John Hunter
John Hunter is one of Squire Trelawney's household servants who joins the voyage of the Hispaniola as part of the small party of honest men. Though a landsman rather than a sailor, Hunter proves himself a capable and courageous member of the expedition, playing a vital role in the initial provisioning of the stockade and fighting alongside the captain, the doctor, and the squire during the mutineers' attack. His death from wounds received in that battle marks a significant loss for the loyal party and underscores the high cost of the treasure hunt.
Identity and Role
Hunter is introduced as one of the four servants Squire Trelawney intends to bring on the voyage, alongside Redruth, Joyce, and himself. When Captain Smollett insists on rearranging the ship's berths to create a secure garrison aft, Hunter is among those designated to occupy the new cabins near the captain and the squire. He is a landsman, not a professional seaman, but his loyalty to his employer is absolute. During the council of war in the cabin after Jim Hawkins reveals the mutiny plot, Hunter is taken into the confidence of the captain, the doctor, and the squire, receiving the news of the impending rebellion with less surprise and a better spirit than they had expected.
Actions During the Abandonment of the Ship
When the decision is made to abandon the Hispaniola and fortify the stockade on the island, Hunter becomes indispensable. Dr. Livesey selects him as his companion for the first reconnaissance trip ashore in the jolly-boat. Hunter pulls a strong oar, and together they land near the stockade, which the doctor finds to be a stout log-house with a spring, a palisade, and loopholes for musketry. After this initial survey, Hunter and Joyce are left to guard the first load of provisions while the doctor returns to the ship for more supplies. Hunter and Joyce then take up their positions in the blockhouse, and Hunter later volunteers, along with Gray, to go out and retrieve stores from the beach after the ebb tide has uncovered them, though the mission proves useless as the mutineers have already carried off the supplies.
Death in the Battle of the Stockade
During the mutineers' assault on the stockade, Hunter is stationed at the east side of the blockhouse. In the fierce close-quarters fighting, a pirate seizes Hunter's musket by the muzzle, wrenches it from his hands, and strikes him a stunning blow that lays him senseless on the floor. The blow crushes the bones of his chest and fractures his skull when he falls. After the battle, the doctor and Gray find Hunter lying beside his loophole, stunned and unconscious. He lingers throughout the day, breathing loudly like the old buccaneer Billy Bones in his apoplectic fit, but never regains consciousness. Some time during the following night, without sign or sound, he dies. His name is recorded in Captain Smollett's log as one of the faithful who came ashore and flew British colours on the log-house, and his death reduces the loyal party's already thin numbers.
Narrative Significance
Hunter's role, though secondary, is emblematic of the quiet, unglamorous courage that sustains the loyal party. He is a landsman who adapts to the dangers of the sea and the violence of the island without complaint or hesitation. His death, alongside that of the gamekeeper Tom Redruth, demonstrates that the treasure hunt exacts a heavy price from even the most steadfast and unassuming members of the expedition. Hunter's fate also contributes to the growing desperation of the loyal party, who are left with only a handful of able-bodied men to defend the stockade and ultimately to recover the treasure.
