[page] 1

[Darwin's Beagle diary is available in an excellent illustrated paperback edition by his great grandson Richard Darwin Keynes.]

[no running title]

[1831]

I had been wandering about North Wales on a geological tour with Professor Sedgwick when I arrived home on Monday 29^th August [1831]. My sisters first informed me of the letters from Prof: Henslow & Mr Peacock offering to me the place in the Beagle which I now fill. — I immediately said I would go; but the next morning, finding my Father so much averse to the whole plan, I wrote to Mr Peacock to refuse his offer. — On the last day of August I went to Maer, where everything soon bore a different appearance. — I found every member of the family so strongly on my side, that I determined to make another effort. — In the evening I drew up a list of my Fathers objections, to which Uncle Jos wrote his opinion & answer. — This we sent off to Shrewsbury early the next morning & I went out shooting. — About 10 oclock Uncle Jos sent me a messuage, to say he intended going to Shrewsbury & offering to take me with him. — When we arrived there, all things were settled, & my Father most kindly gave his consent. —

I shall never forget what very anxious & uncomfortable days these two were.- My heart appeared to sink within me, independently of the doubts raised by my Fathers dislike to the scheme. I could scarcely make up my mind to leave England even for the time which I then thought the voyage would last. Lucky indeed it was for me that the first picture of the expedition was such an highly coloured one. —

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[no running title]

[1831]

In the evening I wrote to Mr Peacock & Capt Beaufort & went to bed very much exhausted. On the 2^nd [September 1831] I got up at 3 oclock & went by the Wonder coach as far as Brickhill, I then proceeded by postchaises to Cambridge. I there staid two days consulting with Prof: Henslow. At this point I had nearly given up all hopes, owing to a letter from Cap. FitzRoy to Mr Wood, which threw on every thing a very discouraging appearance. On Monday 5^th I went to London & that same day saw Cap. Beaufort & FitzRoy. The latter soon smoothed away all difficulties & from that time to the present has taken the kindest interest in all my affairs. — On Sunday 11th sailed by Steamer to Plymouth in order to see the Beagle. I returned to London on 18^th. On Monday the 19^th by mail to Cambridge, where after taking leave of Henslow on Wednesday night I got to St Albans & so by the Wonder1 to Shrewsbury on Thursday 22d. — I left home on October 2d [1831] for London, where I remained after many & unexpected delays till the 24^th on which day I arrived at Devonport & this journal begins. —

(16^th December)

¹ The Wonder coach ran daily, from Shrewsbury to London via Wolverhampton, Coventry and St. Albans, covering the 158 miles in 15 3/4 hours. It was started in 1825 by the landlord of the Lion Inn, Isaac Taylor and his two brothers.

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Devonport

1831

Monday October 24^th

Arrived here in the evening after a pleasant drive from London.

25^th

Went on board the Beagle, found her moored to the Active hulk & in a state of bustle & confusion. — The men were chiefly employed in painting the fore part & fitting up the Cabins. — The last time I saw her on the 12th of October Sept. she was in the Dock yard & without her masts or bulkheads & looked more like a wreck than a vessel commissioned to go round the world.

26^th  

Wet cold day, went on board, found the Carpenters busy fitting up the drawers in the Poop Cabin. My own private corner looks so small that I cannot help fearing that many of my things must be left behind. —

27^th

Went on board.

28^th

A fine day. — Mr Earl [Augustus Earle] arrived from London after having had a most stormy passage. — It blew a SW gale for the whole week, & the Steam Packet during this whole time was pitching about. I think if I had gone by it, this journal book would have been as useless to me as so much waste paper.

29^th

A beautiful day, dined at 5 oclock with Gun-room officers. — They amused themselves with giving most terrific accounts of what Neptune would do with me on crossing the Equator. — Mr Earl mentioned, that some years ago when after having crossed the Line, they fell in with a ship, all her sails set.- Not a man could they see on deck, but on boarding her & going below, they found every body, even the Captain & his wife, so very drunk

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Devonport

1831

October 29^th

that they could not move. — They had been making merry after Neptune's revels. —

30^th

Dined at one oclock with the Mids — after that had a sail, & landed at Millbrook. — Stokes, Musters & myself then took a long scrambling walk. —

Monday 31^st

Went with Mr Stokes to Plymouth & staid with him whilst he prepared the astronomical house belonging to the Beagle for observations on the dipping needle. The gardens belonging to the Athaeneum were fixed upon as being a place well known & easily described.

November 1^st

A very wet day. Staid in the house in consequence. Captain King [Philip Parker King] & his son [Philip Gidley King] arrived in the evening & dined with us. — The latter is going out in Beagle as Midshipm[an].

2^nd

Went on board.

3^rd

Walked to Plymouth with Capt King & FitzRoy.

