Jim Hawkins describes his departure from home as he sets off to become the cabin boy on the voyage to Treasure Island. Like his fellow adventurers, he mistakes the roughness of the ship's crew as an asset rather than a danger . . .

Several weeks later, I took leave of my tearful mother and set off with Dr. Livesey for the port of Bristol. Squire Trelawney had gone ahead to secure a seaworthy ship and a trusty crew, and by the time we arrived at the docks, he had purchased a sturdy schooner called the Hispaniola and had begun gathering our provisions.

He was delighted to see us and told us excitedly about his luck in finding an experienced crew. As we boarded a skiff and rowed out to inspect the Hispaniola, he described an unexpected stroke of good fortune.

"I was standing at dockside last week," he said, "when I was approached by an old sailor who had hobbled down for a whiff of the fresh salt air. Long John Silver was his name. He walked with a crutch - for he had lost a leg in service to the Queen - and he carried a green parrot on his shoulder.

"As we stood admiring the ship, Silver told me that life on shore was bad for his health and that he wanted to head back to sea as a cook. Out of pure pity, I hired him on the spot." The squire's generosity was instantly rewarded, for Long John seemed to know all the sailors in Bristol, and in no time, he had helped assemble a rough-and-tough pack of old sea dogs. To be sure, they were a mangy-looking crew, with more fleas than manners, but Long John assured the squire that they were ready for adventure.