Letter to Mrs. Saville, England - Dec. 11th, 17 - Letter 1

Sep 29, 2026

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A letter dated St. Petersburgh, Dec. 11th, 17— describes a determined explorer’s journey north from London, emphasizing cold northern breezes and the promise of the polar regions. The writer reassures a sister of his welfare, contrasts harsh forecasts with visions of perpetual light and wondrous discovery, and explains how steady purpose supports courage. He recalls years of reading, poetry, and disciplined preparation through hardship, study, and practical seafaring experience.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages276

Reading Time7 h 5 min

AccessFree to download

Letter

Journey north and reassurance

Visions of polar wonders

Education, reading, and preparation

Letter 􀀤 To Mrs. Saville, England St. Petersburgh, Dec. 11th, 17— You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings. I arrived here yesterday, and my *rst task is to assure my dear sister of my welfare and increasing con*dence in the success of my undertaking. I am already far north of London, and as I walk in the streets of Petersburgh, I feel a cold northern breeze play upon my cheeks, which braces my nerves and *lls me with delight. Do you understand this feeling? +is breeze, which has travelled from the regions towards which I am advancing, gives me a foretaste of those icy climes. Inspirited by this wind of promise, my daydreams become more fervent and vivid. I try in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation; it ever presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight.+ere, Margaret, the sun is forever visible, its broad disk just skirting the horizon and di,using a perpetual splendour.+ere—for with your leave, my sister, I will put some trust in preceding navigators— there snow and frost are banished; and, sailing over a calm sea, we may be wa-ed toa land surpassing in wonders and in beauty every region hitherto discovered on the habitable globe. Its productions 􀀩 Frankenstein and features may be without example, as the phenomena of the heavenly bodies undoubtedly are in those undiscovered solitudes. What may not be expected in a country of eternal light? I may there discover the wondrous power which attracts the needle and may regulate a thousand celestial observations that require only this voyage to render their seeming eccentricities consistent forever. I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man. +ese are my enticements, and they are su 3cient to conquer all fear of danger or death and to induce me to commence this labourious 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. But supposing all these conjectures to be false, you cannot contest the inestimable bene*t which I shall confer on all mankind, to the last generation, by discovering a passage near the pole to those countries, to reach which at present so many months are requisite; or by ascertaining the secret of the magnet, which, if at all possible, can only be e,ected by an undertaking such as mine. +ese re4ections have dispelled the agitation with which I began my letter, and I feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm which elevates me to heaven, for nothing contributes so much to tranquillize the mind as a steady purpose—a point on which the soul may * x its intellectual eye. +is expedition has been the favourite dream of my early years. I have read with ardour the accounts of the various voyages which have been made in the prospect of arriving at the [Free eBooks at](Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com)[ Planet eBook.com](Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com) 􀀮 North Paci*c Ocean through the seas which surround the pole. You may remember that a history of all the voyages made for purposes of discovery composed the whole of our good Uncle +omas’ library. My education was neglected, yet I was passionately fond of reading. +ese 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. +ese visions faded when I perused, for the *rst time, those poets whose e,usions entranced my soul and li-edit to heaven. I also became a poet and for one year lived ina paradise of my own creation; I imagined that I also might obtain a niche in the temple where the names of Homer and Shakespeare are consecrated. You are well acquainted with my failure and h

FAQs

Why does the writer feel confident about his undertaking?

He believes no disaster has accompanied the enterprise and that the polar region will offer wonders, beauty, and meaningful scientific discovery. He also describes how a steady purpose calms his mind and strengthens resolve.

What does the writer expect to find near the pole?

He anticipates perpetual light, extraordinary natural phenomena, and opportunities to discover powers that attract the needle and regulate celestial observations through a passage close to the pole.

How has he prepared for the voyage?

He inured his body to hardship by accompanying whalers in expeditions, enduring cold and hunger, working hard as a sailor, and devoting nights to mathematics, medicine, and physical science.

Sep 29, 2026

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