, at the same table, and always alone. At exactly midnight, he returned home and went straight to bed.
Phileas Fogg had no wife, children, relatives or close friends. He shared his large house with servant, but had just fired him for bringing shaving water that was two degrees too cold. Now he was awaiting a new man to replace the other servant. There was a knock at the door, and a young man entered.
“You come from France and your name is John; is that right?” Fogg greeted him.
“Please call me Jean. My last name is Passepartout—a name I picked up by moving from one job to another. I have worked as a singer, a circus performer, a gym teacher and a fireman. Then, five years ago, I left France to become a household servant here in England. That job ended badly, but I hope now to settle down here with you and forget the name Passepartout.”
“Good! What time is it?”
“My watch says 11:25.”
“Oh,” sighed Phileas Fogg, “you’re four minutes slow! But never mind! Starting right now, at 11:29 on Wednesday, October 2, you are in my service.”
Passepartout had been watching Phileas Fogg carefully during their short talk, and he liked what he saw. Fogg was a tall, good-looking man about 40 years old, with light hair and a moustache, pale skin, and beautiful teeth. He spoke and moved slowly and with perfect control of his words and actions.
As for Passepartout, he wasn’t at all bad looking, although his lips were a bit too large and his hair messy. His muscles were very well developed from his days in the circus and the gym. The greatest difference between Fogg and Passepartout, however, lay in their personalities—the master was quiet and withdrawn, while the servant was lively and talkative.
Would Passepartout be able to adjust to Fogg’s orderly and regular way of life? He had not fared too well in other English households. His most recent job had ended quickly when he scolded his master, young Lord Longferry, for coming home drunk. He certainly didn’t expect any such behaviour from Phileas Fogg.
As soon as Mr. Fogg left for the Reform Club, Passepartout began looking around the house. How neat and clean everything was! The master’s clothes and shoes even had numbers showing what time of the year they were to be worn.
Passepartout walked from Fogg’s bedroom to the room that he guessed would be his own. The large clock he saw there was timed to the second with that in Phileas Fogg’s room. On the wall above the clock was a list of things for the servant to do.
Passepartout learnt from reading the list that Fogg awoke at exactly 8:00 each morning and left at exactly 11:30 for the Reform Club. Passepartout’s duties would include serving his master tea and toast at 8:23, bringing his shaving water at 9:37, and helping him get dressed starting at 9:40. There would be many other chores to attend to between 11:30,when Fogg left the house, and midnight, when he went to bed.
Passepartout began to think of Phileas Fogg as some kind of machine, but he continued to look forward to his new job as a welcome change from the past.
At exactly 11:30, Phileas Fogg set out for his daily walk to the Reform Club. His regular table was set for lunch. He finished eating at exactly 13 minutes before 1:00 and went into the library. It took him until 3:45 to read the Times and until dinnertime to finish the Standard. He finished dinner at 5:40. Half an hour ater, his whist partners arrived—Andrew Stuart, an engineer; John Sullivan and Samuel Fallentin, bankers; Thomas Flanagan, a beer brewer; and Gautier Ralph, a director of the Bank of England.
A robbery had just occurred at the bank. The thief had escaped with 55,000 pounds. According to a witness, the robber was dressed like an English gentleman. The witness described him to the police, and detectives were sent all over England and to English territories overseas to catch him. A reward of 2,000 pounds had been offered for his capture.
“The robber will surely get away,” said Stuart, “The world is certainly big enough to hide him.”
“It was once,” said Phileas Fogg, who rarely spoke during whist games. He put down his cards and declared, “Gentlemen, it is now possible to go around the world in 80 days! From London to Suez by railroad and steamboat would take 7 days; from Suez to Bombay, India, by rail, 13 days; from Bombay to Calcutta by rail, 3 days; from Calcutta to Hong Kong by steamer, 13 days; from Hong Kong to Yokohama, Japan, by steamer, 6 days; from Japan to California by steamer, 22 days; from New York back to London by steamer and rail, 9 days. Altogether, that makes 80 days!”
“That may be so,” said Stuart, “but you might have bad weather, a railroad accident, a shipwreck, or an Indian attack.”
“Even so, the trip could be made in 80 days. Shall we try it, Mr. Stuart?”
“No, not me! But I’ll bet 4,000 pounds that it can’t be done.”
“I have 20,000 pounds in the bank, and I’ll bet it all!” Fogg declared. “I can leave tonight. I’ll take the train for Dover at 8:45, Today is Wednesday, October 2. I’ll be back in this very room on Saturday, December 21, at 8:45. Otherwise, all my money is yours!”
Phileas Fogg wrote out a cheque for 20,000 pounds. This was half his fortune. He would need the other half for travel expenses.
It was 7:00 by then, and Fogg’s whist partners offered to put the cards away, so Mr. Fogg could get ready for his trip.
“I’m ready right now,” Fogg replied. “Please deal the cards, gentlemen!”
