In the fall of 1938, Roald Dahl set off from London aboard the SS Mantola. At 22, Dahl leaves behind his family and homeland for a three-year contract with the Shell Company. On the ship, Dahl meets a unique group of people he refers to as “English Empire-builders,” whose eccentricities and customs fascinate him. These individuals speak a hybrid language filled with colonial jargon, reflecting their years spent in various parts of the British Empire. They cling to their routines and rituals, maintaining a semblance of Britishness despite the foreign climates and cultures they live among.

Dahl shares a cabin with a man named U.N. Savory, a cotton mill manager from Punjab, who exhibits peculiar behavior, such as sprinkling Epsom salts on his shoulders to feign dandruff. This act was part of a larger charade to maintain the illusion of a full head of hair, a critical aspect of gaining respect from his Sikh colleagues who held hair in high regard.

Among the passengers is Major Griffiths. One morning, Dahl wakes early and notices a naked man running past his porthole. Initially thinking he had seen a ghost, he soon realizes it was Major Griffiths, a man he met at dinner the previous night.