Character guide

Captain Whalley

major

Also known as Whalley, poor Whalley, Harry Whalley, Henry Whalley, Daredevil Harry Whalley

Once known as Daredevil Harry Whalley in the Eastern Seas, he now holds his coasting command only because he bought it, and he cannot stop pacing the bridge at night. His daughter Ivy and her failing husband in Melbourne consume his wages; every dollar he earns is already promised away. His stubborn pride and refusal to be pitied make him the moral center the Sofala's schemers circle around.

Mr. Massy

major

Also known as Massy, that Massy

Massy owns a share of the ship but feels cheated by life, and his second's drunken midnight babble reveals both his vanity and his envy of any man who has done better. He listens, gratified, while the old soaker calls him a clever scoundrel, then thumps the bulkhead and shouts for silence. His loathing of the boilers, the coast, and his own partners makes him the story's most dangerous pressure point.

Mr. Van Wyk

supporting

Also known as Van Wyk, XII Mr. Van Wyk

Van Wyk lives apart from the coast's commercial scramble, and his affection for Whalley is the closest thing to intimacy in his life. When Sterne corners him with hints that the captain's game is up, Van Wyk feels a loathsome dismay at this queer privilege of friendship but conceals his scorn. His practical instinct and tenacious loyalty make him the one outsider who might see the truth whole.

Mr. Sterne

supporting

Also known as Sterne, XI Sterne

Sterne steals out in pyjamas at night to stand barefoot below the bridge, listening to Whalley's nervous orders to the Serang and hoarding each one as evidence. He feels awestruck indignation at the captain's reckless perversity, yet his real object is not exposure but succession. Patient, malicious, and careful, he is the quiet engine driving the Sofala toward its reckoning.

the Serang

supporting

Also known as Serang, the barefooted Serang

By custom the Serang holds the deck for the captain on easy stretches, but Whalley cannot stay below, and so the two men trade low words in the dark: 'You are watching the compass well?' 'Yes, I am watching, Tuan.' His steady obedience and unspoken understanding make him a still point amid the ship's gathering suspicions. He is the one witness whose silence the schemers never think to count.

Captain Eliott

minor

Also known as Eliott, Ned Eliott, Ned, the pleasant jolly Ned Eliott

A jovial, respected harbor master and old friend of Whalley.

Jack

minor

Also known as the faithful Jack

A loyal, unnamed servant or crewman on the Sofala.

Tuan

minor

A respectful title used for European gentlemen, often referring to Van Wyk.

Ivy

supporting

Also known as Captain Whalley's daughter

Ivy resembles her mother in eyes and character, and when her father told her all he had was for her and the chicks, she answered with an almost imperceptible movement of her head. Her husband's punctuality in failure and his invalid's bath-chair turn Whalley's old age into a long, uncomplaining sacrifice. She never appears on the Sofala, yet every dollar of the captain's wage is spent on her, and that is the whole weight he carries.

Evans

minor

Also known as poor Evans

A former shipmate of Whalley, now deceased.

Sir Frederick

minor

A colonial official or wealthy patron mentioned in passing.

Captain Provost

minor

A fellow sea captain and acquaintance of Whalley.

Mr. Denham

minor

A minor official or shipowner in the port community.

Charley

minor

Also known as Paunchy Charley, Poor Charley

A portly, good-natured friend of Whalley's youth.

old Swinburne

minor

An elderly, retired seaman known to Whalley.

Mrs. Gardner

minor

Also known as Gardner

A widow and landlady in the port town.