The `Carnatic', setting sail from Hong Kong at half-past six on the 7th November, directed her course at full steam towards Japan. She carried a large cargo1 and a well-filled cabin of passengers. Two state-rooms in the rear were, however, unoccupied, - those which had been engaged by Phileas Fogg.
The next day a passenger with a half-stupefied eye, staggering gait, and disordered hair, was seen to emerge from the second cabin, and to totter2 to a seat on deck.
It was Passepartout; and what had happened to him was as follows: - Shortly after Fix left the opium3 den4, two waiters had lifted the unconscious Passepartout, and had carried him to the bed reserved for the smokers5. Three hours later, pursued even in his dreams by a fixed6 idea, the poor fellow awoke, and struggled against the stupefying influence of the narcotic7. The thought of a duty unfulfilled shook off his torpor8, and he hurried from the abode9 of drunkenness. Staggering and holding himself up by keeping against the walls, falling down and creeping up again, and irresistibly10 impelled11 by a kind of instinct, he kept crying out, `The "Carnatic"! the "Carnatic"!'
The steamer lay puffing12 alongside the quay13, on the point of starting. Passepartout had but few steps to go; and, rushing upon the plank14, he crossed it, and fell unconscious on the deck, just as the `Carnatic' was moving off. Several sailors, who were evidently accustomed to this sort of scene, carried the poor Frenchman down into the second cabin, and Passepartout did not wake until they were one huong Kong and Calcutta, were mixed crowds of all races, - Americans and English, Chinamen and Dutchmen, mostly merchants ready to buy or sell anything. The Frenchman felt himself as much alone among them as if he had dropped down in the midst of Hottentots.
He had, at least, one resource, - to call on the French and English consuls15 at Yokohama for assistance. But he shrank from telling the story of his adventures, intimately connected as it was with that of his mas??ò÷àe steamer, which is the most important thing.'
Then, as Fix occurred to him: - `As for that rascal16, I hope we are well rid of him, and that he has not dared, as he proposed, to follow us on board the `Carnatic'. A detective on the track of Mr Fogg, accused of robbing the Bank of England! Pshaw! Mr Fogg is no more a robber than I am a murderer.'
Should he divulge17 Fix's real errand to his master? Would it do to tell the part the detective was playing? Would it not be better to wait until Mr Fogg reached London again, and then impart to him that an agent of the metropolitan18 police had been following him round the world, and have a good laugh over it? No doubt; at least, it was worth considering. The first thing to do was to find Mr Fogg, and apologize for his singular behaviour.
Passepartout got up and proceeded, as well as he could with the rolling of the steamer, to the after-deck. He saw no one who resembled either his master or Aouda. `Good!' muttered he; `Aouda has not got up yet, and Mr Fogg has probably found some partners at whist.'
He descended19 to the saloon. Mr Fogg was not there. Passepartout had only, however, to ask the purser the number of his master's state-room. The purser replied that he did not know any passenger by the name of Fogg.
`I beg your pardon,' said Passepartout persistently20. `He is a tall gentleman, quiet and not very talkative, and has with him a young lady--'
`There is no young lady on board,' interrupted the purser. `Here is a list of the passengers; you may see for yourself.'
Passepartout scanned the list, but his master's name was not upon it. All at once an idea struck him.
`Ah! am I on the "Carnatic"?'
`Yes.'
`On the way to Yokohama?'
`Certainly.'
Passepartout had for an instant feared that he was on the wrong boat; but, though he was really on the `Carnatic', his master was not there.
He fell thunderstruck on a seat. He saw it all now. He remembered that the time of sailing had been changed, that he should have informed his master of that fact, and that he had not done so. It was his fault, then, that Mr Fogg and Aouda had missed the steamer. Yes, but it was still more the fault of the traitor21 who, in order to separate him from his master, and detain the latter at Hong Kong, had inveigled22 him into getting drunk! He now saw the detective's trick; and at this moment Mr Fogg was certainly ruined, his bet was lost, and he himself perhaps arrested and imprisoned23! At this thought Passepartout tore his hair. Ah, if Fix ever came within his reach, what a settling of accounts there would be!
