| Skeleton Island | |
 | |
| Location | Unknown, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean |
| Population | None |
Skeleton Island is a remote island, well outside any established trade route. It is not marked on any chart, not on any civilized one anyway. It's been used from time to time by pirates for transactions neither party wished would ever be acknowledged. Few men know the location, but Hal Gates possessed a journal from the legendary Henry Avery which gives directions to the island.
Geography[]
Skeleton Island is an isolated and uncharted island. There is a smaller island to the east of the island, separated by a narrow strait. The terrain on the main island is mountainous, and covered in dense forest. There is at least one river on the island, as well as caves. On the northern end of the island, there are high cliffs.
History[]
Background[]
Henry Avery was supposedly the first Englishman to find the island. The Spanish had been using it to hold illegitimate transactions for decades. Avery and his crew of 44 sailed inland, planning on lying in wait for the Spanish. As they moved up the inlet, they found a Spanish ship, but not the one they'd be hunting. This ancient ship's captain's log said that she'd set sail from Havana in 1636, 31 men aboard. Avery found the remains of all 31, slaughtered, with evidence that many of them had been dismembered while still alive. All the bodies were found still on the ship, inside the hold which was locked from the inside. The crew ate each other alive. Avery claimed to have read the captain's log, which said that the crew refused to go inland and search for food or fresh water. He said it was written that the first men in had returned, reporting sounds coming from the forest, which sounded like the voice of God, warning them to stay away. It is unclear how much of this story is actually true.
The island is not on any civilized chart or map, for it is far away from any trade routes. It is still used for transactions that neither party wishes to be known. Avery recorded in his journals how to sail to Skeleton Island. Gates later came into possession of these journals and they were stored in the cellar of the Barlow Estate for safekeeping[1].
Season Four[]
Woodes Rogers demands that the pirates give him the cache of gems. With the help of Billy Bones, he retrieves Avery's journals from the cellar of the ruined Barlow Estate. Once Rogers sees that the pirates have brought the cache with them, he sails towards the island.
While en route, Ben Gunn asks De Groot why they can't simply use a map to get to the island, and De Groot explains that the island is not on any civilized chart or map. The ships arrive at Skeleton Island, caked in mist and mystery. As the Walrus sails up the inlet, the crew gawks at an ancient wreck on the shore, and many seem nervous. On the Walrus during dinner, Israel Hands insists that Flint will betray him and must die, but Silver won’t listen. Israel may be psycho but he isn’t wrong. Meanwhile, Flint tells Dooley the story of Skeleton Island, with Avery and the Spanish ship. That night, Flint and Dooley sneak into the hold to steal the chest. Hands catches them in the act, but lets them go to prove his point. Sometime later, the pair are seen taking the cache off of the Walrus and hiding it somewhere on the island.
John Silver, upon discovering Flint's treachery, orders his men to ferry him to Rogers' ship, the Eurydice. There, he tells Rogers that Flint took the cache, but he has sent six of his best men to track Flint and reclaim the cache, and to kill Flint too. Israel Hands, Joji, Adams, Colin and two other pirates are sent ashore to carry out Silver's orders[1].
Silver is ferried ashore to join Israel Hands and five others in furiously hunting for Flint before he buries the Urca cache. However, Flint’s superior strategy serves him well. He flees into the forest and manages to fool the group into splitting up, and then takes out three of the men single-handedly. Silver and Hands come across the corpses of Adams' group and stare disappointed at the scene. Silver then realizes that Flint couldn't have made it that far ahead of all the men carrying the chest, and that he left it behind. Meanwhile, Flint and Dooley retrieve the cache and begin hauling it inland.
On the governor’s ship, Woodes Rogers seems to be at war with himself, haunted by his guilt over Eleanor’s death, which reinforces his cruel nature. When he asked Billy Bones which one will prevail, Billy admits that it will most likely be Flint and he should make his move now. However, Rogers wants to see if he can turn Madi once more. Below deck, Rogers quietly reads Madi the riot act: he has no regard for “her kind” and despises the idea of compromise, but wishes to deal with her for Silver’s life. However, a calm and collected Madi has the interests of her people firmly in mind and picks the cause over the man. As Flint and Dooley trek through the jungle, they find Joji and another pirate blocking their way. Dooley engages Joji while Flint crosses swords with the other pirate. Joji is able to knock Dooley to the ground and pin his sword hand to the ground with a dagger, while Flint is able to kill his adversary. Joji and Flint square off, with Joji almost killing Flint multiple times, until Flint is able to knock Joji down a hill, where he is then able to kill his former crew mate.
