To Mrs. Saville, England.
St. Petersburg, December 11th.
Dear Margaret,
I am writing this letter to you from Russia. You will be happy to hear that I am safe. You were worried about my long journey, but everything is going well. I arrived in St. Petersburg yesterday. I want to tell you that I am healthy. I am very confident about my success.
I am now far north of London. I walk in the streets of St. Petersburg and feel a cold wind. This wind comes from the North. It makes me feel happy and strong. I am going to the North Pole soon. This wind gives me a taste of the cold places I will visit.
Most people think the North Pole is a dark and frozen place. But I imagine a place of beauty and light. I think the sun always shines there. The sun stays low in the sky and creates a beautiful light. There is perhaps no ice or snow there. I want to sail across a calm sea to a new land.
I want to find the secret of the magnet (an object that pulls some kinds of metal towards it). This discovery will help sailors use their compass (a tool with a needle that shows direction) better. I want to see a part of the world that no man saw before. These are my reasons for the journey. I am not afraid of danger. I feel like a happy child on a small boat.
My journey will help all people in the world. I want to find a new path through the sea near the North Pole. This path will make travel to other countries faster. At the moment, sea travel takes many months. I want to discover the secrets of the sea and the stars.
I dreamed about this journey when I was a boy. I read many books about old sea journeys. These books were in the library of Uncle Thomas. I did not go to a good school, but I loved reading. My father did not want me to be a sailor. He told Uncle Thomas to keep me away from the sea.
Later, I started to read poetry. I wanted to be a famous poet. I lived in a world of stories for one year. But I was not a good poet and I failed. I was very sad about this. Then, my cousin died and left me a lot of money. After that, I thought about the sea again.
I decided to go on this journey six years ago. I prepared my body for a hard life. I worked on ships that catch whales. I lived through very cold weather and hunger. I did not sleep much and I worked very hard.
During the day, I worked like a common sailor. At night, I studied mathematics and medicine. I also studied science. Twice, I worked as a sailor on a ship near Greenland. The captain of that ship liked me very much. He asked me to stay, but I said no.
Dear Margaret, I think I deserve success. I am a rich man, so I could live a quiet life. But I prefer to be a hero. I am very brave and I have a strong plan. Sometimes I feel a little sad, but my heart is strong. I must make the sailors feel happy and brave too.
This is a good time to travel in Russia. People here travel in a sledge (a carriage without wheels that slides on snow). It moves fast and it is very comfortable. I wear thick furs to stay warm. It is dangerous to sit still in the cold. My blood could freeze if I do not move.
I will leave for the town of Archangel in three weeks. I plan to hire a ship there. This is easy if I pay the owner. I will also find many sailors. I want sailors who know the cold North Sea. I do not want to sail until the month of June.
When will I return, Margaret? I cannot answer that question. If I succeed, many months or years will pass before we meet. If I fail, you will see me again soon, or never. Goodbye, my dear sister. I hope you are happy and safe.
Your brother,
Robert Walton