After his first depression, Passepartout became calmer, and began to study hiituation. It was certainly not an enviable one. He found himself on the way to Japan, and what should he do when he got there? His pocket was empty; he had not a solitary24 shilling - not so much as a penny. His passage had fortunately been paid for in advance; he had five or six days in which to decide upon his future course. He fell to at meals with an appetite, and ate for Mr Fogg, Aouda and himself. He helped himself as generously as if Japan were a desert, where nothing to eat was to be looked for.
At dawn on the 13th the `Carnatic' entered the port of Yokohama. This is an important way-station in the Pacific, where all the mail-steamers, and those carrying travellers between North America, China, Japan, and the Oriental islands, put in. It is situated25 in the bay of Yeddo, and at but a short distance from that second capital of the Japanese Empire, and the residence of the Tycoon26, the civil Emperor, before the Mikado, the spiritual Emperor, absorbed his office in his own. The `Carnatic' anchored at the quay near the custom-house, in the midst of a crowd of ships bearing the flags of all nations.
Passepartout went timidly ashore27 on this so curious territory of the Sons of the Sun. He had nothing better to do than, taking chance for his guide, to wander aimlessly through the streets of Yokohama. He found himself at first in a thoroughly28 European quarter, the houses having low fronts, and being adorned29 with verandas30, beneath which he caught glimpses of neat peristyles. This quarter occupied, with its streets, squares, docks and warehouses31, all the space between the `promontory of the Treaty' and the river. Here, as at Hong Kong and Calcutta, were mixed crowds of all races, - Americans and English, Chinamen and Dutchmen, mostly merchants ready to buy or sell anything. The Frenchman felt himself as much alone among them as if he had dropped down in the midst of Hottentots.
He had, at least, one resource, - to call on the French and English consuls at Yokohama for assistance. But he shrank from telling the story of his adventures, intimately connected as it was with that of his master: and, before doing so, he determined32 to exhaust all other means of aid. As chance did not favour him in the European quarter, he penetrated33 that inhabited by the native Japanese, determined, if necessary, to push on to Yeddo.
The Japanese quarter of Yokohama is called Benten, after the goddess of the sea, who is worshipped on the islands round about. There Passepartout beheld34 beautiful fir and cedar35 groves36, sacred gates of a singular architecture, bridges half hid in the midst of bamboos and reeds, temples shaded by immense cedar-trees, holy retreats where were sheltered Buddhist37 priests and sectaries of Confucius, and interminable streets, where a perfect harvest of rose-tinted and red-cheeked children, who looked as if they had been cut out of Japanese screens, and who were playing in the midst of short-legged poodles and yellowish cats, might have been gathered.
The streets were crowded with people. Priests were passing in processions, beating their dreary38 tambourines39; police and custom-house officers with pointed40 hats encrusted with lac, and carrying two sabres hung to their waists; soldiers, clad in blue cotton with white stripes, and bearing guns; the Mikado's guards, enveloped41 in silken doublets, hauberks, and coats of mail; and numbers of military folk of all ranks - for the military profession is as much respected in Japan as it is despised in China - went hither and thither42 in groups and pairs. Passepartout saw, too, begging friars, long-robed pilgrims, and simple civilians43, with their warped44 and jet-black hair, big heads, long busts45, slender legs, short stature46, and complexions47 varying from copper-colour to a dead white, but never yellow, like the Chinese, from whom the Japanese widely differ. He did not fail to observe the curious equipages, - carriages and palanquins, barrows supplied with sails, and litters made of bamboo; nor the women, - whom he thought not especially handsome, - who took little steps with their little feet, whereon they wore canvas shoes, straw sandals, and clogs48 of worked wood, and who displayed tight-looking eyes, flat chests, teeth fashionably blackened, and gowns crossed with silken scarfs, tied in an enormous knot behind, - an ornament49 which the modern Parisian ladies seem to have borrowed from the dames50 of Japan.
