The Wrong Rocks

Captain Clubin, had recognised, in St Malo, a certain Rantaine, who had stolen money from the owner of the steamship Durande, Messe Lethierry. Clubin, you will remember, was the captain of the Durande.

Captain Clubin had purchased a revolver. He had followed Rantaine to a remote clifftop where he was waiting to rendezvous with a smugglers' ship that would take him to South America. Clubin had forced Rantaine to hand over a leather belt containing seventy five thousand francs, before embarking. He claimed he was going to return the money to Messe Lethierry.

As Rantaine sailed away he was heard to shout back furiously that he would make sure someone on board his ship wrote to Messe Lethierry to tell him what had happened.

This is why Captain Clubin feared the postbox of the sea. For he had no intention of giving the money back to the owner of the Durande. Instead, he planned to run the Durande aground on the return trip to Guernsey, send the passengers off in a lifeboat, and pretend that he was going down with the ship. But being a good swimmer, his real intention was to swim ashore and start a new life with the money.

Little did he know that due to a set of misunderstandings and a thick fog, he would run the ship aground upon the wrong set of rocks!......

The Postbox of the Sea

It is 1820 or thereabouts. In the downstairs room of an inn in St Malo, Captain Gertrais, an old ocean-going captain, is talking with Captain Clubin of the steamship Durande. Captain Gertrais is telling Captain Clubin about the postbox of the sea.

What do you mean by the postbox of the sea?

You don't know what that is, Captain Clubin?

No.

When you pass the Strait of Magellan ....

Well?

Snow everywhere, always rough weather, vile winds, a foul sea.

What then?

When you have rounded Cape Monmouth ....

Then?

Then you round Cape Valentine.

And then?

Then you round Cape Isidore.

And then?

Then you round Cape Anna.

Alright, but what is the postbox of the sea you talk about?

I'm coming to that.

I have quoted Victor Hugo at length, because he is an excellent writer. He does not hesitate to use over half a page to illustrate the old ocean-going captain's way of building up a story. From here, the old ocean-going captain goes on to explain about the postbox of the sea.....

(I'm coming to that).