Summary

Now well into his voyage, on July 7 Robert Walton writes to his sister. A ship, namely a merchantman, returning to Archangel and then England will deliver the letter. Walton’s ship now passes through ice fields and warmer than expected weather. He tells of normal ship operations in the Arctic Sea but of no incidents that are of significance. He tells his sister goodbye and tells of how he will succeed.

Analysis

Again, Walton tells of Romantic sentiments: how the stars, or nature, will witness his success and how he can keep going over the “untamed and yet obedient” regions of the North Pole. Walton states that his heart is “determined,” his will is what matters, and that success or victory will be his. Confidence in the heart, not the mind, and free will are hallmarks of Romantic thought.