Letters of Anton Chekhov (Tchekhov) - Penn State University

Letters of Anton Chekhov to His Family and Friends with biographical sketchTO A. S. SUVORIN.MOSCOW, March 9.About Sahalin we are both mistaken, but you probably more thanI. I am going in the full conviction that my visit will furnish nocontribution of value either to literature or science: I have neitherthe knowledge, nor the time, nor the ambition for that. I have neitherthe plans of a Humboldt nor of a Kennan. I want to write some100 to 200 pages, and so do something, however little, for medicalscience, which, as you are aware, I have neglected shockingly. PossiblyI shall not succeed in writing anything, but still the expeditiondoes not lose its charm for me: reading, looking about me, andlistening, I shall learn a great deal and gain experience. I have notyet travelled, but thanks to the books which I have been compelledto read, I have learned a great deal which anyone ought to be floggedfor not knowing, and which I was so ignorant as not to have knownbefore. Moreover, I imagine the journey will be six months of incessanthard work, physical and mental, and that is essential for me,for I am a Little Russian and have already begun to be lazy. I musttake myself in hand. My expedition may be nonsense, obstinacy, acraze, but think a moment and tell me what I am losing if I go.Time? Money? Shall I suffer hardships? My time is worth nothing;money I never have anyway; as for hardships, I shall travel withhorses, twenty-five to thirty days, not more, all the rest of the timeI shall be sitting on the deck of a steamer or in a room, and shall becontinually bombarding you with letters.Suppose the expedition gives me nothing, yet surely there will be2 or 3 days out of the whole journey which I shall remember all mylife with ecstasy or bitterness, etc., etc. … So that’s how it is, sir. Allthat is unconvincing, but you know you write just as unconvincingly.For instance, you say that Sahalin is of no use and no interest toanyone. Can that be true? Sahalin can be useless and uninterestingonly to a society which does not exile thousands of people to it anddoes not spend millions of roubles on it. Except Australia in thepast and Cayenne, Sahalin is the only place where one can studycolonization by convicts; all Europe is interested in it, and is it no126