4^th

Cap FitzRoy took me in the Commissioners boat to the breakwater, where we staid for more than an hour. Cap. FitzRoy was employed in taking angles, so as to connect a particular stone, from which Cap King commenced for the last voyage his longitudes, to the quay at Clarence Baths, where the true time is now taken.- Sir J. Rennie, the architect, was on the Breakwater, & gave some interesting accounts of the effects of various severe gales. — In 1826 several blocks of stone weighing 10 tuns each were considerably displaced. — It now offers a much better resistance to a heavy sea than it formerly did. — It is now constructed of the shape of a roof of a house placed on the ground; before this alteration, it was that of a roof on a low wall, so that the sea acted on a perpendicular

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Devonport

1831

November 4^th

surface. — Every body agrees in the Breakwater being as useful as it is a most stupendous work of art. — In the evening dined with Mr Harris, (the author of several papers on Electricity) and met there several very pleasant people. — Colonel Hamilton Smith, who is writing on fishes with Cuvier. — Capt King & Lockier. The former mentioned an anecdote showing how completely civilization & dram-drinking were synonymous things in New S. Wales. — A native asked him one day for some rum; which being refused & wine offered, he seemed discontented. Upon Cap. King remonstrating with & asking him what he did before the English came there; he answered Oh! we were not civilized then. —

5^th

Wretched, miserable day, remained reading in the house.

6th

Went with Musters to the Chapel in the Dock-yard. — It rained torrents all the evening. — It does not require a rain gauge to show difference how much more rain falls in the Western than in the Central & Eastward parts of England. —

Monday 7^th

Staid at home.

8^th

In the morning, marked the time whilst Stokes took the altitude of the sun. — Went on board the Beagle; she now begins for the first time to look clean & well arranged. — Was introduced to Cap FitzRoys two brothers, who have come down from London to wish him farewell. —

9^th

Walked to Plymouth with Caps Fitz & Videl & called on Mr Harris.

10^th

Assisted Cap. FitzRoy at the Athaeneum in reading the various angles of the dipping needle, after that

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Devonport

1831

November 10^th

heard the Russian horn band. And in the evening dined at the Admirals, Sir Manley Dixon: every body there except myself was a naval officer & of course the conversation was almost exclusively nautical.- This made the evening very pleasant to me, but I could not help thinking how very different it would have been under different circumstances.

11^th

Breakfasted with Mr Harris & went again to the Athaeneum & spent the whole day at the dipping needle. — The end, which it is attempted to obtain, is a knowledge of the exact point in the globe to which the needle points. The means of obtaining it is to take, under all different circumstances, a great number of observations, & from them to find out the mean point. — The operation is a very long & delicate one. —

12^th

Breakfasted with Col. Hamilton Smith & spent some pleasant hours in talking on various branches of natural history. Took a walk to some very large Limestone quarries, returned home & then went on board the Beagle. — The men had just finished painting her & of course the decks were clear & things stowed away. — For the first time I felt a fine naval fervour; nobody could look at her without admiration; & as for the Poop Cabin it would [be] superfluous to wish for anything more spacious & comfortable. — The day has been an excellent one for the paint drying, so calm & so truly Autumnal that it gives one hopes that the Westerly gales have tired themselves with blowing. — It is a

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Devonport

1831

November 12^th

great consolation to know, that even if we had sailed at the beginning of October, it is probable we should have scarcely reached Madeira. —

13^th

Walked to Saltram & rode with Lord Borrington to Exmoor to see the Granite formation. The road passed through very extensive oak woods situated on the side of hills at the bottom [of] which were running very clear & broad brooks.- Exmoor geographically is the same as Dartmoor & extends to Exeter. It has a desolate appearance, the tops of the hills only showing the mossy forms of the Granite. — In the evening the Fuegians arrived by Steam Packet together with their school master Mr Jenkins. Their names are York Minster, Jemmy Button & Fuegia. — Matthews the missionary arrived also at the same time. —

Monday 14^th

Cap. FitzRoy removed the Chronometers on board & placed the books in the Poop Cabin. — Went on board, the paint is not yet fixed, so that nothing can be done. — In the evening the Instructions from the Admiralty arrived. — They are in every respect most perfectly satisfactory, indeed exactly what Cap. Fitz himself wished.- The orders merely contain a rough outline. — There could not be a greater compliment paid to Cap FitzRoy than in so entirely leaving the plans to his own discretion. —

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Devonport

1831

November 15^th

Went with Cap FitzRoy to Plymouth & were unpleasantly employed in finding out the inaccuracies of Gambeys new dipping needle.

16^th

Went on Board & spent the whole day in idly but very agreeably wandering up & down the streets with Cap FitzRoy.

17^th

A very quiet day.

18^th

Cap FitzRoy has been busy for these last two days with the Lords of the Admiralty. —

19^th

I have now a regular employment every morning taking & comparing the differences in the Barometers. In the evening drank tea with Capt Vidal. He has seen a great deal of the same sort of service that we are going to be employed on; he was eight years surveying the African coast — during this time he buried 30 young officers; a boat never was sent up a river, without its causing the death of some of the party. —

20^th

Went to Church & heard a very stupid sermon, & afterwards took a long walk in a very pictur[es]que country, between Mount Edgecombe & Mill Brook.

