Captain Clubin

Mess Lethierry

Captain Clubin deceives and betrays Mess Lethierry, plotting to steal his ship and fortune.

The Man Rock

Captain Clubin deliberately wrecks his ship on the Man Rock as part of his fraudulent scheme, then perishes there.

Gilliatt

Clubin's betrayal indirectly sets Gilliatt on his dangerous mission, and their paths cross in opposition.

Tangrouille

Clubin interacts with Tangrouille as a fellow seaman, using him for information without revealing his true plans.

Mess Lethierry

Captain Clubin deceives and betrays Mess Lethierry, plotting to steal his ship and fortune.

Mess Lethierry

Captain Clubin deceives and betrays Mess Lethierry, plotting to steal his ship and fortune.

The Man Rock

Captain Clubin deliberately wrecks his ship on the Man Rock as part of his fraudulent scheme, then perishes there.

Gilliatt

Clubin's betrayal indirectly sets Gilliatt on his dangerous mission, and their paths cross in opposition.

Gilliatt

Clubin's betrayal indirectly sets Gilliatt on his dangerous mission, and their paths cross in opposition.

Tangrouille

Clubin interacts with Tangrouille as a fellow seaman, using him for information without revealing his true plans.

The Man Rock

Captain Clubin deliberately wrecks his ship on the Man Rock as part of his fraudulent scheme, then perishes there.

Tangrouille

Clubin interacts with Tangrouille as a fellow seaman, using him for information without revealing his true plans.

Part I: Sieur Clubin

Introduced as the seemingly upright and trustworthy captain of the Durande, but hints of duplicity and hidden agendas begin to surface.

Book II: Mess Lethierry

The captain of the Durande, who disappears under mysterious circumstances after the ship is wrecked.

The Man Who Discovered Rantaine’s Character

Taciturn, honest, and skilled mariner from Torteval; selected by Lethierry for his probity and accurate judgment of Rantaine's character.

Matrimonial Prospects

Mentioned as being only fifteen years younger than Lethierry, thus only a provisional master for the Durande, not the permanent successor Lethierry seeks.

Conversations at the Jean Auberge

Introduced as a man of short stature, yellow complexion, and bull-like strength, with a reputation for religion and integrity. He is a regular at the Jean Auberge, preferring the table of customhouse officers.

Clubin Observes Someone

Observes Zuela and a stranger from the Durande; later seeks a revolver from a gunsmith, requesting discretion.

III: Clubin Carries Away Something and Brings Back Nothing

Clubin loads the Durande, prepares a bag with provisions and a knotted rope, and hides them at Torteval.

The Birds’-Nesters

The chapter is set near the period of the Saturday passed by Sieur Clubin at Torteval.

Nocturnal Buyers and Mysterious Sellers

Absent from the Jean Auberge on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, suggesting involvement in the nocturnal transaction.

A "Cannon" Off the Red Ball and the Black

Observes Rantaine from the cliff, confronts him after the murder, and holds him at gunpoint.

Useful Information for Persons Who Expect or Fear the Arrival of Letters from Beyond Sea

Returns late, conceals a bottle of brandy, inquires about the Tamaulipas and the ocean letter-box, and plans to sail the next morning.

Book VI: The Drunken Steersman and the Sober Captain

The sober captain of the Durande, whose outward piety and discipline mask his true intentions.

An Unexpected Flask of Brandy

Sieur Clubin is the captain of the Durande, a sober and vigilant man who retains the drunken helmsman Tangrouille. He wears a leather belt with his name and a reserve of twenty guineas, and before departure he adds the iron box containing seventy-five thousand francs in banknotes.

Conversations Interrupted

Wears an austere, Puritan-like expression and redoubles his attention as the voyage progresses.

Captain Clubin Displays All His Great Qualities

Takes command aggressively, blaming the helmsman for delays and steering the ship into dangerous fog despite warnings.

V: Clubin Reaches the Crowning-Point of Glory

Remains calm and authoritative during the wreck, orders evacuation, and chooses to stay aboard the Durande as it founders.

VI: The Interior of an Abyss Suddenly Revealed

Reveals his true nature as a lifelong hypocrite and villain, now triumphant in his scheme to fake his death and escape with stolen money.

An Unexpected Denouement

Clubin is the central figure in this chapter, facing the catastrophic failure of his scheme as he realizes he has wrecked the Durande on the Douvres instead of the Hanways. He desperately attempts to swim to the Man Rock to signal a passing cutter, only to be seized underwater.

The Pearl at the Foot of the Precipice

Praised for his noble refusal to leave the wreck; presumed saved by a passing vessel, with plans for a triumphant welcome.

Discovery

Clubin is indirectly referenced as the one who steered the Durande onto the rock, and whose dive into the sea occurred near the caverns Gilliatt explores.

Book III: The Struggle

His skeleton is discovered by Gilliatt on the Douvres reef, revealing his fate after wrecking the Durande.

Book IV: Pitfalls in the Way

Clubin's deceptive actions and moral ambiguity are highlighted as a key pitfall in the way of the salvage.

Nothing Is Hidden, Nothing Lost

Identified as the owner of the girdle and the deceased man whose skeleton is found.

V: The Fatal Difference Between Six Inches and Two Feet

His skeleton is found by Gilliatt in the cave, having been killed by a devilfish; his remains are left among the crabs.

De Profundis Ad Altum

The spectre of Clubin appears mockingly to Gilliatt, symbolizing the irony and despair of his situation.

The Harbour Bell

Posthumously suspected of deliberately wrecking the Durande; evidence of his premeditation and connection to the haunted house and traveling bag emerges.