The novel begins with a series of letters in which the narrator of the novel is writing his thoughts and plans to his sister. Where is the narrator going? Why has he chosen to make this voyage? Of what does the narrator dream? what is his goal?

The letter writer is embarking on a sea voyage to the North Pole. It has been a long-time dream of his to find a passage from the Pacific Ocean to Atlantic Ocean. He has once dreamed of being a writer, but that had not worked out. In addition to helping find the passage, he is excited to visit a place seldom visited by humans.