Chapter 18 Chapter XVIII. Phileas Fogg, Passepartout, and Fix each busy with their own business.

During the last days of this voyage the weather was rather bad.The wind is getting stronger and stronger, and the northwest wind has been blowing, hindering the progress of the Rangoon.The ship was very unstable and pitched very badly.It is no wonder that the passengers on board complained a lot about the annoying waves created by the sea wind. From November 3rd to 4th there was a storm at sea.The wind whipped the waves violently.At this time, the Rangoon had no choice but to furl its sails, and the hull slanted against the waves to advance.For half a day, the speed of the propeller could only maintain ten revolutions.Although the sails of the ship have been retracted, the sea storm is still blowing the other ships, making a sharp whistling.

The speed of the Yangon has obviously been greatly reduced.Depending on the situation, the arrival time in Hong Kong will be 20 hours behind the scheduled time, or even more than 20 hours if the storm does not stop. Phileas Fogg faced the turbulent sea that seemed to be against him, and he still did not change his face, nor did he even frown.However, if he arrives in Hong Kong twenty hours late, he will miss the passenger ship bound for Yokohama, which will ruin his travel plan, but this man is like a piece of wood, and he is not at all impatient or troubled.It seemed that he had anticipated this storm long ago when he was making his travel plans.Lady Aouda found him perfectly at peace as usual when she talked to him about the bad weather.

But Fix had a completely different view of this storm.He, on the contrary, took great pleasure in this bad weather, and if the Rangoon had to take shelter somewhere ashore in a hurricane, he would find it the greatest pleasure.Any delay would be to his advantage, since it would keep Fogg from staying in Hong Kong for a few more days.Finally, God has done a good deed and brought a huge wind and waves to help him.Although Fix is ​​also a little seasick now, but what does that matter!He didn't care about vomiting. When his body felt the pain of seasickness, his spirit felt infinitely excited.

As for Passepartout, we may imagine the extent of his irrepressible rage in this annoying tempest.The trip has been smooth sailing so far!Both land and sea seemed to serve his master faithfully.Every train and ship obeys the needs of his master.Sea-breeze and steam also all work together for his master.Could it be that the hour of bad luck is finally coming?Passepartout felt as though the twenty thousand pounds at stake were to be drawn out of his own pocket, and he could bear it no longer.The storm made him angry, the wind maddened him, and he wanted to beat the insolent sea with a whip!The poor boy!Fix carefully concealed his elation from him.He was right in this, otherwise, if Passepartout saw through him, he would have been unable to bear it.

Passepartout remained on the deck of the Rangoon from the beginning to the end of the storm, and he could not sit for a moment in the cabin; he climbed to the top of the mast, to the amazement of the crew, with the dexterity of a living creature. Monkeys, they step in to help with everything.He also repeatedly asked various questions to the captain, foreman and sailors.Others couldn't help laughing when they saw the young man's impatience.But Passepartout must ask how long the storm will last.Someone told him to look at the barometer, but the mercury column on the barometer didn't mean to rise at all.Passepartout seized the rainwatch and shook it for a while, but the mercury column remained motionless.Neither shaking nor cursing could bring this innocent barometer to its knees.

The storm finally subsided. The situation at sea improved on November 4th.The sea-breeze softened, and Passepartout's face, like the weather, began to lighten.The mainsail and smallsail could also be hoisted, and the Rangoon was again advancing at a rapid pace.However, the lost time cannot be regained.Now something else had to be done, for the Rangoon would not see land until five o'clock in the morning on the 6th, and Phileas Fogg's itinerary indicated arriving on the 5th.And he didn't arrive until the 6th, that is, 24 hours late, and the boat to Yokohama must be late. At six o'clock, the pilot boarded the Rangoon, and he was going to board the bridge to lead the Rangoon through the channel to Hong Kong port.

Passepartout was anxious to ask this man whether the ship for Yokohama had left Hong Kong.But he didn't dare to ask. He thought it would be best to keep a little hope until Hong Kong.He told his troubles to Fix, and Fix, the old fox, wanted to reassure him that Mr. Fogg would wait for the next boat to Yokohama without any problem.But he did not expect that this sentence would make Passepartout fly into a rage. Although Passepartout was afraid to ask the pilot, Mr. Fogg, after flipping through his "Travel Guide", asked the pilot nonchalantly if he knew when there was a boat from Hong Kong to Yokohama.

