Around The World In 80 Days Chapter 5

First published in 1872, Around the World in 80 Days stands as one of Jules Verne’s most celebrated adventure novels. It tells the tale of Phileas Fogg, a wealthy, meticulous, and mysterious English gentleman who makes a daring wager: he will travel around the globe in only 80 days—a challenge thought nearly impossible in his era. With his devoted French valet, Passepartout, at his side, Fogg departs from London on a whirlwind expedition by train, steamer, and even elephant, confronting storms, delays, and unexpected trials as he races against the relentless march of time.

Transcript

Chapter 5, In which a new species of Fonz, Unknown to the Manitmen, Appears on change. Filias Falk rightly suspected that his departure from London would create a lively sensation at the West End. The news of the bed spread through the Reform Club, And afforded an exciting topic of conversation to its members. From the club it soon got into the papers throughout England. The boasted tour of the world was talked about, Disputed, Argued with as much warmth as if the subject were another Alabama claim. Some took sides with Filias Falk, But the large majority shook their heads, And declared against him. It was absurd, Impossible. They declared that the tour of the world could be made, Except, Theoretically and on paper, In this minimum of time, And with the existing means of travelling. The Times, Standard, Morning Post and Daily News, And twenty other highly respectable newspapers touted Mr. Falk's project as madness. The Daily Telegraph, Alone hesitantly, Supported him. People in general told him a lunatic, And blamed his Reform Club friends for having accepted the major, Which portrayed an aberration of its proposer. Articles no less passionate than logical appeared on the question, For geography is one of the pet subjects of the English, And the columns devoted to Filias Falk's venture were eagerly by all classes of readers. At first, Some radish individuals, Principally of gentler sex, Espoused his cause, Which became still more popular when the Illustrated London News came out with his portrait, Copied from a photograph in the Reform Club. A few readers of the Daily Telegraph even dared to say, Why not, After all, Stranger things have come to pass. At last, A long article appeared on the 7th of October, In the Bulletin of the Royal Geographical Society, Which treated the question from every point of view, And demonstrated the utter folly of the enterprise. Everything it said was against the travellers, Every obstacle imposed alike by man, And by nature, A miraculous agreement of the times of departure and arrival, Which was impossible, Was absolutely necessary, To his success. He might, Perhaps, Reckon on the arrival of trains, At the designated hours, In Europe, Where the distances were relatively moderate, But when he calculated upon crossing India, In three days, And the United States, In seven, Could he really beyond misgiving, Upon accomplishing his task? There were accidents, Too, In machinery, The liability of trains to run off the line, Collisions, Bad weather, The blocking up by snow, Were not all these against Filias Falk? Would he not find himself, When travelling by streamer, In winter, At the mercy of the winds and fogs? Is it uncommon for the best ocean steamers to be two or three days behind time, But a single delay would suffice to fatally break the chain of communication? Should Filias Falk once miss, Even by an hour, A steamer, He would have to wait for the next, And that would irrevocably render his attempt vain. This article made a great deal of noise, And being copied into all the papers, Seriously depressed the advocates of the rushed tourist. Everybody knows that England is the world of betting men, Who are of a higher class than mere gamblers. To bet is in the English temperament. Not only the members of the reform, But the general public, Made heavy wagers for or against Filias Falk, Who was set down in the betting books as if he were a racehorse. Bonds were issued, And made the appearance unchanged. Filias Falk bonds they offered at pair, At par or at the premium, And a great business was done in them. But five days after the article in the bulletin of the Geographical Society appeared, The demand began to subside. Filias Falk declined. They were offered by packages, At first of five, Then of ten, Until at last nobody would take less than twenty, Fifty, A hundred. Lord Albemarle, An elderly, Paralytic gentleman, Was now the only advocate of Filias Falk left. This noble lord, Who was fastened to his chair, Would have given his fortune to be able to make the tour of the world. If it took ten years, And he bet five thousand pounds on Filias Falk, When the folly as well as the uselessness of the adventure was pointed out to him, He contended himself with replying, If the thing is feasible, The first to do it ought to be an Englishman. The Falk party dwindled more and more, Everybody was going against him, And the bet stood a hundred and fifty, And two hundred to one, And a week after his departure, An incident occurred which deprived him of acres at any price. The commissioner of police was sitting in his office at nine o'clock one evening, And the following telegraphic dispatch was put into his hands. The Zeus de London, Rowan, Commissioner of police, Scotland Yard, And found the bank robber, Filias Falk, Sent without delay warrant of arrest to Bombay. Fix, Detective. The effect of this dispatch was instantaneous. The poised gentleman disappeared to give place to the bank robber. His photograph, Which was hung with toes of the rest of the members, At the reform club, Was minutely examined, And it portrayed feature by feature the description of the robber which had been provided to the police. The mysterious habits of Filias Falk were recalled in solitary ways. His sudden departure, And it seemed clear that, In undertaking a tour around the world on the pretext of a wager, He had had no other end in view than to elude detectives and throw them off his track.