Chapter VI: In Which Fix, The Detective, Betrays A Very Natural Impatience

The circumstances under which this telegraphic dispatch about Phileas Fogg was sent were as follows:

The steamer Mongolia, belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Company, built of iron, of two thousand eight hundred tons burden, and five hundred horse-power, was due at eleven o'clock a.m. on Wednesday, the 9th of October, at Suez. The Mongolia plied regularly between Brindisi and Bombay via the Suez Canal, and was one of the fastest steamers belonging to the company, always making more than ten knots an hour between Brindisi and Suez, and nine and a half between Suez and Bombay.

Two men were promenading up and down the wharves, among the crowd of natives and strangers who were sojourning at this once straggling village—now, thanks to the enterprise of M. Lesseps, a fast-growing town. One was the British consul at Suez, who, despite the prophecies of the English Government, and the unfavourable predictions of Stephenson, was in the habit of seeing, from his office window, English ships daily passing to and fro on the great canal, by which the old roundabout route from England to India by the Cape of Good Hope was abridged by at least a half. The other was a small, slight-built personage, with a nervous, intelligent face, and bright eyes peering out from under eyebrows which he was incessantly twitching. He was just now manifesting unmistakable signs of impatience, nervously pacing up and down, and unable to stand still for a moment. This was Fix, one of the detectives who had been dispatched from England in search of the bank robber; it was his task to narrowly watch every passenger who arrived at Suez, and to follow up all who seemed to be suspicious characters, or bore a resemblance to the description of the criminal, which he had received two days before from the police headquarters at London. The detective was evidently inspired by the hope of obtaining the splendid reward which would be the prize of success, and awaited with a feverish impatience, easy to understand, the arrival of the steamer Mongolia.

"So you say, consul," asked he for the twentieth time, "that this steamer is never behind time?"

"No, Mr. Fix," replied the consul. "She was bespoken yesterday at Port Said, and the rest of the way is of no account to such a craft. I repeat that the Mongolia has been in advance of the time required by the company's regulations, and gained the prize awarded for excess of speed."

"Does she come directly from Brindisi?"

"Directly from Brindisi; she takes on the Indian mails there, and she left there Saturday at five p.m. Have patience, Mr. Fix; she will not be late. But really, I don't see how, from the description you have, you will be able to recognise your man, even if he is on board the Mongolia."

"A man rather feels the presence of these fellows, consul, than recognises them. You must have a scent for them, and a scent is like a sixth sense which combines hearing, seeing, and smelling. I've arrested more than one of these gentlemen in my time, and, if my thief is on board, I'll answer for it; he'll not slip through my fingers."

"I hope so, Mr. Fix, for it was a heavy robbery."

"A magnificent robbery, consul; fifty-five thousand pounds! We don't often have such windfalls. Burglars are getting to be so contemptible nowadays! A fellow gets hung for a handful of shillings!"

"Mr. Fix," said the consul, "I like your way of talking, and hope you'll succeed; but I fear you will find it far from easy. Don't you see, the description which you have there has a singular resemblance to an honest man?"

"Consul," remarked the detective, dogmatically, "great robbers always resemble honest folks. Fellows who have rascally faces have only one course to take, and that is to remain honest; otherwise they would be arrested off-hand. The artistic thing is, to unmask honest countenances; it's no light task, I admit, but a real art."

Mr. Fix evidently was not wanting in a tinge of self-conceit.

Little by little the scene on the quay became more animated; sailors of various nations, merchants, ship-brokers, porters, fellahs, bustled to and fro as if the steamer were immediately expected. The weather was clear, and slightly chilly. The minarets of the town loomed above the houses in the pale rays of the sun. A jetty pier, some two thousand yards along, extended into the roadstead. A number of fishing-smacks and coasting boats, some retaining the fantastic fashion of ancient galleys, were discernible on the Red Sea.

As he passed among the busy crowd, Fix, according to habit, scrutinised the passers-by with a keen, rapid glance.

It was now half-past ten.

"The steamer doesn't come!" he exclaimed, as the port clock struck.

"She can't be far off now," returned his companion.

"How long will she stop at Suez?"

"Four hours; long enough to get in her coal. It is thirteen hundred and ten miles from Suez to Aden, at the other end of the Red Sea, and she has to take in a fresh coal supply."

"And does she go from Suez directly to Bombay?"

"Without putting in anywhere."

"Good!" said Fix. "If the robber is on board he will no doubt get off at Suez, so as to reach the Dutch or French colonies in Asia by some other route. He ought to know that he would not be safe an hour in India, which is English soil."

"Unless," objected the consul, "he is exceptionally shrewd. An English criminal, you know, is always better concealed in London than anywhere else."

