Treasure Island: Chapter 22 Summary & Analysis

That night, both sides rest. One more of the pirates, who had been wounded, dies, leaving only eight left. Captain Smollett is also wounded: his wounds are serious but not fatal, requiring weeks of rest. Dr. Livesey patches up Jim’s cut across the knuckles.

After dinner Dr. Livesey slips out and sets off through the trees. Gray is shocked and tells Jim he must be mad, but Jim suggests he’s going to see Ben Gunn. Jim begins to envy the doctor, who’s probably walking in the cool woods while he’s stuck in the sweltering log-house doing mindless errands.

The older Jim narrating the tale acknowledges that his next moves are those of a foolish young boy: he plans to go find the white rock mentioned by Ben Gunn and the boat hidden beside it—a worthy goal itself, but not worth slipping out in secrecy (since Jim worries he won’t be allowed if he asks permission). Still, he’s only a boy, though a clever one: he fills his pockets with biscuits to eat, and sneaks out the next afternoon while no one is looking.

Jim heads for the east coast of the island and finally reaches the sea, beginning to stroll beside the surf and enjoying the sea breeze. He catches sight of the Hispaniola with the Jolly Roger flag waving, and Silver and some of his men prowling the decks. Suddenly he hears horrible screaming: he is frightened, thinking of Flint, but then sees Silver’s parrot, who’s capable of mimicking anything.

The sun begins to set, and Jim continues towards the white rock, crawling on all fours through the brush so as not to be seen. Almost at nightfall, he finds it, and discovers Gunn’s homemade boat of wood and goat-skin. It’s so small that it looks like it would barely fit a grown man. Jim thinks of the coracle boats of ancient Britain, and thinks this is the worst version of the coracle he’s seen—though it is light and portable.

Then it crosses Jim’s mind to slip out at night and cut the Hispaniola adrift so that she runs ashore, preventing the pirates from escaping to sea after their defeat. He sits and waits for full darkness and eats his biscuits. Finally, when all is black, he gropes his way out of the hollow, catching sight of two points of light: one a fire on shore where the pirates are drinking and carousing, the other coming from the ship—Jim’s target.