# Captain Nicholl — Round the Moon character guide > Captain Nicholl in Round the Moon by Jules Verne. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Nicholl, the methodical Nicholl, the calculating Nicholl **First appearance:** 0001-i-from-10-20-p-m-to-10-47-p-m ## Snapshot The calculating rival turned crewmate, who screws down the hatch himself and trusts a chronometer more than any speech about destiny. ## Who they are Nicholl boarded the projectile as Barbicane's adversary and remains its most methodical passenger, sealing the plates, timing the departure, demanding a written receipt for money exchanged in a vessel that may never return. His skepticism is not hostility so much as a need for proof, and it makes him the counterweight to both Barbicane's confidence and Ardan's improvisation. In the early arc he is the man who checks the bolts — the reason the others can afford to dream. ## Relationships ### [Michel Ardan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/michel_ardan) _friendship_ Despite initial rivalry, they become allies and friends during their journey, with Nicholl often engaging in lively debates with Ardan. ### [Impey Barbicane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/impey_barbicane) _rivalry_ Former competitors in the gun club who evolve into respectful colleagues, though their contrasting personalities create tension. ### [J. T. Maston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/j_t_maston) _professional_ Colleagues in the Gun Club who interact primarily through shared technical and organizational duties. ### [Lieutenant Bronsfield](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/lieutenant_bronsfield) _professional_ Nicholl and Bronsfield have a working relationship, likely as superior and subordinate in the ship's crew. ### [Murchison](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/murchison) _professional_ Nicholl and Murchison work together as part of the expedition's support crew or technical team. ### [Diana](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/diana) _friendship_ Nicholl shows care for the dog Diana, treating her as a valued member of the spacecraft's company. ### [Captain Blomsberry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/captain_blomsberry) _professional_ Fellow captains and colleagues, likely sharing a professional acquaintance within the Gun Club or naval circles. ### [Major Elphinstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/major_elphinstone) _professional_ Nicholl and Elphinstone have a professional acquaintance, likely through the Gun Club or military connections. ### [Michel Ardan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/michel_ardan) _friendship_ Despite initial rivalry, they become allies and friends during their journey, with Nicholl often engaging in lively debates with Ardan. ### [Impey Barbicane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/impey_barbicane) _rivalry_ Former competitors in the gun club who evolve into respectful colleagues, though their contrasting personalities create tension. ### [Impey Barbicane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/impey_barbicane) _rivalry_ Former competitors in the gun club who evolve into respectful colleagues, though their contrasting personalities create tension. ### [Michel Ardan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/michel_ardan) _friendship_ Despite initial rivalry, they become allies and friends during their journey, with Nicholl often engaging in lively debates with Ardan. ## In the story ### [Preliminary Chapter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/preliminary-chapter) Traveller in the projectile; noted for his industrial resources. ### [From 10:20 p.m. to 10:47 p.m.](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/i-from-10-20-p-m-to-10-47-p-m) Methodically counts down the remaining time, accepts bets with Ardan, and lies down with the others for the launch. ### [The First Half-Hour](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/ii-the-first-half-hour) Consults his chronometer to confirm elapsed time, turns off unnecessary gas light, and first draws attention to the vanished Earth. ### [III: Taking Possession](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/iii-taking-possession) Calculates trajectories and assists in the inspection; shows foresight about the heat of launch. ### [A Little Algebra](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/iv-a-little-algebra) Assists Barbicane with calculations and confirms the correctness of the formula. ### [The Temperature of Space](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/v-the-temperature-of-space) Verifies the miscalculation and deduces the initial velocity was higher than expected. ### [Questions and Answers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/vi-questions-and-answers) Participates in the debates, corrects Michel about the comet idea, and asks pointed scientific questions. ### [A Moment of Intoxication](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/vii-a-moment-of-intoxication) Raises the practical question of how to return to Earth; methodically points out flaws in Michel's ideas, such as the weight of a telegraph wire. ### [At Seventy-Eight Thousand One Hundred and Fourteen Leagues](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/viii-at-seventy-eight-thousand-one-hundred-and-fourteen-leagues) Observes the weightlessness phenomenon, participates in the discussion, and humorously suggests the suppression of gravitation. ### [The Consequences of Deviation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/ix-the-consequences-of-deviation) Suggests the cannon may have been aimed incorrectly or the velocity was too high; participates in preparations for the fall. ### [X: The Observers of the Moon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/x-the-observers-of-the-moon) Nicholl is present as one of the three travelers, though not explicitly named in this excerpt; his inclusion is implied by the group. ### [Imagination and Reality](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xi-imagination-and-reality) Joins Barbicane in methodically analyzing the lunar surface, focusing on dimensions and geological features. ### [XII: Orographical Details](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xii-orographical-details) Participates in the scientific discussion, questioning the nature of the luminous rays and the formation of lunar amphitheatres. ### [Lunar Landscapes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xiii-lunar-landscapes) Skeptical of Michel's fanciful ideas, notes the absence of life, and discusses the possibility of an atmosphere in cavities. ### [A Night of Three Hundred and Fifty-Four Hours and a Half](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xiv-a-night-of-three-hundred-and-fifty-four-hours-and-a-half) Disputes with Michel about the cause of the darkness, provides scientific counterpoints, and notes the intense cold by consulting the thermometer. ### [Hyperbola or Parabola](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xv-hyperbola-or-parabola) Engages in the debate over parabola vs. hyperbola, provides definitions, and cries out when the bolis bursts. ### [XVI: The Southern Hemisphere](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xvi-the-southern-hemisphere) Uses his telescope to spot brilliant points on the southern lunar border, leading to the discovery of the sun illuminating the mountains. ### [XVII: Tycho](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xvii-tycho) Asks about the width of Clavius and remarks on the Selenites' longing for sunlight. ### [Grave Questions](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xviii-grave-questions) Engages in the debate, asks probing questions about habitability for differently organized beings and the moon's rotation. ### [A Struggle with the Impossible](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xix-a-struggle-with-the-impossible) Suggests sleeping to pass the time, participates in calculations, and coldly acknowledges their doom when the fall begins. ### [XX: The Soundings of the Susquehanna](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xx-the-soundings-of-the-susquehanna) Mentioned as beginning levelling operations on the lunar surface. ### [Picked Up](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xxii-picked-up) Rescued alongside Barbicane and Ardan, found playing dominoes. ### [The End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xxiii-the-end) Returns with Barbicane and Ardan; participates in the nationwide tour; appointed Vice-President of the new company. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters/captain_nicholl - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/round_the_moon_se/characters