This observation furnished the detective food for thought, and meanwhile the consul went away to his office. Fix, left alone, was more impatient than ever, having a presentiment that the robber was on board the Mongolia. If he had indeed left London intending to reach the New World, he would naturally take the route via India, which was less watched and more difficult to watch than that of the Atlantic. But Fix's reflections were soon interrupted by a succession of sharp whistles, which announced the arrival of the Mongolia. The porters and fellahs rushed down the quay, and a dozen boats pushed off from the shore to go and meet the steamer. Soon her gigantic hull appeared passing along between the banks, and eleven o'clock struck as she anchored in the road. She brought an unusual number of passengers, some of whom remained on deck to scan the picturesque panorama of the town, while the greater part disembarked in the boats, and landed on the quay.

Fix took up a position, and carefully examined each face and figure which made its appearance. Presently one of the passengers, after vigorously pushing his way through the importunate crowd of porters, came up to him and politely asked if he could point out the English consulate, at the same time showing a passport which he wished to have visaed. Fix instinctively took the passport, and with a rapid glance read the description of its bearer. An involuntary motion of surprise nearly escaped him, for the description in the passport was identical with that of the bank robber which he had received from Scotland Yard.

"Is this your passport?" asked he.

"No, it's my master's."

"And your master is—"

"He stayed on board."

"But he must go to the consul's in person, so as to establish his identity."

"Oh, is that necessary?"

"Quite indispensable."

"And where is the consulate?"

"There, on the corner of the square," said Fix, pointing to a house two hundred steps off.

"I'll go and fetch my master, who won't be much pleased, however, to be disturbed."

The passenger bowed to Fix, and returned to the steamer.

Chapter VII: In Which Once More Demonstrates The Uselessness Of Passports As Aids To Detectives
Chapter V: In Which A New Species Of Funds, Unknown To The Moneyed Men, Appears On 'Change

Footnotes

  1. Fogg, you will recall, is playing whist with his new on-board partners and does not like to be interrupted while engaged in whist.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  2. A negation (will not/won't) of an emphatic (much) phrase no longer in usage. Current usage would say: will not be very pleased.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  3. The center of town with buildings arranged around it on all four sides.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  4. adjective: absolutely necessary; a requirement that cannot be done away with, cannot be eliminated

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  5. To verify that he is the rightful owner of the passport being visaed.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  6. Employer's. Recall that in the 1800s, for domestic servants, the old title of "master" was given to employers.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  7. To issue involuntarily from someone.

    Reinforces the idea that Fix was so surprised by the description he read in the passport that he almost dropped his self control and expressed that surprise. This goes contrary to what detectives train themselves to do, which is to remain calm and detached.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  8. adjective: something that occurs that is not regulated by willful control

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  9. visa, noun: a signature and seal (state emblem) in a passport that allows the bearer of the passport to enter, leave, or pass through the country that is issuing and authorizing the visa; a visa stamp may be provided by the consul residing or the authorized officials of the foreign country

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  10. The building or office that houses the appointed English official, the consul, who protects the interests of English citizens in foreign countries.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  11. porters, noun: a person who carries luggage or other loads for travelers at points of disembarkation

    Native citizens of Suez, who were employed to help passengers with collecting and moving luggage, made a dense crowd as they called out their services in order to attract the attention of disembarking travelers.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  12. adjective: persistently insistent or demanding of something

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  13. Fogg's description, published in the London papers, included a general description of his height, weight and build, so Fix is looking for men who fit the physical as well as the facial description of Fogg.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  14. Fix took a position on the quay from where he could watch who came ashore in hopes of identifying Fogg and apprehending (arresting) the bank robber.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  15. Small boats carried the passengers from the "roads" where to Mongolia was anchored to the quay where they went ashore.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  16. verb: left the ship; to leave a ship or aircraft or other large vessel, like a train

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  17. verb: look with care at a whole view in order to observe its features (different from "scrutinize" and "examine," which connotate an earnestness not present in "scan")

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  18. English language "she" usage for some inanimate objects: the steamship Mongolia.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  19. noun phrase (article + noun): (Nautical term) partly sheltered place for ships to anchor that is near the shore where they can safely ride in anchor (also called roadstead; may be plural roads)

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  20. noun phrase (article + noun): an elevated section of seabed that rises near the surface making navigation more hazardous (dangerous)

    The banks at Port Suez are the reason the small boats need to escort large steamships safely into their dockings.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  21. noun: the main body of a ship including the bottom, sides and deck; the outer structure of a ship excluding fittings, masts, engines, etc

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  22. These are the escort boats that help a large ship get safely into docking.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  23. noun: large cement platform alongside a pier that is used for loading and unloading ships that are docked at the pier

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  24. Describing the blasts from an approaching or a departing large transportation vehicle, like a steamship.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  25. noun: thoughts fixed upon an idea in careful consideration; deeply thoughtful consideration as in meditation