Passepartout wandered for several hours in the midst of this motley crowd, looking in at the windows of the rich and curious shops, the jewellery establishments glittering with quaint51 Japanese ornaments52, the restaurants decked with streamers and banners, the tea-houses, where the odorous beverage53 was being drunk with `saki', a liquor concocted54 from the fermentation of rice, and the comfortable smoking-houses, where they were puffing, not opium, which is almost unknown in Japan, but a very fine, stringy tobacco. He went on till he found himself in the fields, in the midst of vast rice plantations55. There he saw dazzling camellias expanding themselves, with flowers which were giving forth56 their last col-ours and perfumes, not on bushes, but on trees; and within bamboo enclosures, cherry, plum, and apple trees, which the Japanese cultivate rather for their blossoms than their fruit, and which queerly-fashioned grinning scarecrows protected from the sparrows, pigeons, ravens57, and other voracious58 birds. On the branches of the cedars59 were perched large eagles; amid the foliage60 of the weeping willows61 were herons, solemnly standing62 on one leg; and on every hand were crows, ducks, hawks63, wild birds, and a multitude of cranes, which the Japanese consider sacred, and which to their minds symbolize64 long life and prosperity.
As he was strolling alone, Passepartout espied65 some violets among the shrubs66.
`Good!' said he; `I'll have some supper.'
But, on smelling them, he found that they were odourless.
`No chance there,' thought he.
The worthy67 fellow had certainly taken good care to eat as hearty68 a breakfast as possible before leaving the `Carnatic', but as he had been walking about all day, the demands of hunger were becoming importunate69. He observed that the butchers' stalls contained neither mutton, goat, nor pork; and knowing also that it is a sacrilege to kill cattle, which are preserved solely70 for farming, he made up his mind that meat was far from plentiful71 in Yokohama, nor was he mistaken; and in default of butcher's meat, he could have wished for a quarter of wild boar or deer, a partridge, or some quails72, some game or fish, which, with rice, the Japanese eat almost exclusively. But he found it necessary to keep up a stout73 heart, and to postpone74 the meal he craved75 till the following morning. Night came, and Passepartout re-entered the native quarter, where he wandered through the streets, lit by vari-coloured lanterns, looking on at the dancers who were executing skilful76 steps and boundings, and the astrologers who stood in the open air with their telescopes. Then he came to the harbour, which was lit up by the rosin torches of the fishermen, who were fishing from their boats.
The streets at last became quiet, and the patrol, the officers of which, in their splendid costumes, and surrounded by their suites77, Passepartout thought seemed like ambassadors, succeeded the bustling78 crowd. Each time a company passed, Passepartout chuckled79, and said to himself: `Good! another Japanese embassy departing for Europe!'
11月7号午后六时半,卡尔纳蒂克号邮船开出了香港,直向日本迅速前进,这条船载满了货物和旅客,但后舱却空着两间房舱。那就是斐利亚·福克先生在开船之前预定的两个房间。
第二天早上,在前甲板上的旅客们非常惊讶地看见一个奇怪的旅客:他眼神似痴若呆,走路东倒西歪、头发乱得象个草鸡窝。这位旅客从二等舱的出口爬上来,就踉踉跄跄地跑过去在一根备用桅杆上坐了下来。这位旅客不是别人,正是路路通。他怎么来的呢?原来是这么回事。
当费克斯离开了那个大烟馆之后,过了一会儿,就有两个烟馆里的伙计把这个昏睡如泥的小伙子抬起来,放到那张专为烟鬼们准备的板床上了。但是又过了三个钟头,这个即使在作着恶梦也还一心一意要赶上船的路路通醒过来了。他在向鸦片烟的麻醉作用挣扎抵抗,他那由于任务没有完成而感到焦虑的心情使他从昏迷中清醒过来。他从那张睡满了醉烟鬼的床上爬起来,他虽是东倒西歪,扶墙靠壁,虽是三番五次地跌倒了又爬起来,但是似乎总有一种本能在顽强地推动着他前进,他走出了大烟馆。同时他象在作梦似的不停地叫嚷着:“卡尔纳蒂克号!卡尔纳蒂克号!”