Monday 21^st

Carried all my books & instruments on board the Beagle. — In the evening went to the Athaeneum & heard a popular account lecture from Mr Harris on his lightning conductors. By means of making an Electric machine, a thunder cloud — a tub of water the sea, & a toy for a line of battle ship he showed the whole process of it being struck by lightning & most satisfactorily proved how completely his plan

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Devonport

1831

Monday November 21^st

protects the vessel from any bad consequences. This plan consists in having plates of Copper folding over each other, let in in the masts & yards & so connected to the water beneath. — The principle, from which these advantages are derived, owes its utility, to the fact that the Electric fluid is weakened by being transmitted over a large surface to such an extent that no effects are perceived, even when the mast is struck by the lightning: — The Beagle is fitted with conductors on this plan; it is very probable, we shall be the means of trying & I hope proving the utility of its effects. —

About six oclock, a Marine, being drunk & whilst crossing from the Hulk to another vessel slipped overboard & was not seen again. His body has not been found. —

22^nd

Went on board & returned in a panic on the old subject want of room, returned to the vessel with Cap FitzRoy, who is such an effectual & goodnatured contriver that the very drawers enlarge on his appearance & all difficulties smooth away. — In the evening dined & spent a very pleasant afternoon with Capt Vidal. —

23^rd

This has been a very important day in the annals of the Beagle; at one oclock she was loosed from the moorings & sailed about a mile to Barnett pool. Here she will remain till the day

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Devonport

1831

November 23^d

of sailing arrives. This little sail was to me very interesting, everything so new & different to what one has ever seen, the Coxswains piping, the manning the yards, the men working at the hawsers to the sound of a fife, but nothing is so striking as the rapidity & decision of the orders & the alertness with which they are obeyed. — There remains very little to be done to make all ready for sailing. All the stores are completed & yesterday between 5 & 6 thousands canisters of preserved meat were stowed away. — Not one inch of room is lost, the hold would contain scarcely another bag of bread. My notions of the inside of a ship were about as indefinite as those of some men on the inside of a man, viz a large cavity containing air, water & food mingled in hopeless confusion. —

24^th

A very fine day & an excellent one for obtaining sights. — Every body hailed the sun with joy, for untill the time is well taken, we cannot leave harbour. — I went on board several times in the course of the day; but did not succeed in doing any good, as they were changing the place of anchorage & that is not the time for a Landsman to give trouble about his own lumber. —

25^th

Very busily employed on board in stowing away my clothes & after that in arranging the books, did not leave the vessel till it was dark. —

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Devonport

1831

November 26^th

Again employed all day long in arranging the books; we (Stokes & myself) succeded in leaving the Poop Cabin in very neat order. After having finished this & bringing on board some things of my own, King & I walked on the sea shore & returned home through a part of Lord Mount Edgcombe's park. — The day has been a very fine one & the view of Plymouth was exceedingly striking. The country is so indented with arms of the sea that there is a very new & different scene from every point of view. —

27^th

An idle day, had a pleasant sail in Captain FitzRoy boat & then called on several people.

Monday 28^th

Cap. FitzRoy gave a very magnificent luncheon to about forty persons: it was a sort of ships warming; & every thing went off very well, in the evening a Waltz was raised which lasted till every body went away. —

29^th

To day the Captain has had another large party, but not being very well, I have not gone to it.- In the evening dined with Sir Manley Dixon.

30^th

Cap King was here the whole morning & I had with him some very interesting conversation on Meteorology, he paid great attention to this subject during the last voyage.- Afterwards I took a very pleasant walk to Corsan, all my thoughts are now centered in the future & it is with great difficulty that I can talk or think on any other subject;

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Devonport

1831

November 30^th

When I first had the offer of the voyage I was in the same state & a very uncomfortable one it is; but this present time has the great & decided advantage of everything being fixed & settled. —

December 1^st

Breakfasted with Cap King.- The Commissioner took Lord Graves party to see the Caledonia & offered me a place in the Yatch. — The Caledonia is generally considered one of the finest vessels in the world, she carries 120 32 pounders. — So large a vessel is an astonishing sight, one wonders by what contrivance everything is governed with such regularity & how amongst such numbers such order prevails. On coming near her the hum is like that of town heard at some distance in the evening. —

2^nd

 Worked all day long in arranging & packing my goods in the drawers. — Erasmus arrived in the evening afternoon & I spent with him a very pleasant evening. —

3^rd

Incessantly busy in ordering, paying for, packing all my numberless things; how I long for Monday even sea-sickness must be better than this state of wearisome anxiety.- Erasmus being here is a great pleasure, but I do not see much of him.