On the Walrus, De Groot has been left in command. He and Ben discuss the mysterious noises that they've been hearing on the island. De Groot warns that although there are no monsters in the dark, there are dangers that they need to look out for. Rogers then sends Lieutenant Utley and a few men to swim a cask of pitch over to the stern of the pirate ship and set it afire. After realizing what's happened and seeing the approaching launches from the Eurydice, De Groot leads the men in attempting to flood the hold, but the fire has spread too far and he orders everyone to abandon ship. Rogers and Billy lead the Redcoats in launches and begin picking off pirates in the water with their muskets. Billy locks eyes with Ben Gunn, but lets him swim away.
On the island, Hands catches up to Flint and tries to kill him, but Flint knocks him unconscious. Silver then confronts Flint. Dooley emerges from the bushes and prepares to kill Silver, but Flint reflexively shoots Dooley to protect Silver. Silver and Flint then begin a sword fight, but stop when they hear explosions coming from the water. Silver, Flint and Hands run to the water in time to see the Walrus explode[2].
Flint, Silver and Hands run to the beach and begin helping their men ashore even as Redcoats fire muskets all around them. Among the survivors are Ben Gunn and Obi, but the bulk of the crew is killed in the water. Rogers orders Utley to pass word to their men that no quarter is to be given, but Flint is to be taken alive. As the Redcoats prepare to go ashore, they are interrupted by a signal from their ship, and Rogers sees that the Lion is sailing up the inlet. Rogers then orders that they return to the ship, and they begin heading for open water. As they sail, Billy Bones goes down into hold where Madi is being held prisoner and holds a knife to her throat. He says that when he first started working for Rogers, he felt so conflicted about betraying his brothers, but now is resolved to destroy Flint. He promises that on the off chance the pirates are victorious, he will ensure that is a hollow victory, implying that he will kill Madi. Madi replies that killing her will only give them a martyr to unite them. Billy exits, shutting the door behind him before sheathing his knife.
The survivors of the Walrus crew regroup and board the Lion. Flint, Silver and Rackham decide to do battle with Rogers in order to rescue Madi and continue the war effort. As they clear the river mouth, the Governor rams his ship into there's and has his Redcoats fire their muskets at the pirates. Flint tells Rackham to get his men to go over the stern and board Rogers' vessel at the helm. Flint and two other pirates then climb the rigging of the entangled masts. Flint cuts a rope that was pinning the Lion's mainmast to the Eurydice's foremast. This brings the Lion alongside the Eurydice. Meanwhile, the other two pirates kill the Redcoat snipers, but Billy is able to kill them. As the two ships drift alongside each other, Ellers fires his swivel gun to devastating effect at the Redcoats, and the pirates are able to board. Flint then attacks Billy in the crow's nest. After a lengthy duel in the rigging, Flint is able to kick Billy overboard, and he falls into the water.
On the main deck, a brutal melee ensues between the pirates and soldiers. Silver cuts his way through the Redcoats and is able to make it belowdecks, where he finds the Cowardly Cook hiding. Silver threatens him at swordpoint and orders him to take Silver to Madi, whom he finds alive and well. Back up above, Jack kills several soldiers as he makes his way towards Rogers. As the two duel, Rogers begins to outmatch Jack but Flint arrives, and the two pirate captains are able to disarm and capture Rogers. At this point, the pirates have successfully captured Rogers' remaining men, who promptly surrender.
Silver, Flint and Jack then discuss how to go about retrieving the cache. Flint says Jack should sail with Madi back to the Maroon Island aboard the Lion as soon as possible, but Jack says he wants to stay to see the cache retrieved. Silver allows this, saying Featherstone can bring her aboard the Eurydice, but Jack has to stay on the ship while they go ashore and most of the men that stay behind have to be Walrus men, and he agrees.
Flint, Silver, Hands, Ben Gunn and Tom Morgan row ashore and begin to hike inland. However, Flint insists they stop and rest. He and Silver hike ahead to speak privately. Flint says he won't lead them to the cache unless he knows that they are returning to the Camp as planned. However, Silver has something to say. He believes he’s seen Flint’s war for what it truly is: the senseless violence of a man with nothing left to lose and just wants to see the world burn. Flint bites back that sooner or later, Silver will want proof that he mattered. However, Silver is resolute and begs Flint to yield willingly, pointing a gun at him. The rest of the party are alerted to a commotion as birds flee the location, and they rush to its source. It is revealed that they apprehended Flint, and brought him to Savannah to be humanely interned alongside Thomas Hamilton[3].
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- In the book Treasure Island, Captain Flint's chart refers to the island as Skeleton Island, it's Jim Hawkins who calls it Treasure Island.
- Filming for Skeleton Island took place on the Keursboom River near Knysna, roughly five hours east of Cape Town[4][5].