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  26. The route going directly across the Atlantic Ocean from England to North America.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  27. noun: a thought or feeling produced by intuition; an intuitive feeling about the future or about upcoming events

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  28. idiom, figure of speech: meaning something to think seriously about; something to consider carefully

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  29. noun: a remark or comment based upon what someone has noticed, heard or thought about

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  30. The Consul is alluding to the idea that, since London was overpopulated, with impoverished areas full of crime and underworld criminals, it is hardest to find someone who is wanted by the police if they are in the dirtiest streets of London.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  31. noun phrase (adjective + noun): unusually sharp or keen powers of judgement; extraordinarily astute; extremely able to assess situations or people

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  32. Fix is speculating about the course of action a guilty British bank robber might take. Fix speculates that since going on to Bombay, India, means returning to British [colonial] soil and certain apprehension (arrest), that the guilty bank robber will disembark from the Mongolia at the Port of Suez to go to safe territory that is out of British jurisdiction.

    Recall that Fix believes the robber's description exactly matches Fogg's picture, which was published in the newspapers in relation to his round-the-world wager with the Reform Club whist-playing members.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  33. Without stopping at any other port of call along the way, aside from the coal-fueling stop at Aden, between Port Suez and Bombay, India.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  34. Now Mumbai. On the central west coast of India, on the Arabian Sea in the Indian Ocean.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  35. South of the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb leading from the Red Sea into the Gulf of Suez.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  36. The town on the southwest corner of Yemen and just beyond the Red Sea, which is positioned just to the south of the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb leading from the Red Sea into the Gulf of Suez, which then leads to the Arabian Sea in the Indian Ocean.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  37. The clock visible along the port of Suez struck, sounded, the half hour at 10:30 a.m, "half-past ten."

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  38. idiom, figure of speech: meaning to load an adequate supply of coal onto the steamship

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  39. The steamship the Mongolia. It was then correct language usage to address ships as "she" since gendered/non-gendered issues did not arise until the latter half of the 1900s.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  40. Fix means that the steamship the Mongolia is not arriving at the exact minute due: it doesn't come into view yet.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  41. The Mongolia picked up the mail that was written in India and was to be shipped elsewhere.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  42. The pleasing and interesting wide view of the whole town of Suez that was seen from the elevated perspective of the anchored steamer, the Magnolia.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  43. Those who carry baggage for passengers (porters) and those who, being peasants and agricultural workers, may be looking for work with loading the ship or selling refreshments to passengers (fellahs, Arabic).

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  44. verb: to inspect or examine closely and in great detail

    When applied to people, Fix "scrutinised passers-by," the action has an offensive, intrusive quality to it.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  45. adjective: that which is visible, perceptible; that which can be discerned

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  46. noun: very old flat ships with more than one sail, used as warships, trading ships, or pirate ships having 1, 2, or 3 banks of oars (with sailors manning the oars)

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  47. noun phrase (adjective + noun): meaning in a wonderful manner or a surprising though attractive manner

    Ships were seen at a distance in the Red Sea that surprisingly still had the appearance of galleys from ancient centuries.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  48. compound noun: boats that sail along the coast of land; keeping land in sight

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  49. compound noun: a type of fishing vessel that often has a "well" for holding the catch, the caught fish

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  50. noun: a sheltered stretch of water for ships in a harbor where ships can rest at anchor; the shipping road where ships can anchor away from the quay and jetty

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  51. compound noun: the landing where boats are docked; part of the concrete quay.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  52. symbolism: may be read as a symbolic reference to the absence of English Anglicanism in Suez.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  53. verb: meaning to rise above and cast a shadow over something (often used as indicating a foreboding, threatening shadow)

    Since there is nothing in the text indicating a threatening presence "looming," this should be taken as nothing more than a religious allusion to English Anglicanism, the absence of such in Suez being illustrated by the symbolic phrase "pale rays of sunshine" on Suez. 

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  54. nouns: tall slender Muslim towers atop roofs from where Muslim prayers are called

    This implies the Muslim population and religious practice in Suez, giving information about the setting.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  55. noun, Arabic fallāḥ (first known use in 1743): Arab peasants or agricultural workers; looking for work at the quayside as ships unload passengers and goods

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  56. Compressed expression for "behind the time at which it is expected" meaning "late": the steamer is not late for its arrival time.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  57. figure of speech, ironic understatement: a small bit of excessive good opinion of oneself, e.g., he thinks too well of himself by just a tad of a bit

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  58. unmask, verb: to cause to be seen for what someone truly is (true character)

    countenance, noun: a person's face, particularly while being expressive of feelings

    Fix is ironically (and paradoxically) saying the art of police work is to see honest faces and sincere expressions for what they really are, implying "rascally" dishonesty under honesty.

