Chapter 8
On November 7 at 6:30 p.m., the Carnatic set sail from Hong Kong. Passepartout was on board. He had been carried by two waiters to the bed in tavern. Struggling against the effects of the opium, he dreamed of his duty to tell Phileas Fogg about the Carnatic’s new timetable. Somehow he dragged himself to the harbour and jumped upon the Carnatic just as it was ready to depart. Then he fell into a drugged sleep on the deck.
When Passepartout awoke, the ship was already 150 miles from Hong Kong. The servant recalled with horror the events in the tavern.
“At least I didn’t miss the steamer,” he said to himself, “But I must find Mr. Fogg right away and explain everything!” Fogg and Aouda were nowhere to be found.
“Can you tell me what cabin Mr. Phileas Fogg is in?” he asked a crew member.
“We have no passenger by that name.”
“You must be mistaken. He is a tall man and very quiet. A young lady named Aouda is travelling with him.”
“There is no young lady on board. Here is the passenger list. Look for yourself!”
Suddenly Passepartout realized that he hadn’t told Fogg when the ship was leaving. Mr. Fogg would surely lose his bet and might even be in jail in Hong Kong!
On November 13, the Carnatic arrived in Yokohama. Passepartout was alone in a strange land and had no money at all. By the next day, he was so hungry that he was ready to beg for food, but he was too well dressed to be a beggar. He met a man selling old clothes and exchanged his European outfit for a Japanese-style coat, a faded hat and a few pieces of silver. He spent the money at once for breakfast.
A clown carrying a large sign printed in English attracted Passepartout’s attention. The sign announced that the circus would give one last performance that day before sailing to America. Passepartout followed the clown and came to the tent of the circus manager.
“Would you like servant, sir?”
“No, I have two servants already.”
“Can’t I be of use to you in any way?”
“None at all.”
“That’s too bad, for I would really like to go to America with you.”
“Ah,” said the manager, “you are not Japanese! Why are you dressed like that?”
“I am, in fact, a Frenchman.”
“Can you make funny faces?’
“Of course.”
“A French clown would be very popular in America. Are you quite strong?”
“Yes,” answered Passepartout, “especially after I have eaten a good meal.”
“Can you sing?”
“Yes.”
“If you can sing while standing on your head, with a top spinning on your left foot and a saber balanced on your right foot, then you’re hired!”
“Yes.”
“If you can sing while standing on your head, with a top spinning on your left foot and a saber balanced on your right foot, then you’re hired!”
Passepartout joined a group of clowns called the Long Noses. They wore costumes with wings and had very long noses made of bamboo wood. They performed tricks by dancing and leaping on each others’ noses. The last and most exciting act of the circus was to be a pyramid, or tower, of clowns.
Passepartout joined a group of clowns called the Long Noses. They wore costumes with wings and had very long noses made of bamboo wood. They performed tricks by dancing and leaping on each others’ noses. The last and most exciting act of the circus was to be a pyramid, or tower, of clowns.
Suddenly, the whole pyramid collapsed!
It was Passepartout’s fault. He had lost his balance and brought the clowns above him tumbling down. Passepartout ran off the stage. Throwing himself at the feet of a man in the audience, he cried out, “My master, you’re here!”
“Is that you?” exclaimed Phileas Fogg. “Let us hurry and catch the steamer!”
Fogg, Aouda and Passepartout left the circus tent quickly. Mr. Fogg paid the manager for the damage to his act caused by Passepartout. The party boarded the steamer at 6:30, just as it was about to depart. Passepartout still wore his long nose and his clown costume, complete with wings.
Although Phileas Fogg and Aouda had missed Carnatic, they reached Japan only one day after Passepartout. As their small boat, the Tankadere, sailed into Shanghai, Captain John Bunsby signalled the steamer, which was just setting out for Japan. When he saw the Tankadere’s flag flying at halfmast and heard the boom of the little cannon, the steamer’s captain thought the little boat was in trouble and sailed over to help. Phileas Fogg paid John Bunsby his reward—plus an extra 550 pounds—and boarded the steamer with Aouda. They reached Japan on the morning of November 14.
Fogg learnt that Passepartout had arrived on the Carnatic the day before. He hoped to find his servant before the American steamer departed that very night, but Yokohama was so big that the search seemed useless.
