‘Because Australia is a British colony, and Britain has signed a pact of neutrality in this war we are engaged in. If the governor lets us stay for repairs and resupply it might be taken as a violation of that pact.’ He looked at Gus and smiled. ‘Don’t look so crestfallen. My bet is we’ll be able to go ashore soon.’

Eventually the longed for permission was granted. The crew could go ashore, one watch at a time. Gus found himself at a loss. He was not officially a member of the crew and had not been allocated to any watch in particular, so he was unsure whether the permission included him. He decided to ask Boney, since most of his time was spent working for him. The cook shifted a chew of tobacco from one cheek to the other and regarded him thoughtfully.

‘Well, seeing as how most of the officers are on shore and not in need of our assistance, I don’t see why not. Off you go, lad, and enjoy yourself.’

There was another problem, which he had not considered in his initial excitement. Who would he go with? He got on well with most of the men, but he had never made any real friends. The disparity in age between himself and even the youngest crew members was too great. Mason, who had befriended him on board the Laurel, was an officer and would go ashore in the company of others of his kind. Gus faced the prospect of finding his way around a strange city all alone.

He was hovering on the fringes of a party of men preparing to board a tug which would take them to the dock when a tall, gangling young man, who was known to everyone as Lofty, clapped him on the shoulder.

‘Hey up, lad! Coming ashore?’

‘Yes. Yes, please.’

‘On your own, are you?’

‘Yes, I suppose so.’

‘You come along of us.’ Lofty grinned round at his mates. ‘We’ll show you how to have a good time.’

Having a good time, in Lofty’s estimation, meant touring the waterfront from one tavern to another. Gus had got used to the effects of the daily ration of grog and learned to enjoy the sense of warmth and well-being that it engendered, but he had never drunk beer or any other spirits. The men he was with had money in their pockets and insisted on including him in every round of drinks. Very soon he was enveloped in a kind of miasma that made every place look the same and gave him trouble keeping his feet.

Finally, he found himself somewhere that looked rather different from the bars they had visited so far. There were chairs with brightly coloured cushions and a smell of perfume, and there were women. The women were sitting on his companions’ knees, and there was a lot of whispering and giggling, and then some of them got up and led the way up a flight of stairs. Gus’s drowsy lethargy disappeared and was replaced by a sense of panic. He had heard enough sailors’ gossip to know what this place was and what went on there – or at least, he had a rough idea; but what might now be expected of him filled him with terror.