卡尔纳蒂克号的烟囱里正冒着浓烟,就要启程。路路通离开跳板只有几步远了。就在这条船解缆的那一霎那,他一头冲上跳板,连滚带爬地冲过了跳板入口就晕倒在甲板上了。
几个水手(他们对于这样的旅客已经是司空见惯)走过来,七手八脚地就把这个可怜的小伙子抬起来送到二等舱的一间客房里去了。路路通一直到第二天早上才醒过来。这时卡尔纳蒂克号离开中国大陆已经一百五十海里了。瞧,这就是路路通今天早晨突然在这条船的甲板上出现的经过。他到甲板上来是要好好呼吸几口海风里的新鲜空气。新鲜空气使他清醒过来了。他开始聚精会神地回想昨天的事。他费了好大劲儿,终于想起来了,想起了昨天的那些情景,想起了费克斯的秘密;想起了大烟馆以及当时的种种情况。
“明白了,”他对自己说,“分明我是给人弄醉了,而且醉得一塌糊涂!福克先生会怎么说呢?不过,我幸亏还没有误了船,这倒是最要紧的。”
然后他又想起了费克斯,他说:
“这个家伙啊,我真希望这一回我们可把他给甩开了。他跟我进行了那样的谈判,现在他一定不敢再跟着我们上这条船了。他是个警察厅的警官,是个追踪我的主人的侦探,他还说福克先生在英国银行行窃!去他的吧!说福克先生是贼,那跟说我是杀人凶手一样是胡扯!”
路路通是否应该把这些事情告诉他的主人呢?把费克斯在这件事情里所扮演的角色现在就告诉福克先生,是不是合适呢?等福克先生到了伦敦我再告诉他岂不更好吗。那时,我对福克先生说,有个伦敦警察厅的侦探曾经追着他环游地球,那准会引得哄堂大笑。对,就是这么办。不过这个问题,不管怎样,我还是得再仔细想一想。现在最要紧的是先去找福克先生,向他承认自己有失检点,请他原谅。
路路通于是就站了起来。这时海上的风浪很大,卡尔纳蒂克号摇晃得很凶。这个好小伙子直到现在两条腿还有点发软,不过,他好歹总算凑合着走到了后甲板。但是,甲板上既没有一个人的面孔象他的主人,也没有一个象艾娥达夫人。
“哦,对了,”他说,“艾娥达夫人这时还在睡觉,至于福克先生,他一定找到了几个玩‘惠司脱’的对手,照他的老规矩……”
于是路路通一边说着,就走进了卡尔纳蒂克号的大菜间。但是福克先生也不在那儿。这时路路通只有一个办法,那就是去找船上的事务长,问他斐利亚·福克先生住在几号房舱。但事务长回答说,他所知道的旅客,没有一个人叫这个名字。
“对不起,”路路通坚持着说,“福克先生是一位绅士,个子很高,外表很冷静,不大喜欢和别人交谈,还有一位年轻的夫人陪着他……”
“我们船上根本就没有年轻的夫人,”事务长回答说。“再说,你要不信,这里是旅客名单,你可以自己查一下。”
路路通查遍了这张旅客名单……上面就是没有他主人的名字。他简直如堕五里雾中,这时,他忽然想起了一件事。
“啊,糟了!这条船是卡尔纳蒂克号吗?”路路通嚷着问。
“是啊!”事务长回答说。
“现在是开往横滨的吗?”
“一点儿也不错。”
原来路路通刚才是担心自己上错了船。但是他的确是在卡尔纳蒂克号上,而他的主人却肯定的是不在这里。
这时,他不由自主地跌坐在一个单人沙发上了。这简直是一个晴天霹雳。忽而他恍然大悟,他想起了卡尔纳蒂克号提早了开船时间;想起了他应该通知他主人而他却没有去!要是福克先生和艾娥达夫人真误了船,这完全是他的过失。
是啊,是他的错。可是更主要的是那个坏蛋费克斯的错!费克斯为了要把福克先生和他分开,为了要把福克先生拖住留在香港,就把他路路通弄醉了,因为他已经知道了这个密探的阴谋诡计。现在福克先生一准是垮了;他的赌注也输了,也许他已经被捕了,给关在牢里了……路路通想到这里,恨得直揪自己的头发。嘿!要是费克斯有一天落到他的手里,非好好儿跟他算这笔账不可!