4^th

I am writing this for the first time on board, it is now about one oclock & I intend sleeping in my hammock. — I did so last night & experienced a most ludicrous difficulty in getting into it; my great fault

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Devonport

1831

December 4^th

of jockeyship was in trying to put my legs in first. The hammock being suspended, I thus only succeded in pushing away the without making any progress in inserting my own body. — The correct method is to sit accurately in centre of bed, then give yourself a dexterous twist & your head & feet come into their respective places.- After a little time I daresay I shall, like others, find it very comfortable. — I have spent the day partly on board & partly with my brother: in the evening, Cap King & son, Stokes, my brother & myself dined with Cap FitzRoy. —

In the morning the ship rolled a good deal, but I did not feel uncomfortable; this gives me great hopes of escaping sea sickness. — I find others trust in the same weak support. — May we not be confounded. — It is very pleasant talking with officer on Watch at night — every thing is so quiet & still, nothing interrupts the silence but the half hour bells. — I will now go & wish Stuart (officer on duty) good night & then for practising my skill in vaulting into my hammock. —

Monday 5^th

It was a tolerably clear morning & sights were obtained, so now we are ready for our long delayed moment of starting. — It has however blown a heavy gale from the South ever since midday, & perhaps we shall

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Devonport

1831

Monday December 5^th

not be able to leave the Harbour. The vessel had a good deal of motion & I was as nearly as possible made sick. I returned home very disconsolate, but mean to treat myself with sleeping, for the last time, on a firm flat steady bed.- In the evening dined with Erasmus. I shall not often have such quiet snug dinners. — I take the opportunity of mentioning a very curious circumstance which the watermen here have observed.- When building the walls of the Victualling office in 6 fathom water, the men made signals by tapping on the inside [of] the diving bell. — This the Watermen used every where to hear, even at Torpoint, a distance of two miles — it sounded like a person hitting the boat with a small hammer, & for a long time it quite puzzled the men, so much so that they hauled the boat up, thinking it was a crab or some animal. —

6^th

Again sailing has been deferred. In the morning the wind was SW, but light; afterwards it increased into a gale from the South. Stokes & myself arranged the Poop Cabin, after which I was forced to beat a hasty retreat on shore. I could not even for a short time have stood the motion, had I not been hard at work. Dined in the evening with Erasmus.-

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Devonport

1831

Note: From page 15 to 110, Darwin wrote only on the recto of the pages, hence all reverse pages with even numbers from 16 to 108 and the reverse of 109 are blank.

December 7^th

It is daily becoming more wearisome remaining so long in harbour; at last I have nothing more to do. Every thing is on board & we only wait for the present wind to blow cease & we shall then sail. — This morning it blew a very heavy gale from that unlucky point SW. — The Beagle struck her Top Gallant masts & veered her yards to the wind. —

8^th

I am writing this & the two last days journal on my own corner. — The cabin begins now to look comfortable, but yet very much crowded. — It is a miserable wet day & no hopes of the wind changing; my first question every morning how is the wind? Oh for the lucky day, when the answer is NE. —

9^th

Finally arranged the Poop Cabin. — Erasmus & myself then took a long & very pleasant walk on Mount Edgcombe. The view from it is of a most striking & uncommon kind, a birds eye view of three large towns, Devonport, Stonehouse & Plymouth, situated on arms of the sea, seen from a most beautiful & picturesque hill. In the evening, dined for the last time with my brother. —

10^th

Early in the morning torrents of rain; the sky then became very clear, with a light wind from SW. We all thought we should have settled weather.- The Captain said last night, that if

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Devonport

1831

December 10^th

it was possible he would sail to day; accordingly at 9 oclock we weighed our anchors, & a little after 10 sailed. — Erasmus was on board & we had a pleasant sail till we doubled the Breakwater; where he left us & where my misery began. I was soon made rather sick, & remained in that state till evening, when, after having received notice from the Barometer, a heavy gale came on from SW. The sea run very high & the vessel pitched bows under. — I suffered most dreadfully; such a night I never passed, on every side nothing but misery; such a whistling of the wind & roar of the sea, the hoarse screams of the officers & shouts of the men, made a concert that I shall not soon forget. —

11^th

It lasted till the Sunday morning, when it was determined to put back to Plymouth & there remain for a more fortunate wind. — We got to our anchorage at Barnett Pool about 12 oclock, & are now lying quiet & snug. — Some short time afterward, Musters, a fellow companion in misery, & myself took a good walk, which considerably revived us — but even yet my head is giddy & uncomfortable. — I was surprised to find, that leaving England, as I then thought for four years, made little or no impression on my feelings. — I did expect to have felt some of the same heart-sinking sensations which I experienced when I first had the offer of the voyage. I left harbour as placidly

