'An unnamed narrator contemplates suicide by the Yarra River in Docklands when he is interrupted by Matthew Flinders. Flinders complains of being held prisoner in Isle de France and worries that he might be unfaithful to his wife and wreck his marriage. He gives the narrator the task of finding the French captain Nicolas Baudin and asking Baudin to write a letter on his behalf. The narrator reluctantly agrees and next meets William Siddeley, a merchant, and hears the story of his marriage. Next he meets footballer Jim Stynes who gives him some advice, and next Charles Grimes who tells him more about both Flinders and Baudin as well as the story of his own marriage. He next meets James Lorimer who speaks of his ideal Victorian marriage. Next he discovers that real estate agent Frank Hartley has raped his servant. He is appalled and begins to take his search for Baudin more seriously. He meets Henry Bolte who doubts that the rape occurred and John Webb who shifts the blame for it. He meets artist Georgiana McCrae and jeweller Charles Brentani who between them explain the beginnings and implications of the gold rush. With Georgiana's encouragement he resumes the search for Baudin and meets John Batman, David Collins, William Buckley and Richard Bourke who all have stories of loneliness and dissatisfaction, but they are unable to help in the narrator's search and he is about to give up. But he meets Queen Victoria who encourages him to make one last try. He meets Charles La Trobe who tells him the story of the legendary captive white woman of Gippsland, which leaves him very disheartened. He meets Ron Barassi Snr who gives him advice, and he finally finds Nicolas Baudin. It turns out that Baudin has already written the letter Flinders wanted, but it was of no use. The narrator heads back to the water to kill himself, but is distracted by musician Alma Doepel.'
(Publication summary)
