Thirty-four, Goan, Catholic.
Description
Thirty-four, Goan, Catholic. He is the topass — he does the filthiest work in the ship, the jobs that have no dignity in them at all, and he does them without any apparent sense that this reflects on him.
Recognisable at a glance: a St Anthony medal worn outside his shirt, and the fact that he is the only man aboard who will meet a European passenger’s eye — which he does constantly, with an unnerving cheerfulness.
Background
Goan Christians had worked European and country shipping for generations by 1814, often in exactly this role — Portuguese-descended names, Catholic faith, and the least regarded work on the deck.
Connections
Crew of the Shah Alam under Serang Ismail, though the topass sits outside the serang’s Bengal gang.