Hong Kong to Yokohama

In Guangzhou, Nellie reads another cablegram from Elizabeth Bisland, who wishes she and Nellie could travel together some day. She runs into Doctor Drummond again. The two of them join a tour group and Nellie is thrilled to see the sights.

Nellie and Doctor Drummond ride sedan chairs to visit the Imperial Examination Halls and the Hualin Temple. Their guide, Ah Cum, shows them how to test their luck at the temple.

Ah Cum takes them to Guangzhou water clock, and Nellie is impressed by how old it is. She is tempted by the thought of seeing the iron lion of Cangzhou, which is around a thousand years old, but she has to finish her race around the world. Nellie writes another message to Elizabeth, spilling out her doubts about what she is doing and how she wishes to take control of her life, rather than being steered everywhere.

Nellie sends her message to Elizabeth Bisland at the cable office. Just as she is about to leave for her onward trip to Yokohama, a cable arrives for her from Elizabeth. Nellie writes back quickly, and waits for a response, even though she risks missing her ship. At the last minute, the cable office offers to send the message onward to her hotel in Yokohama.

After arriving in Yokohama, Nellie immediately asks the hotel if there are any messages for her. She's disappointed to find nothing from Elizabeth, but there is a letter from her sister. Doctor Drummond invites Nellie to a banquet that night, where there will be female entertainers skilled in the art of music and conversation. Nellie accepts.

At the banquet, Nellie speaks with the geisha hired for the evening who sing for her and try to teach her to play the shamisen. They talk about their jobs and the stresses of supporting their families.

Nellie sends a cable to her sister and discovers a message has arrived from Elizabeth Bisland. However, the message is extremely curt, and rebuffs Nellie. Hurt, Nellie goes to sabotage her rival's journey by spreading a message that her ship's screw is broken. However, Nellie cancels the message at the last second.

Nellie boards her ship to San Francisco and speaks to the Captain who promises that he can get her there by the 20th. The crew sings a song of encouragement for Nellie, and the ship sets sail.