 In truth, however, Dracula merely wishes to keep Harker alive long enough to complete the legal transaction and to learn as much as possible about England.Dracula leaves his castle and boards a Russian ship, the "Demeter", taking along with him 50 boxes of Transylvanian soil, which he needs in order to regain his strength and rest during daylight.During the voyage to Whitby, a coastal town in northern England, he sustains himself on the ship's crew members.