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Devonport

1831

December 11^th as if I was merely going a t

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Devonport

1831

December 11

as if I was merely going a trip to France: I suppose I have so often & so throughily considered the subject, that no new & fresh ideas connected with it can arise in my mind; & it is their newness which gives intensity to ones feelings. After having had so much time to make up my mind, I am decided I did right to accept the offer; but I yet think it is doubtful how far it will add to the happiness of ones life. — If I keep my health & return, & then have strength of mind quietly to settle down in life, my present & future share of vexation & want of comfort will be amply repaid. — I find it necessary to forget the many little comforts which one enjoys on shore almost without perceiving them. Nothing can be done without so much extra trouble, even a book cannot be taken from the shelves or a piece of soap from the washing stand, without making it doubtful whether in the one case it is worth while to wash ones hands, or in the other to read any passage. —

Monday 12^th

Boisterous weather, the ship rolled a good deal; & I actually felt rather uncomfortable: I look forward to sea-sickness with utter dismay, not so much as regards the misery of a fortnight or three weeks, as the being incapacitated for a much longer time from any active employment. — In middle of day walked to Corsan bay &

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Devonport

1831

Monday December 12^th

& there enjoyed the sight of the sea lashing itself & foaming on the rocks. — There is no pleasure, equal to that which fine scenery & exercise creates. It is to this I look forward to with more enthusiasm than any other part of our voyage. — Dined with Sir Manley Dixon, a pleasant quiet party, or rather to speak more truly, I suspect very dull to every body but the Captain & myself, for the Beagle was the chief subject of conversation, & it is now the only one that at all interests me. — It is no easy matter at any time, but now a most painful one to make conversation at a regular party. — We have had a long & rough pull to the vessel, but I am now seated in my own corner, snug & quiet & am listening to the wind roaring through the rigging with same sort of feeling that I often have when sitting round a Christmas fire. — Eight bells have struck, or it is 12 oclock, so I will turn into my hammock. —

13^th

An idle day; dined for the first time in Captains cabin & felt quite at home. — Of all the luxuries the Captain has given me, none will be so essential as that of having my meals with him. — I am often afraid I shall be quite overwhelmed with the numbers of subjects which I ought to take

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Devonport

1831

December 13^th

into hand. It is difficult to mark out any plan & without method on ship-board I am sure little will be done. — The principal objects are 1^st collecting observing & reading in all branches of natural history that I possibly can manage. Observations in Meteorology. — French & Spanish, Mathematics, & a little Classics, perhaps not more than Greek Testament on Sundays. I hope generally to have some one English book in hand for my amusement, exclusive of the above mentioned branches.- If I have not energy enough to make myself steadily industrious during the voyage, how great & uncommon an opportunity of improving myself shall I throw away.- May this never for one moment escape my mind, & then perhaps I may have the same opportunity of drilling my mind that I threw away whilst at Cambridge.-

14^th

A beautiful day giving great hopes of a fair wind. Took my usual & delightful walk in the beautiful country around Mount Edgcombe. — Everything connected with dressing & sleeping have hitherto been my greatest drawbacks to comfort. — But even these difficulties are wearing away. My hammock after endless alterations has been made flat & I have trained myself to a regular method in dressing & undressing. — Orders are issued for sailing tomorrow morning. —

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Devonport

1831

December 15^th

The wind continues in the old point SW, which independently of detaining us appears invariably to bring bad [weather] with it. — The ship is full of grumblers & growlers, & I with sea-sickness staring me in the face am as bad as the worst. — The time however passes away very pleasantly, but instead of working, the whole day is lost between arranging all my nick-nackiries & reading at a little of Basil Halls fragments.1 —

16^th

This day is come to its close much in same way as yesterday. I am now sitting in my own corner feeling most comfortably at home. — This is the first time that I have not left the vessel during the whole day. —The wind with torrents of rain is sweeping down upon us in heavy gusts.

17^th

Walked with Sullivan & King to the coast near the Ramhead & there saw a wild stormy sea breaking on the rocks. We passed through a village of the name of Corsan, one of the most curiously built places I ever saw. — None of the streets are for thirty yards in the same straight line, & all so narrow that a cart certainly could not pass up them. — It is situated in a very pretty little bay, which shelters numerous fishing & smugling boats from the sea. — Our old enemy the SW Gale is whistling throug the rigging: today it drove back a Brig which left Plymouth three weeks ago, so that we ought to be instead

¹ Basil Hall (1788-1844) published Fragments of Voyages and Travels in three series of 3 volumes each. The first series appeared in 1831, followed by a second series (1832) and a third series (1833).

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Devonport

1831

December 17^th

of being discontented, most thankful for remaining in our present snug anchorage.- The novelty of finding myself at home on board a ship is not as yet worn away, nor have I ceased to wonder at my extraordinary good fortune in obtaining what in the wildest castles in the air I never had even imagined. If it is desirable to see the world, what a rare & excellent opportunity this is. — It is necessary to have gone through the preparations for sea to be throughily aware what an arduous undertaking it is. It has fully explained to me the reasons so few people leave the beaten path of travellers. —

18^th

Dined at 12 oclock with the Midshipmen, & then with Bynoe & Stokes walked to Whitson bay: the sea here presented a most glorious & sublime appearance. — For nearly quarter of a mile it was a confused mass of breakers & from the white covering of foam looked like so much snow. Each wave as it dashed against the rocks threw its spray high on the hill & wetted our faces. — To perfect the scene a single man was watched from a rock to spy out any chance wreck. —

Monday 19^th

A fine calm day with a gentle breeze from the North.- There is every probability of sailing tomorrow morning. — The weighing of our anchor will be hailed with universal joy.