路路通心里苦恼了一阵子之后。又冷静了下来,考虑他当前的处境。情况是不大妙啊!他现在是在去日本,当然一定会到达日本,可是到了以后,他又怎么办呢?他口袋里是空空如也,没有一个先令连一个便士也没有!不过他在船上的饭费和船费是已经预先付过了。因此他还有五六天的时间好想想主意。
路路通在船上大吃大喝的情况,简直无法描写。他把艾娥达夫人的一份,福克先生的一份和他自己的一份都吃了。他吃起饭来就仿佛是他所要去的日本国是个不毛之地,是个任何吃的东西都没有的地方。
11月13号,卡尔纳蒂克号趁着早潮开进了横滨港口。横滨是太平洋上一个重要的港口。往来于北美洲、中国、日本和马来亚群岛之间的各种客货轮船都到这里停泊。
横滨和江户(东京旧名)一样,位于东京湾内,它距离江户这座巨大的城市很近,它是日本帝国的第二大城市。这个城市是昔日大君的驻地。当这个民间统治者大君存在的时候,横滨的权威可以和江户分庭抗礼。在江户那座大京城里住着天神的后裔——神圣的天皇。
卡尔纳蒂克号穿过挂着各国旗帜的无数船只,在港口防波堤和海关仓库附近的横滨码头靠了岸。
路路通没精打采地下了船,踏上了这一块属于太阳神子孙们的奇异土地,他没有其他更好的办法,只有听天由命,到城里大街上去碰碰运气再说。
路路通首先走进了一个完全欧洲化的区域。这些房子都是低矮的门脸,前面紧靠大街是一排漂亮柱子支撑着的回廊。从条约岬直到海河整个一片地区有许多街道、广场、船坞和仓库。这里和香港、加尔各答一样,到处都是乱哄哄地挤满了各种民族的商人,有美国人、英国人、中国人、荷兰人,他们买卖什么的都有。这个法国小伙子在这些人群中就仿佛到了东南非的胡坦突人聚居的地方。感到事事新鲜,样样出奇。
路路通本来是有一条出路的,他满可以去找法国或英国驻横滨的领事馆,但是他不愿意说出自己的来历,因为这和他主人有着密切的关系。所以他要去另找机会,不到山穷水尽,他就不去领事馆。
他跑遍了横滨的欧洲区,也没有找到任何可以被利用的好机会,于是他就走进了横滨的日本区,并且拿定了主意,如果万不得已就到江户去。
横滨本地人住的区域叫做辨天区,“辨天”是附近岛屿的居民供奉的海上女神的名字。在这里,可以看到青松翠柏覆盖成荫的幽径;可以看到雕刻着奇异神像的门扉;可以看到深藏在竹林芦苇中的小桥;还可以看到在那幽暗无边的百年老杉遮蔽下的庵堂寺院,有多少礼佛高僧和孔门清客在里面度着茹斋素食的清苦岁月。
在辨天区还可以看到几条一眼望不到头的长街,街上到处可以碰到成群的孩子,和几只长毛短腿的狮子狗以及一些懒洋洋的,但却十分讨人喜欢的淡黄色的无尾小猫在一起逗着玩。这些孩子一个个都是面色红润,两颊象熟透了的小苹果,看起来真象是从那些日本屏风上挖下来的俊娃娃。
大街上尽是些来来往往、络绎不绝的人群,其中有敲着单调的手鼓,列队走过的做法事的和尚;有政府的官吏;有头戴一顶漆花尖帽,腰挂两把东洋刀的海关吏或警察官,有身穿蓝地白纹棉军装背着前膛枪的士兵,也有穿着紧身绸上衣外套铠甲的天皇御林军。此外,街上还有许许多多各等各级的军人——因为当兵在日本受人尊敬的程度正象这种职业在中国受人轻视的程度是同样惊人。除了这些人以外,街上还有化缘乞食的僧侣和穿着长袍的香客以及普通的居民。这些人一个个都是头发乌黑光滑,头大,腿细,上身长,个子矮,肤色有深有浅,最深的似青铜一样阴黯,最浅的如白粉一般无光,但却绝没有一个象中国人那样的黄面孔。