possessed of dauntless courage" (I:L2:1). It is, of course, possible that Walton was
wrong in his original estimation, or that the ordeal through which they have passed
has sapped the men of their bravery. But it is also possible that Walton, driven by
an obsession with a purpose to which he has devoted years and a small fortune, has
misinterpreted the caution with which these seamen view the continuance of their mission.
Twice in his early letters to his sister (I:L2:5, I:L3:3), Walton assured her that
he would "do nothing rashly." His crew may simply be holding him to that promise.