Richard Fidler

You say sailing.

We are talking about a sailing ship here.

This is the late 19th century, after all.

That's right.

So it's the early age of steam navigation, but a lot of merchant marine is still sailing and Dexter falls in love with sailing ships, with actual sails.

They are his first and constant love.

And what was the life of the sailor's apprentice like in those days?

Oh, it was, we'd call it unbearable, but to them it was normal.

So it was drudgery work, scrubbing decks, coiling ropes.

It was nothing like his romantic imagination had fantasised.

And in fact, his captain was a bully.

So much so that in his first port of call, Bombay, Mumbai today, Dexter deserted, which was a very major crime.

Once he got ashore in India, what did he do with himself then?

That's right.

So he's living on the streets as best he can.

He's eating at sailor charities.

But he gets caught, taken back on board ship and severely punished.

But he escapes again.

and this time manages to evade attempts to recapture him.

And he signs up on an American ship, which was probably happy to give refuge to this escapee from British tyranny, you know.