Character guide

Lord Glenarvan

major

Also known as Lord Edward Glenarvan, Glenarvan, Lord Edward, Edward

Glenarvan is a wealthy, well-connected Scottish lord whose planned pleasure cruise aboard the Duncan is upended the moment Mary and Robert Grant appear in his courtyard pleading for their lost father. His instinct to help collides with the cold refusal of Admiralty officials, and it is his wife Helena who pushes him past hesitation into action. His wealth, reputation, and willingness to stake both on a doubtful latitude make him the expedition's spine — and the reason a hopeless search ever begins.

Jacques Paganel

major

Also known as Monsieur Paganel, Paganel, Mr. Paganel

Paganel is a distinguished member of the Geographical Society whose encyclopedic knowledge of coastlines, minerals, and colonial statistics is matched only by his genius for boarding the wrong vessel. He is loquacious, childishly delighted by pebbles and gold diggings, and so absorbed in scholarship that he once slept thirty-six hours through a departure. His misreading of the document's crucial word sends the search down a false path — then his flash of insight at the top of a tree redirects it entirely.

Captain Harry Grant

major

Also known as Captain Grant, Harry Grant, Captain Harry Grant

Grant is the absent center of the story: a skilled navigator and devout Scotchman whose shipwrecked Britannia leaves behind only a water-damaged document and two orphaned children. His letter, cast into the sea and delivered by providence, becomes the expedition's sole map — and its ambiguities the source of every wrong turn. When he finally kneels on the Duncan's deck, his gratitude and fatherly joy repay the crew's trials and confirm what the search was always really about.

Robert Grant

supporting

Also known as Robert, young Robert, Master Robert

Robert is the twelve-year-old son of the missing captain, a boy whose clenched fists and unfinished threats show a temper as fierce as his loyalty. He joins the Duncan's voyage alongside his sister Mary, and his reckless courage repeatedly puts him in danger — most memorably when he digs through packed earth with a stolen knife to reach the captives. His daring repays Lord Glenarvan's kindness at the risk of his own life, making him far more than a passenger.

Mary Grant

supporting

Also known as Mary, Miss Grant, Poor Mary Grant

Mary is the young woman who kneels before Lord Glenarvan and declares she will throw herself at the Queen's feet if no one else will help find her father. Her dignity under disappointment — thanking the officials even as she is turned away — shames the powerful men who refused her. Her devotion anchors the expedition's moral purpose, and her presence aboard the Duncan quietly draws the young Captain Mangles toward a love that will be sealed when her father is found.

John Mangles

supporting

Also known as Captain Mangles, Captain John Mangles, Mangles

Mangles commands the Duncan with the composure of a far older sailor, navigating unknown southern seas while his passengers chase a document's riddles. His first encounter with Paganel — being mistaken for Captain Burton of the Scotia — shows his patience under absurdity, and his competence is the expedition's practical foundation. His growing, unspoken love for Mary Grant gives the voyage a second, quieter stake, one her father blesses the moment he steps aboard.

Ayrton

supporting

Also known as Tom Ayrton, Mr. Ayrton

Ayrton presents himself as a loyal sailor who served under Captain Grant, but his refusal to speak — and his cold indifference to the fate of the man he claims to have followed — unsettles Glenarvan's trust. He parries every inquiry with the cunning of a man who knows the law cannot touch him, hinting that his past hides more than shipwreck. His silence becomes the expedition's central riddle: is he a victim, a witness, or something far more dangerous to the search for the lost captain?

Lady Helena

supporting

Also known as Helena

When Mary and Robert Grant arrive at Malcolm Castle, Lady Helena meets them not with pity but with careful honesty, refusing to offer false hope while still kindling their courage. Her compassion gives the children a home and a champion, and her quiet insistence that the search must continue steadies her husband when doubt creeps in. She is the emotional anchor of the voyage, reminding the crew that behind every document and coordinate are two children waiting for a father.

Major MacNabb

supporting

Also known as MacNabb, Major, Mr. MacNabb

MacNabb is the kind of man who watches a stranger tumble at his feet without so much as a blink, then returns to his pipe and his own quiet thoughts. His loyalty to Glenarvan is absolute, but expressed through presence rather than speeches, and his unflappable composure often shames the more excitable members of the party into steadiness. When the expedition faces swamps, storms, or convicts, it is MacNabb's granite temperament that keeps panic at bay.

Thalcave

supporting

Also known as Thaouka

Thalcave joins the party as a guide through the South American interior, communicating more through gesture and deed than speech, and placing his faith in Thaouka's sure-footed sagacity where maps fail. He embodies a knowledge of the land that no European document can supply, reading quagmires, mirages, and weather with the ease of long familiarity. His quiet competence earns the travelers' respect and proves that the search for Grant depends as much on local wisdom as on Glenarvan's determination.

Wilson

minor

Also known as Will Halley, Halley

Able seaman on the Duncan who accompanies the search party.

Mulready

minor

Sailor on the Duncan who assists during the voyage.

Tom Austin

minor

Also known as Tom, Austin

Trustworthy mate of the Duncan left in charge of the yacht.

Mr. Olbinett

minor

Also known as Olbinett

Steward on the Duncan who manages provisions.

Ben Joyce

supporting

Also known as Ben

Ben Joyce commands a gang of convicts who escaped the Perth penitentiary and have since terrorized the Melbourne and Sandhurst Railway, derailing the night express and murdering a guard. The colonial authorities warn settlers to be on guard, yet Joyce remains at large, his identity unproven and his whereabouts unknown. His shadow falls across the expedition's route through Australia, forcing Glenarvan to weigh the safety of his companions against the urgency of finding Captain Grant.

Kai-Koumou

minor

Maori chief who captures the Glenarvan party in New Zealand.

Kara-Tété

minor

Maori warrior and son of Kai-Koumou.

Mr. O'Moore

minor

Also known as O'Moore

Irish colonist who hosts the party in Australia.

Sergeant Manuel

minor

Also known as Manuel

Argentine sergeant who assists the party in the Andes.

Miss Helena Tuffnel

minor

Also known as Miss Helena, Miss Tuffnel

Lady Helena's maiden name mentioned in backstory.

Captain Burton

minor

British traveler briefly encountered by the party.

Mrs. Olbinett

minor

Wife of the steward, who assists Lady Helena.

Pepe

minor

Young guide who leads the party through the Andes.

Sam Machell

minor

Australian settler who provides information about the country.

Michael Patterson

minor

Also known as Michael

Soldier who accompanies Burke on his expedition.

Jacob Louper

minor

Also known as Louper

German settler who offers hospitality in Australia.

Mr. Mitchell

minor

Australian explorer mentioned in the narrative.

Alexander Patterson

minor

Also known as Sandy Patterson

Name used by Ayrton to conceal his identity.

Thomas Banks

minor

Sailor on the Britannia mentioned in the documents.

Captain Marion

minor

Also known as Marion

French explorer whose fate is discussed by Paganel.

Tohonga

minor

Maori priest who performs rituals.

Robert O'Hara Burke

minor

Also known as Robert

Australian explorer whose expedition is referenced.

Stuart

minor

Australian explorer mentioned in the narrative.

Hawkins

minor

Sailor on the Duncan who assists in the voyage.