Pure chance brought Fogg to the circus. He never would have recognized Passepartout in his clown costume standing with the others on the stage. The servant, however, saw Fogg and was so startled that he shifted his position to get a better look. This sudden movement made the whole pyramid fall down.
Passepartout decided not to tell his master yet about his conversation with Detecive Fix in the tavern in Hong Kong. He simply explained that he had not shown up because he had drunk too much liquor and smoked too much opium. Phileas Fogg forgave him and handed him some money to buy real clothes. Within an hour, the clown costume and the long nose were nothing but a bad memory.
Phileas Fogg and his party sailed from Yokohama to San Francisco, California, on the steamer General Grant. By travelling at 12 miles an hour, she could cross the Pacific Ocean in 21 days, thus arriving on December 2. This schedule would give Phileas Fogg time to reach New York by December 20. He was not due back at the Reform Club until December 21.
Aouda felt worried that something still might upset the timetable. Passepartout, however explained that the strange countries of China and Japan were behind them and that nothing could go wrong in an advanced country like America.
Aouda was beginning to fall in love with Phileas Fogg. Besides being thankful to him for saving her life, she found him worthy and generous. Fogg, however, remained cold and silent, and no one, including Aouda, could guess his inner thoughts.
Nine days after leaving Yokohama, Phileas Fogg had travelled across exactly one–half of the earth. November 23 found the General Grant 180 degrees across the globe from London. Fogg had used up more than half of the 80 days, however, because it wasn’t possible to make the whole journey in a straight line around the globe. Such a trip would have been about 12,000 miles. In fact, Fogg had already used up 52 days and travelled 17,500 miles in a journey totalling about 26,000 miles. Thus, he had completed more than two- thirds of his trip and had 28 days left.
Best of all, Fix was no longer around to cause trouble—or so Mr. Fogg thought.
On November 23, Passepartout noticed that his watch, which he had refused to reset according to Fix’s advice, showed the exact same time as shown by the clock of the ship. Passepartout didn’t know it, but, in fact, there was a 12 hour time difference; he was exactly halfway across the world from London. The servant’s watch now said 9:00 in the evening, but in London it was 9:00 in the morning!
Detective Fix was at that moment aboard the General Grant! He had gone to the English consul in Yokohama and finally received the arrest warrant for Phileas Fogg. The warrant had actually been sent aboard the steamer Carnatic. However, since Fogg had already left English territory, the warrant would be no good until he returned to England! Therefore, the detective had no choice but to follow the ‘robber’ the rest of the way around the world.
“It seems like rascal really does plan to go around the world to throw the police off his track,” Fix said to himself, “The problem is that Fogg has spent so much money already that there might not be anything left for my reward when I arrest him.”
Fix recognized Passepartout, even though he wore a clown costume, when he and Aouda boarded the General Grant. The detective wanted to hide, but that very day he ran into the servant on deck. Passepartout grabbed him by the throat and knocked him sprawling on the floor.
Fix recognized Passepartout, even though he wore a clown costume, when he and Aouda boarded the General Grant. The detective wanted to hide, but that very day he ran into the servant on deck. Passepartout grabbed him by the throat and knocked him sprawling on the floor.
“Are you finished?” asked Fix.
“For now, yes.”
“Then let me have a word with you.”
“But…”
“In your master’s interests.”
Passepartout reluctantly followed Fix.
“You knocked me down with your fists, and I deserved it,” said the detective, “Now, listen to me! Up to now, I have been Phileas Fogg’s enemy, but now I’m ready to help him.”
“So you believe that he’s an honest man like I said?”
“No, I think he’s a rascal,” answered Fix, “But you won’t find out until we return to England whether you’re working for a thief or a pure gentleman. Up to now I tried to keep Mr. Fogg on English soil in order to arrest him. That’s why I sent the Bombay Priests after you, got you drunk in Hong Kong, separated you from your master, and made Fogg miss the Yokohama steamer.”
Passepartout listened quietly but kept his fists clenched.
“Now Fogg seems to be returning to England,” continued Fix, “I want to see him get there as quickly as possible. This is in your interest too.”
“Very well,” answered Passepartout, “but I’ll break your neck if you do anything else to delay or hurt my master.”
On December 3, the General Grant sailed into San Francisco harbour. Phileas Fogg had reached America exactly on schedule!