这一点是中国人和日本人基本上的差别。此外在各式各样的车辆行列里可以看见轿子、马匹、驮夫、篷车、漆花的古轿、双人软轿和竹子编成的床。还可以看到一些日本妇女来来往往,她们的脚不大,迈步很小,她们的脚上有的穿着布鞋,有的穿着草拖鞋或是特制的木屐。她们的样子并不漂亮,一个个用头巾吊起眼角,胸部紧束着压得象一块平板,牙齿按照时兴的样式染成黑色,但是她们穿着民族服装“和服”,样子倒很别致。“和服”是一种家常穿的长服,加上一条交织起来的缎带,下面是一条宽大的腰巾,在背后结成一朵大花结子。目前巴黎妇女那种最新式的装束很象是从这些日本妇女那里学来的。
在这些各色各样的人群中,路路通整整游逛了好几个钟头,他参观了街上那些稀奇古怪而又富丽堂皇的店铺;欣赏了堆满着金光夺目的日本首饰市场;张望了那些门前挂着花花绿绿的小旗子,而他却没钱进去的日本饭店;也瞧了瞧那些茶馆,那儿人们正在端着满杯喝着一种清香扑鼻、热气腾腾的用发酵大米作成的酒酿汤,此外他还看了那些香烟馆,那儿人们不是在吸鸦片,而是吸着一种气味芬芳的烟草,因为在日本吸鸦片的人,几乎可以说没有。
这时路路通已经到了郊外,四野尽是一望无际的稻田,这里有各色的鲜花,它们在展示着即将消逝的颜色,发散着最后的香味,其中也有盛开的山茶花,但是这种山茶花不是长在小山茶树丛里,而是长在成棵的大山茶树上。在那些筑有竹篱笆围墙的果树园里,种着樱桃树、李子树和苹果树。当地人种这些果树,与其说是为了卖果子倒不如说是为了卖花。果园里装置着怪模怪样的草人和不断发出尖锐响声的驱鸟机,防止那些麻雀、鸽子、乌鸦和其他贪食的鸟类来啄食果子。没有一棵高大的杉树上没有巨鹰的巢穴。没有一棵垂杨柳的树荫下看不到象在忧郁沉思着的单足独立的鹭鸶。这里到处都是小鸟、野鸭、山鹰和野雁,此外还有很多仙鹤,日本人把仙鹤当作神鸟看待,认为仙鹤是长命富贵的象征。
路路通正在这样信步游逛的时候,忽然在草丛里发现几棵紫萝兰。
“妙啊!”他说,“这就是我的一顿晚饭。”
但是当他闻了一下之后,却发现这些紫萝兰半点香味也没有。
“真倒霉!”他心里说。
说实在话,这个小伙子因为有先见之明,所以在离开卡尔纳蒂克号之前他已经尽可能饱饱地大吃了一顿,可是跑了这一整天,他觉得肚子简直是空得要命。他曾经特别注意了一下:当地肉铺里的架子上根本就没有山羊肉、绵羊肉或是猪肉。他知道这里的牛只能留作耕田,杀牛是犯罪的。于是他便得出结论:在日本,肉食是很少的。这一点他确实没有看错,不过这倒没有什么,既然肉店里没有猪牛羊肉,他的肚子也完全习惯于吃别的肉,如野猪肉、鹿肉、鹧鸪肉、鹌鹑肉、家禽肉或鱼类等等。日本人吃大米的时候几乎就是只拿这些肉类作为副食。但是路路通对于自己当前的遭遇必须抱着逆来顺受的态度,至于搪塞肚子的问题只好拖到明天再去考虑。
黑夜来了。路路通又重新回到了辨天区。他在大街上溜溜达达,只见到处是五光十色的灯笼。他欣赏着那些闯江湖艺人的惊人绝技和那些在空地上招徕了许多观众来看望远镜的星象家。最后路路通又回到了港口,只见港里渔火点点,那是渔人用树脂燃起的火光,他们在诱惑海上的鱼群。
大街上的行人终于渐渐少了。人群刚刚消失,就出现了查夜的警官,他们都穿着漂亮的制服,前后簇拥着一群侍从巡兵,简直象是出国的大使。每当路路通碰到这种神气后现的巡逻队的时候,他就开玩笑说:
“好!不错啊!又是一个到欧洲去的日本使节团。”