Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-08-04
LETTER II.
TO MRS. sAvILLE, ENGLAND.

IO"dIO my CHtCI piloCs l. nav hiAC
vessel, and am occupied in collet
ting my, sailors those whom | hav
already engaged appear to be me
ON whom | can depend, are certain
ly possess ed of dauntleSs courage
But / have one want which
have never yet been able to satisfy
and the absence of the ohjec
of which 1 now feel as a most Sc
we're evil. l have no friend, Mar
| garet; when l am glowing witt
the enthusiasm of success, ther
will be none to participate my joy
if am assailed by disappointment
no one will endeavor to sustain IN
in detection. / shall commit IN!
thoughts to paper, it is true; bu
| that is poor medium for the com
| munication Of feeling. / desire th'
company of man who could sym
pathize with me whose eyes wOulC
reply to mine. You may deem m'
romantic, my dear sister, but l bit
terly feel the want of friend.
have no one near me, gentle We
courageous, possessed of a cultiya
ted as well as of capacious, mind
whose tastes are like my own, t
approve or amend my plans. How
would such a friend repair the
faults of your poor brother! am
too ardent in execution, and toe
impatient of difficulties But it il
a.still greater evil to me that | am
seif-educated; for the first fourteen
years of my life l ran wild on q
common, and read nothing but our
Uncle Thomas's books of voyages
At that age | became acquainted
with the celebrated poets of our
own country but 1t was only when
it had ceased to be in my power to
derive Its most important benefits
from such conviction, that / per-
ceived the necessity of becoming
acquainted with more languages
than that ofny native country Now
lam tWenty-eight, and am in reality
more illiterat than many school
bows of fifteen. 1t is true that l
have thought more, and that my
day-dreems are more extended and
magnificent but they want Gas the
painters call it) keeping: l greatly
need a friend who would have sense
enough not to delpise me as roman
tic, and affection enough for me to
endeavor to regulate my mind.
Well, these are useless complaints;
1 shall certainly find no friend on
the wide ocean, nor even here in
Archangel, among merchants and
seamen. Yet some feelings, unallied
to the cross of human nature, beat
even in these rugged bo5oms. My
for instance, is man of
wonderful courage and enterprise !;
he is madly desirous OF glory. He
is an Englishman, and in the midst
of national and professional preju-
dices, unsoftened by cultivation, re-
taips some of the noblest endOw-
ments of humanity. l first became
with him on board a
whale vessel; finding he was un-
in this city, l easily en-
gagged him to assist in my enter
prise.
The master is a person of an ex-
cellcnt disposition, and is remarka-
BILE in the, ship for his gentleness,
and mildness OF his discipline, He
is, indesd, of go anliabIe nature
that he.wiIl not hunt Ga favorite and
almost the only amusement here),
because he eaunpt endure to spill
blood. He is, moreover, herOically
generous. Some years ago he loved
4 young Russian lady, of moderate
fortune and having lnlaIsed con-
siderable suHl in prize-nOney, the
father of the girl cOnSented to the
He snW his mistress once
more before the destined ceremony,
but she was bathed in tears, and,
herself at his feet, entreat-
ed him to spare her, confessing at
the same time that she loved anOtn-
er, but that he was poor, and that
her father would never consent TO
the union. My generous friend re-
assured thesuppliant, and on being
informed OF the name of her lover,
abandoned his pursuit. He
had already bought a farm with his
on which he had designed
to pass the remainder of his life;
but he bestowed the whole on his
rival, together with the remains of
his priZe-money, to purchase stock,
and then himself solicited the young
father to consent to her
with her lover. But the
old man decidedly refused, thinking
himself bound in honor to my
friend; who, when he found the
father inexorable, quilted his cOun-
Try, nor returned until he heard that
his former mistress was married
according to her inclinatiOn5.
. What a noble iellOww ~ you will
He is so; but then he has
passed all his life on board a veS-
sci, and has scarcely an idea be-
yond the rope and the shroud.
But do not suppose that. because
[ complain Il little, or because | can
Il consolation for my tolls
which | may never know, that
an waVering in my resolutions.
those are as fixed as fate; and my
voyage is now only delayed until
he weather shall permit my en-
lreadfully severe; but the spring
promises well, and it is considered
IS II remarkably early season; so
hat, perhaps, L may sail sooner
han / expected. | shall do moth
ny rashiy you know me sufficient
" to contide in my prudence and
whenever the safety
,f others is committed to my care.
l cannot describe to you my SEN
,ations On the near prospect of my
1t is impossible. to
to you conception of
he trembling sensation, half lear
iuI, with which am preparing to
lepart. | am going to unexplored
to "the land of mist and
,nOW;" but shall kill no albatrOss,
therefore do not be alarmed for my
safety.
Shall | meet you again, after hav-
ng traversed immense seas, and re-
turned by the most southern cape
lf Africa or America dare not
expect much success, yet l cannot
1ear to look on the reverse of the
picture. Continue to write to me
by every opportunity; l may re-
,eive your letters QhOugh the
chance is very doubtfuD on some
when l need them most to
support my spirits. love you very
Remember me with at
lection, should you never hear from
ne again. .-.-
Your affectiOnate brother.
ROBERT WALTON.
LETTER III.
TO MRS. SAVILLE, ENGLAND.