Page 306 - AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS

Around the World in 80 Days

to the state of the sea, the long waves of which broke
against the stern. She pitched violently, and this retarded
her progress. The breeze little by little swelled into a
tempest, and it was to be feared that the Henrietta might

not be able to maintain herself upright on the waves.
Passepartout’s visage darkened with the skies, and for
two days the poor fellow experienced constant fright. But
Phileas Fogg was a bold mariner, and knew how to
maintain headway against the sea; and he kept on his
course, without even decreasing his steam. The Henrietta,
when she could not rise upon the waves, crossed them,
swamping her deck, but passing safely. Sometinies the
screw rose out of the water, beating its protruding end,
when a mountain of water raised the stern above the
waves; but the craft always kept straight ahead.
The wind, however, did not grow as boisterous as
might have been feared; it was not one of those tempests
which burst, and rush on with a speed of ninety miles an
hour. It continued fresh, but, unhappily, it remained
obstinately in the south-east, rendering the sails useless.
The 16th of December was the seventy-fifth day since
Phileas Fogg’s departure from London, and the Henrietta
had not yet been seriously delayed. Half of the voyage was
almost accomplished, and the worst localities had been

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