John Bunsby

John Bunsby is the master of the Tankadere, a small pilot-boat whose passage from Hong Kong toward Shanghai becomes a test of skill, judgment, and endurance. He brings the travelers across eight hundred miles of dangerous sea in early November, trusting his vessel and crew while adapting his seamanship to a worsening storm. His role is sharply practical: where Phileas Fogg supplies unyielding purpose, Bunsby must make that purpose possible on the water.

Identity and Command

Bunsby is introduced as the Tankadere’s master when Fogg asks whether he commands the boat and offers earnest-money. The vessel is a neat craft of twenty tons, with shining copper sheathing, galvanised iron-work, and a white deck. Its two masts lean slightly backward, and its brigantine rig, foresail, storm-jib, and standing-jib suit it to running before the wind. Bunsby has taken pride in keeping the boat presentable; its brisk speed has also been demonstrated by prizes in pilot-boat races.

The boat’s crew consists of Bunsby and four hardy mariners familiar with the Chinese seas. Bunsby is about forty-five, vigorous and sunburnt, with a lively eye and an energetic, self-reliant manner. These details make confidence in him part of the scene before the crossing has proved him: he is presented not as a passenger or adventurer, but as a working captain whose authority rests on local knowledge and command of a capable crew.

The Voyage and Its Risks

The crossing is an unusually hazardous undertaking. The Tankadere is only twenty tons, the route is eight hundred miles, and the Chinese seas are often rough, especially around the equinoxes. It is early November, and even reaching Shanghai is described as imprudent; carrying the passengers onward to Yokohama would be more remunerative because Bunsby is paid by the day, but attempting it would be rash. Bunsby nevertheless believes in his boat, which rides the waves like a seabird.

After leaving Hong Kong, the Tankadere benefits from favourable winds and makes good progress. Once they reach open sea, Fogg stresses the need for maximum speed. Bunsby replies that the boat is carrying all the sail the wind permits and that the poles would add nothing while they are at sea. Fogg leaves the decision to the pilot, explicitly placing the navigation in Bunsby’s hands. The crew works intensely, tightening sheets and hoisting sail; by evening the log records 220 miles covered. Bunsby repeatedly assures Fogg that they can reach Shanghai in time, and Fogg says he is counting on it.

Seamanship in the Storm

Bunsby reads the weather before the danger fully arrives. After examining the threatening sky, he warns Fogg that a squall is coming. When a typhoon threatens, he takes precautions: he reefs the sails, dispenses with the pole-masts, sends the hands forward, and sets a strong-canvas triangular storm-jib to hold the wind from behind. His actions show a captain responding to the conditions rather than simply pressing on at full sail.

The passengers remain on deck despite Bunsby’s request that they go below. The boat is repeatedly threatened by the waves, and the pilot’s adroit handling keeps it afloat. As the wind veers and the Tankadere is thrown into the trough of the sea, the storm intensifies after nightfall. Bunsby considers slackening speed and proposes making for a port on the coast. Fogg agrees, but names Shanghai as the port. Bunsby initially struggles to take in the resolve behind that choice; then he accepts it, and the Tankadere continues north. His agreement does not erase the danger: the craft is twice close to foundering, and the crew must remain constantly alert.

Character and Narrative Role

Bunsby’s conduct combines confidence with caution. His belief in the Tankadere is not mere bravado: he knows what its rig can do, judges when conditions require reefing, and recognises when the storm makes a change of course prudent. His warning and proposed detour reveal that professional judgment can call for restraint, while Fogg’s answer redirects that judgment toward the journey’s urgent destination. Bunsby is neither shown as careless nor as an obstacle; he adapts his decisions to a demanding passenger’s aim while continuing to exercise command of the boat.

The voyage also makes the contrast between Fogg’s composure and practical seamanship visible. Fogg treats the typhoon as no reason to abandon the schedule, but Bunsby must translate that determination into sails, watchfulness, and decisions at sea. The crew’s effort is spurred by the reward at stake, while Bunsby’s confidence and experience keep their exertion connected to the realities of the vessel and weather. His importance lies in this meeting of timetable and nautical risk: Fogg can insist on Shanghai, but Bunsby and his crew must carry the Tankadere there.

Arrival and Outcome

As the Tankadere approaches Shanghai, its signals are seen by the captain of a Yokohama steamer, who turns toward the smaller craft after spotting its flag at half-mast. Fogg pays Bunsby the agreed passage price and gives him an additional 550 pounds. He then boards the steamer with Aouda and Fix, which departs at once for Nagasaki and Yokohama. The travelers reach their destination on the morning of November 14.

Bunsby’s part in the journey ends with the transfer from his pilot-boat, but the outcome confirms the value of his command. He has carried the party through a passage the narrative marks as perilous, maintained progress under favourable winds, and kept the vessel alive through a typhoon. His episode turns Fogg’s timetable into a concrete maritime ordeal: speed matters, but only the judgment and labour of a capable pilot can make speed survivable.