seven in
the morning
Come along . '' The party crossed the river , and drove to the St. Nicholas Hotel , in Broadway , where they engaged rooms ; but Fogg was the only one who slept . Next day was the 12th of December . From that day , at seven in the morning , to the 21st , at a quarter to nine in the evening , was a period of nine days , thirteen hours , and forty-five minutes ; so if Phileas Fogg had sailed in the _ China _ , he would have reached London in time to win his wager . Mr. Fogg left the hotel by himself , telling the others to wait his return , but to be ready to leave at a moment 's notice . He went down to the Hudson River , to see if there were any vessels about to start . Several were getting ready to go to sea , but the majority of them were sailing ships , which of course did not suit Mr. Fogg .