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Updated: June 10, 2025
Before seeing it I had always thought that the eternal chant of the old pirate at the "Admiral Benbow," in Treasure Island: "Fifteen men on the Dead Man's Chest, Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!" referred literally to a seaman's chest, though reflection might have shown that one chest would afford rather scanty seating-ground for fifteen men.
"Whither are you going, lads, on such a night as this?" he inquired. "We are greatly afraid that some misadventure may have befallen the Benbow frigate, and are going to see, father. You will not say us no, I hope?" Mr Willoughby hesitated, but Roger pressed the point, and finally obtained leave, his father assisting them to close the door, to do which required no small amount of exertion.
Captain Benbow, shaking him by the hand in the presence of all the officers and crew, complimented him highly on the gallant way in which he had captured the pirate frigate, and assured him that it would be a great satisfaction to recommend him for immediate promotion.
Noon passed by, and still they remained becalmed. Whether it was their whistling or not produced the breeze, one sprung up towards evening, and the brave Benbow steered after the French. Again they were discovered, and again lost sight of.
He was a keen partisan in the feud that then divided the navy, the one faction being for Benbow, the other against him; and being ignorant of my antecedents, he supposed from my not having been a midshipman that I was one of the fine gentlemen who were foisted on the King's service by their high connections and despised plain seamen of the Benbow school.
There was a tight little scrimmage, I promise you, but they were two to one, and grappled us close, and clapped a stopper on our cable, hang 'em. They chained us together, the dogs, and marched us into St. Malo with scarce a rag to our backs, and yesterday they sent me and some more here." "And right glad I am they did, Joe. But surely Captain Benbow did not send you in charge of the party?"
Wasn't his father a tanner, and don't his sister keep a coffee shop?" "And what then?" "What then? Why, this: that he ain't fit to be in the company of gentlemen," and then he told a foul story of Benbow which angered me past all endurance.
The Prince was advancing towards London. The captains returned to their ships, and Benbow resolved to remain on board his vessel till he could ascertain what side the rest of the fleet were likely to take. On his saying that he would sail eastward to look after the British fleet in the Medway, the men of all the ships came aft to their respective captains.
He therefore said nothing on the subject, but applied himself as diligently as before to improving his knowledge of seamanship and navigation. Nothing has been said of Jumbo since he was employed in carrying the Moors' heads on shore. He had devoted himself to Captain Benbow, and fully expected to continue in his service.
The following anecdote shows his character, and is in accordance with the spirit of the times in which he lived. In the year 1688 he was, while in command of the Benbow frigate, attacked on his passage to Cadiz by a Sallee rover of far superior force, against which he defended himself with the utmost bravery.
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