LESS THAN 80 DAYS

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 21

LESS THAN 80 DAYS

WHERE JULES VERNE WAS ASTRAY. No trip around the world in history or fiction is more familiar than that of Jules Verne’s hero, Phineas Fogg. By travelling at breakneck speed the circuit of the! globe was made, as all the world knows, in just 80 days, and not so much as a second to spare (says the New York Times). A pleasure cruise is to be made around the world soon which, by a curious chance, will require a trifle less than 80 days of actual sailing time. The distance covered will be considerably longer than that of the famous journey of Verne’s hero. Verne made several errors in the schedule he laid down for Phineas Fogg. With all the improvement in travel by train and steamer, it is still impossible to equal the time made by Fogg in several stages of his journey. Verne’s conception of America, which doubtless reflected a common opinion in France at the time, to-day furnishes amusing reading. Evidently Verne reglected to consult the time-tables of his day. According to his schedule for the world trip, Fogg would have missed several connections and inevitably lost his bet. The steamer he took from Suez to Bombay, for instance, was supposed to have made the trip in 13 days, which was quite impossible, since even today it can be done with good luck only in 14 days. The average is longer; oertainly it was much longer in Verne’s time.

Fogg’s trip overland across India from Bombay to Calcutta could scarcely be equalled with the aid of the best modern trains, allowing for his stop-over privileges. He made the trip in three days, and it is now done in 36 hours, but the railroad was not then completed, and part of the trip was made by elephant, with a stop-off for various thrilling adventures. The hero’s trip from Calcutta to Hongkong took but 13 days, and at present the fastest steamers require 16 days. He crossed from Hongkong to Yokohama in six days, but would have trouble doing that to-day. Although Fog covered some of the distance at an impossible speed, even for our time, the journey may now be made much faster by the same route. Granting good luck in connections, the trip would be possible now in 70 days, although there would be no margin for wild animals and other adventures, It is interesting to compare Fogg’s famous journey with the schedule of the first cruise to be made around the world through the Panama Canal this year by the steamship Laconia. Although several days are lost between New York and San Francisco by taking the canal route, there is a gain of four days in actual sailing time across the Pacific Ocean. In sailing to the west a day is lost, whereas Fogg gained a day by sailing east. It i 3 amazing to find that Verne, who was doubtless well informed as to conditions in many countries, displayed such ignorance of America. When Fogg stepped from the steam-u at San Francisco, his feet at once passed through the rotten planking of the wharf. The train across the continent was attacked by savage Indians. When a bridge was encountered which threatened to fall at any moment, the train was backed up for several miles to obtain a flying start, and the bridge was crossed at top speed, just as it fell into the ravine below. However absurd Verne’s picture of an American election may be, his humour is still enjoyed. Fogg watched a mob in violent action with much shooting and 6tabbing and, on questioning a bystander, learned that an election was in progress. He concluded that some vital question must- be at issue, and asked who was being elected. “They are electing a Justice of the Peace,” explained the American.