# Gideon Spilett — The Mysterious Island character guide > Gideon Spilett in The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Mr. Spilett, Spilett, Doctor Spilett **First appearance:** 0001-i ## Snapshot A veteran war correspondent with a reporter's restless eye, he treats the island as the story of a lifetime and hunts for its secrets. ## Who they are Spilett is the New York Herald's man, tempered by ten climates and incapable of letting a fact go unrecorded, whether he is sketching a battle or scheming to send word home by albatross. His journalistic itch—half noble curiosity, half professional vanity—clashes with the colony's need for caution, as when he releases a captured bird carrying a dispatch. He matters because his skepticism and observation balance Cyrus Smith's authority, and his instinct for the hidden story keeps the island's mysteries in play. ## Relationships ### [Cyrus Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/cyrus_smith) _friendship_ Cyrus Smith and Gideon Spilett are close intellectual companions, collaborating as the colony's strategist and journalist respectively. ### [Pencroff](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/pencroff) _friendship_ Gideon Spilett and Pencroff share a friendly, bantering camaraderie, with the journalist often humoring the sailor's exuberance. ### [Herbert Brown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/herbert_brown) _friendship_ Gideon Spilett takes a kindly, instructive interest in Herbert, sharing his knowledge and treating him like a younger brother. ### [Neb](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/neb) _friendship_ Gideon Spilett and Neb are friendly and cooperative, working together harmoniously in the colony's daily life. ### [Cyrus Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/cyrus_smith) _friendship_ Cyrus Smith and Gideon Spilett are close intellectual companions, collaborating as the colony's strategist and journalist respectively. ### [Cyrus Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/cyrus_smith) _friendship_ Cyrus Smith and Gideon Spilett are close intellectual companions, collaborating as the colony's strategist and journalist respectively. ### [Pencroff](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/pencroff) _friendship_ Gideon Spilett and Pencroff share a friendly, bantering camaraderie, with the journalist often humoring the sailor's exuberance. ### [Pencroff](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/pencroff) _friendship_ Gideon Spilett and Pencroff share a friendly, bantering camaraderie, with the journalist often humoring the sailor's exuberance. ### [Herbert Brown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/herbert_brown) _friendship_ Gideon Spilett takes a kindly, instructive interest in Herbert, sharing his knowledge and treating him like a younger brother. ### [Herbert Brown](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/herbert_brown) _friendship_ Gideon Spilett takes a kindly, instructive interest in Herbert, sharing his knowledge and treating him like a younger brother. ### [Neb](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/neb) _friendship_ Gideon Spilett and Neb are friendly and cooperative, working together harmoniously in the colony's daily life. ### [Neb](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/neb) _friendship_ Gideon Spilett and Neb are friendly and cooperative, working together harmoniously in the colony's daily life. ## In the story ### [Part I: Shipwrecked in the Air](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/part-i-shipwrecked-in-the-air) War correspondent and companion; helps organize the search for Smith. ### [The Hurricane of 1865](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/i) Among the passengers in the balloon basket. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/ii) Reporter for the New York Herald, captured alongside Smith; brave, resourceful, and eager to join the escape plan. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/iii) Leads the search for Smith and later agrees to wait for low tide before crossing. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/iv) Briefly mentioned as having gone back along the coast to search for Neb. ### [Arranging the Chimneys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/v) Returns from searching for Cyrus Smith, exhausted and hungry; silently observes the fire-making and briefly notes the day's events before sleeping. ### [The Castaways' Inventory](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/vi) Stays behind at the Chimneys to keep the fire and assist Neb if needed. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/vii) Questions Smith's disappearance, stays awake with anxiety, and insists on following Top. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/viii) The reporter examines Smith and confirms he is alive. He recounts the events of the past days to the engineer. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/ix) Confident in Smith's resourcefulness, he downplays the fire problem and supports the engineer's plans. ### [The Ascent of the Volcano](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/x) Records the events, kills a tragopan with a stone, and shares in the ascent. ### [Chapter XI: At the Summit of the Cone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xi) Questions the size of the island, draws its configuration, and suggests names from America. ### [Exploration of Lake Grant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xii) Has a chronometer uninjured by seawater; notes down incidents; comments on the beauty of Lake Grant. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xiii) Contributes his knowledge and skill; participates in the work. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xiv) Holds the chronometer for the noon observation and comments on the oyster bed's abundance. ### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xv) Accompanies the group, records events, and participates in the hunt and exploration. ### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xvi) Participates in the exploration and discussion; suggests the possibility of caves on the opposite coast. ### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xvii) Reporter who accompanies Smith to the lake and supports the engineering plans. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xviii) Curious about the mystery of Top's barking, participates in the exploration. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xix) Hunts with Herbert, explores the warren, and demonstrates skill and efficiency admired by Pencroff. ### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xx) Journalist who emphasizes the importance of planting the grain with care. ### [Chapter XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxi) Comments on the island's varied geography and suggests settling as if forever. ### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxii) Assists with traps and suggests using dead foxes as bait; helps clear the Chimneys with Smith. ### [Part II: The Abandoned](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/part-ii-the-abandoned) Documents events and contributes to the colony's planning. ### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxiii) Discusses the bullet incident with Herbert and speculates that the visitors may have been temporary castaways. ### [Trial of the Canoe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxiv) Sketching the coastline in his notebook; confirms the object is a wreck. ### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxv) Explores the banks with Herbert and Pencroff; catches tinamous birds for the poultry-yard. ### [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxvi) Kills a jaguar with a single shot, impressing Herbert, and suggests naming the creek. ### [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxvii) Proposes continuing the exploration along the south coast to settle the question of the shipwreck. ### [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxviii) Shares in the anxiety and discussion of the mysterious events; comments on the orangutan's monotonous conversation. ### [Projects and Progress on Lincoln Island](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxix) Assists in the construction work, showing unexpected skill; humorously noted by Pencroff as a capable worker for a newspaper man. ### [Clothing, Corral, and Cultivation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxx) Huntsman who rides an onager during the corral hunt and assists in unripping balloon cloth for thread. ### [Bad Weather and New Discoveries](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxxi) Assists in glassmaking, questions the accuracy of earlier observations, and supports the plan to build a boat to explore Tabor Island. ### [Ship building](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxxii) Discovers wild tobacco in the Far West and helps prepare it as a surprise for Pencroff. ### [Winter Preparations and the Albatross Message](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxxiii) Writes a succinct article for the albatross message; hopes it reaches the New York Herald. ### [XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxxiv) Assists Neb in cooking, admits leaving the causeway open, sketches the panorama during the trial trip, and participates in the fight. ### [XXXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxxv) Joins the voyage as a reporter, observing and documenting the search on Tabor Island. ### [XXXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxxvi) Helps subdue the feral man and observes his condition. ### [XXXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxxvii) Observes the Unknown's condition and supports Smith's approach to rehabilitation. ### [A Mystery to Be Solved](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxxviii) Observes that the Unknown's first human sensation seems to be remorse, and speculates about the man's past. ### [XXXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xxxix) Works alongside Smith as a chemist and physicist, and participates in the discussions about Ayrton. ### [XL](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xl) Engages in a conversation with Smith about the inexplicable events; takes photographs of the island and its inhabitants. ### [XLI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xli) Participates in the debate about building a ship and takes photographs during the voyage. ### [XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xlii) Confirms the light's brightness and urges Smith to inform the others about the strange occurrences. ### [XLIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xliii) Telegraphs Ayrton; participates in discussion and preparation for defense. ### [XLIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xliv) Reporter who suggests the colonists die like men if necessary. ### [XLV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xlv) Posts at the Mercy with Neb; uses a carbine to shoot at the pirates. ### [XLVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xlvi) Comments on the miraculous timing of the event and examines the wreck. ### [XLVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xlvii) Supports the search for the benefactor and participates in the artillery test. ### [XLVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xlviii) Reporter who accompanies Pencroff to Port Balloon and supports the decision to leave the boat there. ### [XLIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/xlix) Uses his medical knowledge to treat Herbert's wounds and directs the care. ### [L](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/l) Assists in Herbert's medical treatment and discusses the situation with Smith; notes the absence of their protector. ### [LI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/li) Conducts sorties outside the corral; finds a fragment of Ayrton's waistcoat; supports the decision to move Herbert. ### [LII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/lii) Watches over Herbert, diagnoses the pernicious fever, and despairs at the lack of quinine. ### [LIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/liii) Administers quinine to Herbert; called 'Doctor Spilett' by Pencroff; participates in the expedition. ### [Exploration of Reptile End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/liv) Volunteers to reconnoiter the corral with Pencroff; exercises restraint and reports back to Smith. ### [LV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/lv) Eagerly participates in the search for the island's mysterious benefactor. ### [LVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/lvi) Expresses longing for news from the outside world; becomes a washerman during winter. ### [LVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/lvii) Participates in the conversation about the future and jokingly founds the New Lincoln Herald. ### [Captain Nemo's Revelation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/lviii) Present during Nemo's revelation, offers medical assistance which Nemo declines. ### [The Last Hours of Captain Nemo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/lix) Observes Nemo's decline, discusses submarine navigation, and remains immobile during the death scene. ### [LX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/lx) Reporter; discusses volcanic activity with Smith and notes the timeline of the eruption. ### [LXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/lxi) Listens to Smith's explanation and participates in the colony's response to the crisis. ### [LXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/chapters/lxii) Nervous during the ordeal; later founds the New Lincoln Herald. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters/gideon_spilett - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mysterious_island_se/characters