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Devonport

1831

Decembr 20^th

The rain fell in torrents & the South W wind blew all the morning; but now the moon is shining bright on the sea, which looks so calm, that one would think it never would again be troubled by a storm.- Nothing can be more beautiful than the view from our present anchorage, on such a clear night as this is; the Sound looks like a lake.- May these not turn out false signs, for that our disappointment to be the more bitter. — The sailors declare there is somebody on shore keeping a black cat under a tub, which it stands to reason must keep us in harbour. —

21^st

The morning was very calm & the sun shone red through the mist: every thing gave us hopes of a steady NE wind, — & a prosperous voyage.- But here we are yet to remain alternately praying to & abusing the SW gales.- From weighing to again letting down our anchor everything was unfortunate. — We started at 11 oclock with a light breeze from NW & whilst tacking round Drakes Island, our ill luck first commenced. It was spring tide & at the time lowest ebb; this was forgotten, & we steered right upon a rock that lies off the corner. — There was very little wind or swell on the sea so that, although the vessel stuck fast for about half an hour, she was not injured. Every maeneuvre was tried to get her off; the one that succeeded best was making every person on board run

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Devonport

1831

December 21^st

to different parts of the deck, by this means giving to the vessel a swinging motion. — At last we got clear & sailed out of harbour not a jot the worse from our little accident. When we were on the open sea I soon became sick: at 4 oclock I went down to the Captains cabin & there slept till 8 oclock, after that I retreated to my hammock & enjoyed a most comfortable sleep till morning. — As soon as it was light Stokes & myself looked at a pocket compass, which we agreed was bewitched, for it pointed to NE instead of to where we were sailing W by S. — Our doubts were cleared up by Wickham putting his head in & telling us we should be in Plymouth Sound in the course of an hour. — During the middle watch the wind began to change its direction & at 4 oclock, when we were only 11 miles from the Lizard, it blew a gale from SW. — Upon this the Captain wared the ship & we returned to our old home at the rate of eleven knots an hour. —

22^nd

I have not felt at all comfortable all this day; took a long walk with Stokes & Bynoe, during the whole time torrents of rain were pouring down. — By some mischance in dropping the anchor it got twisted with the chain: they were hard at work for eight hours in getting all clear. — In the evening double

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Devonport

1831

December 22^nd

allowance was served out to the men.- Several vessels which sailed with us have all been likewise forced to put back. —

23^rd

In the morning Sullivan Bynoes & myself shot matches with the rifle for sundry bottles of wine to be paid for & drunk at the Madeira islands — in the evening went with Stokes to a bad concert. — Although I am continually lamenting in the bitterness of my heart against all the long delays & vexations that we have endured, I really believe they have been much to my advantage, — for I have thus become broken in to sea habits without having at the same time to combat with the miseries of sickness. —

24^th

A blank & idle day.

25^th

Christmas day, in morning went to Church & found preaching there an old Cambridge friend Hoare. — Dined at 4 oclock with Gunroom officers, it does me good occasionally dining there, for it makes me properly grateful for my good luck in living with the Captain. — The officers are all good friends yet there is a want of intimacy, owing I suppose to gradation of rank, which much destroys all pleasure in their society. — The probability of quarrelling & the misery on ship board consequent on it produces an effect contrary to what one would suppose. — Instead of each one endeavouring to encourage habits of friendship, it seems a generally received maxim

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[page] 35

Devonport

1831

December 25^th

that the best friends soon turn out the greatest enemies. — It is a wonder to me that this independence one from another, which is so essential a part of a sailors character, does not produce extreme selfishness. — I do not think it has this effect, & very likely answers their end in lessening the number of quarrels which always must necessarily arise in men so closely united. — Let the cause be what it may, it is quite surprising that the conversation of active intelligent men who have seen so much & whose characters are so early & decidedly brought out should be so entirely devoid of interest. —

Christmas day is one of great importance to the men: the whole of it has been given up to revelry, at present there is not a sober man in the ship: King is obliged to perform duty of sentry, the last one sentinel came staggering below declaring he would no longer stand sentinel on duty, whereupon he is now in irons getting sober as fast as he can. — Wherever they may be, they claim Christmas day for themselves, & this they exclusively give up to drunkedness — that sole & never failing pleasure to which a sailor always looks forward to. —

Monday 26^th

A beautiful day, & an excellent one for sailing, — the opportunity has been lost owing to the drunkedness & absence of nearly the whole crew. — The ship has been all day

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[page] 37

Devonport

1831

Monday December 26^th

in state of anarchy. One days holiday has caused all this mischief; such a scene proves how absolutely necessary strict discipline is amongst such thoughtless beings as Sailors are.- Several have paid the penalty for insolence, by sitting for eight or nine hours in heavy chains. — Whilst in this state, their conduct was like children, abusing every body & thing but themselves, & the next moment nearly crying. — It is an unfortunate beginning, being obliged so early to punish so many of our best men there was however no choice left as to the necessity of doing it. In the evening Dined in gun-room & had a pleasant evening.

