To Margaret Saville, England.
Archangel, March 28th.
Dear Margaret Saville,
Time passes very slowly here. There is ice and snow everywhere. But I am closer to my goal now. I hired a ship for my journey. I am busy finding sailors to work for me. These men are very brave. I think I can trust them.
I have one big problem. I do not have a friend, Margaret Saville. I am very excited about my success, but I have no one to talk to. If I am sad, no one will help me. I can write my thoughts on paper, but paper cannot speak. I want a friend who is like me.
You might think Robert Walton is a dreamer. But I really need a friend. I want a friend who is kind and brave. I want a friend who has a smart mind. I am a very fast worker and I get angry at problems. A good friend could help me with my faults.
I also have another problem. I taught myself everything. For the first fourteen years of my life, I was a wild boy. I only read books about sea journeys from Uncle Thomas. Then I read poetry. But I did not learn other languages.
I am now twenty-eight years old. I think many fifteen-year-old boys know more than I know. I have many big ideas and dreams. But I need a friend to help me think clearly. I need someone who loves me and helps my mind stay calm.
I will not find a friend on the ocean. I will not find a friend here in the city of Archangel. The men here are only interested in money and ships. But some of these men are good. For example, my lieutenant (the officer who helps the captain lead the ship) is very brave.
The lieutenant is an Englishman. He wants to be famous in his job. I first met the lieutenant on a ship that catches whales. He did not have a job here in Archangel. So, Robert Walton hired him to help with this journey.
The master (the person who manages the ship and the sailors) is also a good man. He is very kind and gentle. He does not hit the sailors or shout at them. He is very brave, too. I like him because I do not like mean people.
Margaret Saville, you taught me to be kind when I was a boy. I do not think it is necessary to be mean to sailors. I was very lucky to find a master who is a good person. A lady told me a very interesting story about the master.
A few years ago, the master loved a young Russian lady. He had a lot of money and a farm. The girl’s father said the master could marry her. But the girl cried when she saw the master. She told him that she loved a different man.
That other man was very poor. Her father did not want her to marry a poor man. The master was very kind to the girl. He gave his farm and all his money to the poor man. Then, the master asked the father to let the girl marry her true love.
The father said no. So, the master left the country. He did not return until the girl married the poor man. He is a very noble man. But the master is very quiet. He did not go to school and he is not a very interesting person to talk to.
Do not worry, Margaret Saville. I am still going on my journey. My plans will not change. I am waiting for the weather to get better. The winter was very cold, but the spring looks good. I will sail soon, but I will be careful.
I feel very strange about my journey. I feel half happy and half afraid. I am going to a land that no man knows. It is a land of mist and snow. I love the secrets of the ocean. Something in my soul makes me want to see wild places.
Will I see you again, Margaret Saville? I will sail across many big seas. I want to succeed, but it is a difficult journey. Please write to me often. Your letters help Robert Walton feel happy. I love you very much.
Your brother,
Robert Walton