I am glad to report to you that I have arrived safely and without major incident at my destination. The journey was hardly comfortable, but then again, what can you expect when travelling by ship. I can tell you now that there is quite frankly no worse time to discover a tendency towards seasickness than at the first day of a four-week trans-oceanic journey. Why, I could barely keep even the simplest of meals down, and were it not for the captain kindly lending me a marvellous invention called a hammock, I doubt I would have gotten any sleep at all. Seasickness aside, though, the journey was pleasantly uneventful, and we made it “across the pond”, as they say, encountering nary a smidgeon of bad weather. I was also pleased to discover that they have proper mailbirds even this far into the proverbial middle of nowhere, meaning my correspondence should find you with minimal delay. I wish there was a way for you to reply to my letters, but as I will be travelling and as such will rarely keep to one address for very long it simply would not be feasible. After I made a safe landing in the charming port town of Puerto Muerte, I quickly found my way to a local hostel, from which I am writing this missive. I will of course remember to boil the water before drinking, and I have a number of useful medicines on hand in case of illnesses of the stomach, so do not worry yourself unduly. As the sun sets outside my (admittedly somewhat grimy, but what can you do) window, I must confess I am struck by something of a feeling of wanderlust, and I am most excited to begin my planned geological surveys. Sgd. Your loving Son, Joseph Edwards