Maximum-assistance view: every word above everyday vocabulary is explained at every appearance; each name is introduced at its first appearance in the chapter.

Letter 1

To Mrs. Saville, England. (To Mrs Saville, the writer's sister, in England)

St. Petersburgh, Dec. 11th, 17—. (Written from St Petersburg, the Russian city, in December of an unnamed year in the seventeen hundreds)

You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings (You will be glad to hear that no disaster has come with the start of a venture you have looked on with such dark fears of what might happen). I arrived here yesterday (I arrived here yesterday), and my first task is to assure my dear sister of my welfare and increasing confidence in the success of my undertaking (my first duty is to promise my dear sister that I am well, and growing ever more sure my venture will succeed).

I am already far north of London (I am already far north of London, the English capital), and as I walk in the streets of Petersburgh, I feel a cold northern breeze play upon my cheeks, which braces my nerves and fills me with delight (a cold north wind play on my cheeks, which firms up my nerves and fills me with delight). Do you understand this feeling? This breeze, which has travelled from the regions towards which I am advancing, gives me a foretaste of those icy climes (This wind, which has travelled from the very lands I am moving towards, gives me an early taste of those icy regions). Inspirited by this wind of promise, my daydreams become more fervent and vivid (Given heart by this wind of promise, my waking dreams grow warmer and brighter). I try in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation (I try, and fail, to make myself believe that the pole is the home of frost and empty waste); it ever presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight (it always shows itself to my mind's eye as the land of beauty and delight). There, Margaret, the sun is for ever visible, its broad disk just skirting the horizon and diffusing a perpetual splendour (its broad circle just riding along the sky's edge and spreading a never-ending shining glory). There—for with your leave, my sister, I will put some trust in preceding navigators (for with your permission, my sister, I will put some trust in the sea explorers who went before)—there snow and frost are banished; and, sailing over a calm sea, we may be wafted to a land surpassing in wonders and in beauty every region hitherto discovered on the habitable globe (there snow and frost are driven out, and, sailing over a calm sea, we may be carried gently to a land beyond every region yet found on the liveable earth in wonders and in beauty). Its productions and features may be without example, as the phenomena of the heavenly bodies undoubtedly are in those undiscovered solitudes (What grows there and what the land looks like may be unlike anything known, as the sights of the sun and stars surely are in those unvisited lonely places). What may not be expected in a country of eternal light (What might one not hope to find in a country of never-ending light)? I may there discover the wondrous power which attracts the needle (I may there find out the wonderful power that pulls the compass needle) and may regulate a thousand celestial observations that require only this voyage to render their seeming eccentricities consistent for ever (may bring into order a thousand star measurements that need only this voyage to make their seeming strangeness agree for ever). I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited (I shall fill my burning wish to know with the sight of a part of the world never visited before), and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man (may walk on a land never before marked by the foot of man). These are my enticements, and they are sufficient to conquer all fear of danger or death (These are the things that draw me on, and they are enough to beat down all fear of danger or death) and to induce me to commence this laborious voyage with the joy a child feels when he embarks in a little boat, with his holiday mates, on an expedition of discovery up his native river (lead me to begin this hard-working voyage with the joy a child feels when he sets out in a little boat, with his holiday friends, on a voyage of discovery up his home river). But supposing all these conjectures to be false, you cannot contest the inestimable benefit which I shall confer on all mankind, to the last generation (But even supposing all these guesses wrong, you cannot argue against the good beyond measure that I shall give to all mankind, down to the last generation), by discovering a passage near the pole to those countries, to reach which at present so many months are requisite (by finding a sea way near the pole to those countries which now take so many months to reach); or by ascertaining the secret of the magnet, which, if at all possible, can only be effected by an undertaking such as mine (or by finding out the secret of the magnet, which, if it can be done at all, can only be done by a venture such as mine).

These reflections have dispelled the agitation with which I began my letter (These thoughts have driven off the troubled feeling I began my letter with), and I feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm which elevates me to heaven (I feel my heart glow with an eager fire that lifts me to heaven), for nothing contributes so much to tranquillise the mind as a steady purpose—a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye (nothing does so much to calm the mind as a steady purpose, a point on which the soul can fix its thinking eye). This expedition has been the favourite dream of my early years (This voyage of discovery has been the dearest dream of my young years). I have read with ardour the accounts of the various voyages which have been made in the prospect of arriving at the North Pacific Ocean through the seas which surround the pole (I have read with burning eagerness the accounts of the many voyages made in the hope of reaching the North Pacific Ocean through the seas around the pole). You may remember (You may remember) that a history of all the voyages made for purposes of discovery composed the whole of our good Uncle Thomas’ library (a history of all the voyages made for discovery made up the whole of our good Uncle Thomas's book collection). My education was neglected, yet I was passionately fond of reading (My schooling was let slide, yet I loved reading with a passion). These volumes were my study day and night, and my familiarity with them increased that regret which I had felt, as a child, on learning that my father’s dying injunction had forbidden my uncle to allow me to embark in a seafaring life (knowing them so well deepened the sorrow I had felt as a child on learning that my father's dying command had forbidden my uncle to let me take up a sea-going life).

