Study Guide: Treasure Island — Chapter “The Captain’s Papers”

Themes / Big Ideas

The lure and danger of treasure (greed vs. prudence): The map triggers immediate plans and excitement; Livesey insists on secrecy and caution while Trelawney is impulsive.
Coming-of-age for Jim: Jim’s bravery and reliability are recognized (“a trump”); he’s invited to join the voyage as cabin-boy.
Law and order vs. piracy: Civil authority (Mr. Dance), professional reason (Dr. Livesey), and gentry (Squire) collide with the brutal pirate economy revealed in Bones’s account-book.
Knowledge is power: The oilskin packet—book and map—turns information into leverage; documents launch the entire adventure.
Leadership and discretion: Livesey’s disciplined judgment contrasts with Trelawney’s hot-headed enthusiasm; the danger of loose talk foreshadows later betrayals.
Civilization vs. the unknown: The dignified library and fireside give way to dreams of distant islands, harbors, and “Spy-glass”—a movement from order into adventure.
Moral ambiguity: Respectable characters are tempted by pirate treasure; admiration of Flint’s “Englishness” hints at blurred lines between heroism and criminality.

Vocabulary

Word	Part of Speech	Definition
buccaneer	noun	A pirate, especially one active in the Caribbean.
lugger	noun	A small sailing vessel rigged with lugsails.
topsails	noun	Sails set above the lowest sails on a square-rigged mast.
rum-puncheon	noun	A very large cask for rum; used figuratively in the chapter.
soundings	noun	Measurements of water depth for navigation.
anchorage	noun	A safe place suitable for anchoring a ship.
latitude	noun	Distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees.
longitude	noun	Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees.
bearing	noun	Direction or position relative to a fixed point (often a compass direction).
cache	noun	A hidden store or stash (of goods, treasure, etc.).
hummock	noun	A small, rounded hill or mound.
fathom	noun	A nautical unit of length equal to six feet (about 1.8 meters).
thimble	noun	A small metal cap worn on a finger when sewing; used here as an improvised seal.
tottery	adjective	Shaky or unsteady; wobbling (here, referring to handwriting).
poll	noun	The head or scalp; the hair of the head.
squire	noun	A country gentleman; a landowner of local standing.
stately	adjective	Dignified, grand, and impressive in manner or appearance.
condescending	adjective	Having or showing a patronizing sense of superiority.
hot-headed	adjective	Quick to anger or act rashly; impulsive.
exclamatory	adjective	Expressing strong emotion; full of exclamations.
ambiguity	noun	Uncertainty or inexactness of meaning; something open to more than one interpretation.
account-book	noun	A ledger; a book for recording money owed and paid.
black-hearted	adjective	Cruel or evil in nature.
rough-and-ready	adjective	Not polished but effective; sturdy and practical.
matted	adjective	Covered with matting; lined with woven mats (as in a passageway).
Spy-glass	noun	A telescope; here, the name of the hill on the map (“The Spy-glass”).
bulk (of)	noun	The greater part or majority (as in “Bulk of treasure”).
cross (mark)	noun	An X or similar mark used as a sign or placeholder.
stirrup-leather	noun	The leather strap that holds a saddle’s stirrup.
pile (slang)	noun	A large sum of money; a fortune.

Quotes to Look For

“This lad Hawkins is a trump, I perceive.” — Jim’s capability and new status.
“And so, Jim … you have the thing that they were after, have you?” — The packet’s importance.
“He was the bloodthirstiest buccaneer that sailed. Blackbeard was a child to Flint.” — Flint’s fearsome reputation.
“Supposing that I have here in my pocket some clue to where Flint buried his treasure, will that treasure amount to much?” — Knowledge as power.
“Amount, sir! … I fit out a ship in Bristol dock … and I’ll have that treasure if I search a year.” — Trelawney’s impulsive resolve.
“Bones, his pile.” — The pirate economy reduced to cold accounting.
“Bulk of treasure here.” — The map’s most tantalizing note.
“Thrifty man! … He wasn’t the one to be cheated.” — The pirates’ shrewdness.
“This is the black-hearted hound’s account-book.” — Naming piracy for what it is.
“You will give up this wretched practice at once. Tomorrow I start for Bristol.” — Adventure eclipsing ordinary life.
“There’s only one man I’m afraid of.” … “You … for you cannot hold your tongue.” — The danger of indiscretion.
“We are not the only men who know of this paper.” / “Not one of us must breathe a word of what we’ve found.” — Secrecy as survival.