6. Rizal took a train from Rome to Marseilles, a French port, which he arrived at
without difficulty. On July 3, 1887, he boarded the streamer Djemnah, which had
transported him to Europe five years ago. There were around 50 passengers,
including 2 Englishmen, 2 Germans, 3 Chinese, 2 Japanese, a large number of
Frenchmen, and a single Filipino (Rizal).
Rizal was the only passenger who could speak
multiple languages, therefore he served as an
interpreter for his fellow passengers.
7. The streamer was on its way to Orient through the Suez Canal Rizal. Rizal therefore
completed his historic canal for the second time; the first time was when he sailed
from Manila to Europe in 1882. On board, he engaged fellow passengers by playing
chess while taking part in spirited discussion in a variety of languages. Some
passengers sang, while others played piano and accordion. After leaving Aden, the
weather turned bad, and some of Rizal's books became soaked.
On July 30, he shifted to another steamer, the Haiphong,
destined for Manila. This steamer sailed from Saigon to
Manila on August 2.