Long John Silver

Origin
Long John Silver is a pirate who was ship's quartermaster under the notorious Captain Flint. Silver claims to have served in the Royal Navy and lost his leg under "the immortal Hawke". He was said to have been the only man whom Flint ever feared. He had a parrot on his shoulder called Fleur Da Silva. Silver is a hardworking and likeable seaman, but his villainous nature is gradually revealed. His relationship with Jim Hawkins, is interesting, as he serves as a mentor and eventually father-figure to Jim, creating much shock and emotion when it is discovered that he is in charge of the mutiny, and especially when Jim must confront him and fight later on. Although willing to change sides at any time in the interests of his own survival, Silver has compensating virtues: he is wise enough to pay attention to money management, in contrast to the spendthrift ways of most pirates, and is physically courageous despite his disability; for instance, when Flint's cache is found to be empty, he coolly stands his ground against five grown men despite having only Hawkins to back him.

When Silver escapes he takes "three or four hundred guineas" of the treasure with him, thus becoming one of only two former members of Captain Flint's crew to get his hands on a portion of the recovered treasure; a separate cache of bar silver is apparently left on the island. (The repentant maroonee Ben Gunn is the other, but he spends it all in nineteen days.) Jim's own ambivalence towards Silver is reflected when he speculates that the old pirate must have settled down in comfortable retirement: "It is to be hoped so, I suppose, for his chances of comfort in another world are very small."