27^th

I am now on the 5^th of Jan.^y writing the memoranda of my misery for the last week. A beautiful day, accompanied by the long wished for E wind.- Weighed anchor at 11 oclock & with difficulty tacked out.- The Commissioner Capt Ross sailed with us in his Yatch. — The Capt Sullivan & myself took a farewell luncheon on mutton chops & champagne, which may I hope excuse the total absence of sentiment which I experienced on leaving England. — We joined the Beagle about 2 oclock outside the Breakwater, — & immediately with every sail filled by a light breeze we scudded away at the rate of 7 or 8 knots an hour. — I was not sick that evening but went to bed early. —

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[page] 39

Devonport to Canary Islands

1831

December 28^th

Waked in the morning with an eight knot per hour wind, & soon became sick & remained so during the whole day. — My thoughts most unpleasantly occupied with the flogging of several men for offences brought on by the indulgence granted them on Christmas day. — I am doubtful whether this makes their crime drunkedness & consequent insolence more or less excusable.

29^th

At noon we were 380 miles from Plymouth the remaining distance to Madeira being 800 miles. — We are in the Bay of Biscay & there is a good deal of swell on the sea. — I have felt a good deal nausea several times in the day. — There is one great difference between my former sea sickness & the present; absence of giddiness: using my eyes is not unpleasant: indeed it is rather amusing, whilst lying in my hammock to watch the moon or stars performing their small revolutions in their new apparent orbits. — I will now give all the dear bought experience I have gained about sea-sickness. — In first place the misery is excessive & far exceeds what a person would suppose who had never been at sea more than a few days. — I found the only relief to be in a horizontal position: but that it must never be forgotten the more you combat with the enemy the sooner will he yield. I found in the

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[page] 41

Devonport to Canary Islands

1831

December 29^th

only thing my stomach would bear was biscuit & raisins: but of this as I became more exhausted I soon grew tired & then the sovereign remedy is Sago, with wine & spice & made very hot. — But the only sure thing is lying down, & if in a hammock so much the better. — The evenings already are perceptibly longer & weather much milder.

30^th

At noon Lat. 43. South of Cape Finisterre & across the famous Bay of Biscay: wretchedly out of spirits & very sick. — I often said before starting, that I had no doubt I should frequently repent of the whole undertaking, little did I think with what fervour I should do so. — I can scarcely conceive any more miserable state, than when such dark & gloomy thoughts are haunting the mind as have to day pursued me. —

I staggered for a few minutes on deck & was much struck by the appearance of the sea. — The as deep water differs as much from that near shore, as an inland lake does from a little pool. — It is not only the darkness of the blue, but the brilliancy of its tint when contrasted with the white curling tip that gives such a novel beauty to the scene. — I have seen paintings that give a faithful idea of it.

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[page] 43

Devonport to Canary Islands

1831-2

December 31^st

In the morning very uncomfortable; got up about noon & enjoyed some few moments of comparative ease.- A shoal of porpoises dashing round the vessel & a stormy petrel skimming over the waves were the first objects of interest I have seen. — I spent a very pleasant afternoon lying on the sofa, either talking to the Captain or reading Humboldt glowing accounts of tropical scenery. — Nothing could be better adapted for cheering the heart of a sea-sick man.

January 1^st

The new year to my jaundiced senses bore a most gloomy appearance. — In the morning almost a calm, but a long swell on the sea. — in the evening it blew a stiff breeze against us.- This & three following days were ones of great & unceasing suffering. —

Monday 2^d   Heavy weather. — I very nearly fainted from exhaustion.

3^d

We looked for the eight stones & passed over the spot where they are laid down in the charts. — Perhaps their origin might have been Volcanic & have since disappeared.

4^th

We heaved to during the night & at day break saw Porto Santo, in few hours we passed Madeira, leaving it on our West. — As the anchorage there is bad & the landing difficult, it was not thought worth while to beat dead to Windward in order to reach it. —

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[page] 45

Devonport to Canary Islands

1832

Janu^y 4^th

accordingly we steered for Teneriffe. — I was so sick that I could not get up even to see Madeira, when within 12 miles. — in the evening a little better but much exhausted. —

5^th

Passed this morning within a few miles of the Piton rock: the most Southern of the Salvages: it is a wild abrupt rock & uninhabited. —

At noon we were 100 miles from Teneriffe. — The day has been beautiful & I am so much better that I am able to enjoy it; the air is very mild & warm: something like a spring day in England, but here the sky is much brighter & atmosphere far more clear. — There was a very long gradual swell on the sea, like what is seen on the Pacific: The ocean lost its flat appearance & looked more like an undulating plain. —

