To Margaret Saville, England.
St. Petersburg, December 11th.
Dear Margaret Saville,
I am writing this letter to you from Russia. You are 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 Margaret Saville 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 (a piece of metal that pulls other metal and shows which way is North). 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 Robert Walton very much. He asked Robert Walton to stay, but Robert Walton said no.
Dear Margaret Saville, 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 Saville? I cannot answer that question. If I succeed, many months or years will pass before we meet. If I fail, you will see Robert Walton again soon, or never. Goodbye, my dear Margaret Saville. I hope you are happy and safe.
Your brother,
Robert Walton