Davidson's existence, too, running the Sissie along the Java Sea and back again, was distinctly monotonous and, in a sense, lonely.

He never had any sort of company on board.

Native deck-passengers in plenty, of course, but never a white man, so the presence of Heyst for two days must have been a godsend.
Davidson was telling us all about it afterwards.

Heyst said that his father had written a lot of books.

He was a philosopher.
"Seems to me he must have been something of a crank, too," was Davidson's comment.