These visions faded when I perused, for the first time, those poets whose effusions entranced my soul and lifted it to heaven (These dreams faded when I read, for the first time, those poets whose outpourings held my soul spellbound and lifted it to heaven). I also became a poet and for one year lived in a paradise of my own creation (I became a poet too, and for one year lived in a heaven of my own making); I imagined that I also might obtain a niche in the temple where the names of Homer and Shakespeare are consecrated (I imagined that I too might win a place in the temple where the names of Homer and Shakespeare, the greatest of poets, are held holy). You are well acquainted with my failure and how heavily I bore the disappointment (You know well how I failed, and how heavily the disappointment sat on me). But just at that time I inherited the fortune of my cousin, and my thoughts were turned into the channel of their earlier bent (But just at that time my cousin's wealth came down to me, and my thoughts turned back into their old channel).

Six years have passed since I resolved on my present undertaking (Six years have passed since I settled on my present venture). I can, even now, remember the hour from which I dedicated myself to this great enterprise. I commenced by inuring my body to hardship (I began by hardening my body to rough living). I accompanied the whale-fishers on several expeditions to the North Sea (I went along with the whale hunters on several voyages to the North Sea); I voluntarily endured cold, famine, thirst, and want of sleep (of my own free will I bore cold, hunger, thirst, and lack of sleep); I often worked harder than the common sailors during the day and devoted my nights to the study of mathematics, the theory of medicine, and those branches of physical science from which a naval adventurer might derive the greatest practical advantage (gave my nights to the study of mathematics, the book-learning of medicine, and those branches of natural science from which a sea adventurer might draw the most useful gain). Twice I actually hired myself as an under-mate in a Greenland whaler, and acquitted myself to admiration (Twice I even hired myself out as a junior officer on a Greenland whale ship, and did so well I was admired for it). I must own I felt a little proud when my captain offered me the second dignity in the vessel and entreated me to remain with the greatest earnestness (I must admit I felt a little proud when my captain offered me the second place of honour on the ship and begged me most seriously to stay), so valuable did he consider my services (so highly did he prize my work).

And now, dear Margaret, do I not deserve to accomplish some great purpose (And now, dear Margaret, do I not deserve to carry out some great purpose)? My life might have been passed in ease and luxury, but I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my path (My life might have been spent in ease and soft comfort, but I chose glory over every temptation that wealth laid in my path). Oh, that some encouraging voice would answer in the affirmative (Oh, that some voice would answer yes and give me heart)! My courage and my resolution is firm; but my hopes fluctuate, and my spirits are often depressed (My courage and my set purpose are firm, but my hopes rise and fall, and my spirits are often low). I am about to proceed on a long and difficult voyage, the emergencies of which will demand all my fortitude (whose sudden dangers will call for all my strength of heart): I am required not only to raise the spirits of others, but sometimes to sustain my own, when theirs are failing (I must not only lift the spirits of others, but sometimes hold up my own when theirs are giving way).

This is the most favourable period for travelling in Russia (This is the best season for travelling in Russia). They fly quickly over the snow in their sledges; the motion is pleasant, and, in my opinion, far more agreeable than that of an English stagecoach (They fly fast over the snow in their snow carriages. The movement is pleasant, and to my mind far nicer than an English horse coach). The cold is not excessive, if you are wrapped in furs—a dress which I have already adopted (The cold is not too much, if you are wrapped in animal furs, a way of dressing I have already taken up), for there is a great difference between walking the deck and remaining seated motionless for hours, when no exercise prevents the blood from actually freezing in your veins (there is a great difference between walking a ship's deck and sitting without moving for hours, when no movement keeps the blood from truly freezing in your veins). I have no ambition to lose my life on the post-road between St. Petersburgh and Archangel (I have no wish to lose my life on the mail road between St Petersburg and Archangel, the far northern port).

I shall depart for the latter town in a fortnight or three weeks (I shall leave for that second town in two or three weeks); and my intention is to hire a ship there, which can easily be done by paying the insurance for the owner (my plan is to hire a ship there, which is easily done by paying the owner's loss-money for him), and to engage as many sailors as I think necessary among those who are accustomed to the whale-fishing (take on as many sailors as I think needed from among those used to whale hunting). I do not intend to sail until the month of June; and when shall I return (I do not mean to sail until the month of June. And when shall I come back)? Ah, dear sister, how can I answer this question? If I succeed, many, many months, perhaps years, will pass before you and I may meet (If I succeed, many, many months, perhaps years, will pass before you and I can meet). If I fail, you will see me again soon, or never (If I fail, you will see me again soon, or never).

Farewell, my dear, excellent Margaret. Heaven shower down blessings on you (Goodbye, my dear, excellent Margaret. May heaven pour down blessings on you), and save me, that I may again and again testify my gratitude for all your love and kindness (keep me safe, so that I may show my thankfulness again and again for all your love and kindness).

Your affectionate brother, (Your loving brother)

R. Walton (R. Walton, the letter writer, a sea captain bound for the North Pole)