"At high tide tomorrow morning," said the pilot. "Oh!" said Mr. Fogg, but there was no surprise on his face. Passepartout, who was beside him at this moment, was so delighted to embrace the pilot.But Fix was eager to strangle the man at once. "What's the name of this ship?" asked Mr. Fogg. "Carnatic," said the pilot. "Isn't this boat supposed to sail yesterday?" "Yes, sir. But there is a boiler on board that needs repairs, so it will be turned on tomorrow instead." "Thank you," said Mr. Fogg.After saying this, he paced down the living room of the Rangoon.

At this moment Passepartout hastened up, and holding the pilot's hand firmly, he said: "Pilot, you are such a nice fellow!" Needless to say, the pilot would never understand why he should have received such warm gratitude for his reply. A whistle sounded, and the pilot stepped onto the bridge.He led the Rangoon through the Hong Kong waterway crowded with wooden boats, motorboats, fishing boats and other ships. At one o'clock in the afternoon on November 6, the Yangon docked at the pier, and passengers disembarked one after another. It must be admitted that this unexpected circumstance was particularly advantageous to Mr. Fogg, for the Carnatic would have sailed away on the 5th of November had it not been for her boiler repairs.Then, passengers going to Japan will have to wait another eight days for the next boat.It is true that Mr. Fogg was twenty-four hours late, but the delay was not so serious as to affect the next stage of his travel plans.

In fact, the passenger ship crossing the Pacific from Yokohama to San Francisco is connected with the passenger ship from Hong Kong to Japan.It is impossible for the ship from Yokohama to go to San Francisco before the ship from Hong Kong arrives.Obviously, the sailing time from Yokohama will be postponed by 24 hours accordingly.But the delay of twenty-four hours did not matter much, for the loss of twenty-four hours was easily recovered during the twenty-two-day voyage across the Pacific. During the thirty-five days since Mr. Phileas Fogg's departure from London, except for these twenty-four hours, everything has been carried out according to plan.

The Carnatic will not leave until five o'clock tomorrow morning.Mr. Fogg had sixteen hours left to attend to his own affairs, namely, to find the relative for Mrs. Aouda.After getting off the boat, Mr. Fogg asked Mrs. Aouda to take his arm and walked together to a sedan chair for two people. Mr. Fogg asked the bearer if there was any good hotel.The bearer told him that there was a club hotel.They got into a sedan chair for two.Passepartout followed, and in twenty minutes they reached the Club Hotel. Mr. Fogg booked a room for Mrs. Aouda, and had all the things she needed prepared for her.Then he told Mrs. Aouda that he would go find her relative right away, and if he found her, he would leave Mrs. Aouda in Hong Kong and ask that relative to take care of her.At the same time he told Passepartout not to leave the Club Hotel until his return, lest Mrs. Aouda be left alone. Mr. Fogg had him led to the Exchange.People there will always know the distinguished Mr. Jackie, a wealthy businessman in Hong Kong. Mr. Fogg asked a broker, and it turned out that the man knew the wealthy Passi businessman.But he said that the Parsi businessman had left China for two years.He had made enough money and moved his family to Europe, probably to the Netherlands, because when he was in Hong Kong, he had been dealing with Dutch businessmen. Phileas Fogg was back at the Club Hotel.He immediately sent to tell Lady Aouda that he wished to speak to her.He told Mrs. Aouda very simply: It is understood that the distinguished Mr. Jackie no longer lives in Hong Kong, and may have moved to the Netherlands. After hearing this, Aouda was silent at first, then she touched her forehead with her hand, thought for a while, and said softly: "What do you say I should do, Mr. Fogg?" "It's very simple," said Fogg, "go to Europe." "But I'm afraid I'll hinder you..." "You will not interfere in the slightest, and you will not interfere with my travel plans with us. Passepartout!" "I am at your command, sir!" said Passepartout. "Book three cabins on the Carnatic." Passepartout immediately left the Club Hotel, very glad to continue his journey with Lady Aouda, who was very kind to her.