    **paradox, **noun: something that is true and false at the same time; self-contradictory statement

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  59. idiom, figure of speech (archaic, adjectival): to do something "at once, straightaway"; probably from an 18th century hunting/shooting expression

    Fix is saying that is criminals did not retain a resemblance to respectability, they would be arrested at once (straightaway).

    The current idiomatic meaning is different: (1) without concern or care; (2) without preparation or warning.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  60. adjective: devilishly playful or appealing (ironic description of a criminal, compare to "hardened criminal")

    Fix has an ironic admiration for singular (exceptional or extraordinary) criminals .

    ironic, rhetorical device: something seen, heard, said or written that is the opposite of what is expected, e.g., criminals described as "playful"

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  61. adjective: in a manner that presents general principles as absolutely true

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  62. noun: something being very like another thing; having qualities very like something else

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  63. adjective: something that has an exceptional or extraordinary quality

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  64. This is an allusion (reference to something well known) that is also a parody (humorous mocking of something) of "The Bloody Code," which was the English law specifying the 222 offenses punishable by hanging. In 1750, there were 160 crimes punishable by hanging, but Queen Victoria increased the number to 222, including "pick pocketing."

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  65. adjective: detestable; low in manner; disgraceful; unworthy

    Ironic, satirical description of criminals as having declined in character virtue.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  66. noun: an event or gift of unexpected good fortune, usually a very large sum of money

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  67. adjective: impressively beautiful or exquisitely executed

    Fix is correcting the consul's description of "heavy" and recasting the robbery as something that was exquisite in its (criminal) beauty and execution (plan and fulfillment).

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  68. metaphor, figure of speech (very commonly used): something that is significant, serious or of great importance; comparing something to another thing that has a very great physical weight

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  69. idiom, figure of speech: to escape or elude (evade) someone's control, capture or grasp

    Fix is saying that, if Fogg is the criminal and if he is onboard the Magnolia, Fogg will not escape Fix's capturing of him.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  70. idiom, figure of speech: to agree to be held responsible for something

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  71. verb (past participle of "bespeak"), old fashioned: was said to have been, i.e., the Magnolia was said to have been on time.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  72. A monetary reward has been offered for the apprehension of the bank robber and it available even to Scotland Yard detectives, like Fix.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  73. The Scotland Yard detective who had signed his name to the "telegraphic dispatch" sent to the police commission [see Ch. V "telegraphic dispatch"].

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  74. verb: to actively show or display through actions or deportment

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  75. adjective: having a physical appearance that is thin and of medium height; not large, tall and broad

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  76. verb: to shorten or curtail, i.e., the route was shortened

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  77. The peninsular, rocky and treacherous headland of the tip of Africa. Location of Cape Town, South Africa.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  78. Robert Stephenson: planner of the British railway system and opponent of Lesseps' idea of the Suez Canal.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  79. Government appointed protector of Britain's interests in Suez.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  80. Monsieur (M.) Ferdinand Marie Lesseps, Vicomte de Lesseps (1805–1894). French engineer and diplomat, vice-consul at Alexandria, Egypt, who promoted the construction of the Suez Canal.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  81. verb (formal): to stay somewhere for a temporary time as on holiday or vacation

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  82. noun: flat, level areas alongside concrete ship mooring quays onto which ships may be unloaded or from which ships may be loaded

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  83. The speed of a vessel (or airplane) across one nautical (ocean) mile: 10 knots of speed in an hour is a rate at which 1 nautical mile may be traveled, compare to the slower 2 knots of speed in an hour to cross the same 1 nautical mile.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  84. The route went from Italy's Adriatic Sea at Brindisi to the lower portion of the Mediterranean Sea, then across to the northeast corner of Egypt where, at Port Faud, the Mongolia of the P&O line, entered the Suez Canal, which it followed all the way down to Suez where it exited the Canal into the Gulf of Suez that empties into the Red Sea that leads to the Gulf of Aden that joins the Arabian Sea across which lies Bombay.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  85. A city, currently known as Mumbai, on a peninsula of the west coast of India on the Arabian Sea.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  86. The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company: a shipping line owned by a British company, founded in 1837 and commonly known as the P&O.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  87. verb: travel back and forth along a specified route given to a ship or other vehicle

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  88. Refers to the Suez Canal linking the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea and located in the northeastern corner of Egypt.

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  89. noun: unit of power measuring the strength of an engine's energy output

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  90. How much the steamer Magnolia can carry.

    burden, noun
    a ships carrying capacity; tonnage

    — Karen P.L. Hardison

  91. noun: event or set of events that cause or help to cause something to happen, i.e., what was going on that caused the dispatch about Fogg to be telegraphed to the commissioner

    — Karen P.L. Hardison