6^th

After heaving to during the night we came in sight of Teneriffe at day break, bearing SW about 12 miles off. — We are now a few miles tacking with a light wind to Santa Cruz. — Which at this distance looks a small town, built of white houses & lying very flat. — Point Naga, which we are doubling, is a rugged uninhabited mass of lofty rock.-

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[page] 47

Teneriffe

1832

January 6^th

with a most remarkably bold & varied outline. — In drawing it you could not make a line straight. — Every thing has a beautiful appearance: the colours are so rich & soft. — The peak or sugar loaf has just shown itself above the clouds. — It towers in the sky twice as high as I should have dreamed of looking for it. — A dense bank of clouds entirely separates the snowy top from its rugged base. — It is now about 11 oclock, and I must have another gaze at this long wished for object of my ambition.-

Oh misery, misery — we were just preparing to drop our anchor within 1/2 a mile of Santa Cruz when a boat came alongside bringing with it our death-warrant.- The consul declared we must perform a rigorous quarantine of twelve days. — Those who have never experienced it can scarcely conceive what a gloom it cast on every one: Matters were soon decided by the Captain ordering all sail to be set & make a course for the Cape Verd Islands. — And we have left perhaps one of the most interesting places in the world, just at the moment when we were near enough for every object to create, without satisfying, our utmost curiosity.- The abrupt vallies which divided

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[page] 49

Teneriffe to Cape Verd Islands

1832

January 6^th

in parallel rows the brown & desolate hills were spotted with patches of a light green vegetation & gave the scenery to me a very novel appearance.- I suppose however that Volcanic islands under the same zone have much the same character. — On deck to day the view was compared as very like to other places, especially to Trinidad in West Indies. — Santa Cruz is generally accused of being ugly & uninteresting, it struck me as much the contrary. The gaudy coloured houses of white yellow & red; the oriental-looking Churches & the low dark batteries, with the bright Spanish flag waving over them were all most picturesque. — The small trading vessels with their raking masts & the magnificent back ground of Volcanic rock would together have made a most beautiful picture. — But it is past & tomorrow morning we shall probably only see the grey outline of the surrounding hills.- We are however as yet only a few miles from the town. — it is now about 10 oclock & we have been becalmed for several hours.- The night does its best to smooth our sorrow — the air is still & deliciously warm — the only sounds are the waves rippling on the stern & the sails idly flapping round the masts. —

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[page] 51

Teneriffe to C.Verd Islands

1832

Janu 6^th

Already can I understand Humboldts enthusiasm about the tropical nights, the sky is so clear & lofty, & stars innumerable shine so bright, that like little moons they cast their glitter on the waves.

7^th

We were beating about during the night with a light baffling wind & in the morning a most glorious view broke upon us. — The sun was rising behind the grand Canary & defined with the clearest outline its rugged form. — Teneriffe, grey as yet from the morning mist, lay to the West: some clouds having floated past, the snowy peak was soon in all its grandeur. As the sun rose it illumined this massive pyramid, parts of which either stood relieved against the blue sky or were veiled by the white fleecy clouds: all rendered the scene most beautiful & varied. — Such moments can & do repay the tedious suffering of sickness. — We stood on a tack in direction of Santa Cruz; but were soon becalmed before reaching it. — The day has been one of great interest to me: every body in the ship was in activity, some shooting, others fishing, all amused.- No one could withstand such delightful weather

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[page] 53

Teneriffe to C.Verd Islands

1832

January 7^th

nothing reminded one that there were are such extremes as hot or cold. — During the day we frequently saw the Cone, but the rest of the mountain even to the waters edge was hidden. — it is then that its extreme height most strikes one. — Some old paintings, where you see Jupiter & other gods quietly conversing on a rock amongst the clouds do not give a very exaggerated idea of the Peak of Teneriffe. —

A fine breeze is now blowing us from its coast: one has read so many accounts of this island, that it is like parting from a friend; a different feeling from what I shall experience when viewing the Andes. —

8^th

These two days have passed quietly reading. —

Monday 9^th

there was nothing to remind you that you were not sailing in the English Channel. —

10^th

We crossed the Tropic this morning, if our route did not extend further, Neptune would here celebrate the aweful ceremonies of the Equator. — The weather is beautiful, & very little hotter than the middle of our summer: we have all put on our light clothes; what a contrast one fortnight has brought about as compared to the miserable wet weather of Plymouth. —

[page 54]

[Sketch by Darwin of a plankton net, 2 separate figures, the right hand one with text:]
Front view

[page] 55

Teneriffe to C.Verd Islands

1832

January 10^th

There was a glorious sunset this evening & is now followed by an equally fine moonlight night. — I do not think I ever before saw the sun set in a clear horizon. I certainly never remarked the marvellous rapidity with which the disk after having touched the ocean dips behind it. — I proved to day the utility of a contrivance which will afford me many hours of amusement & work. — it is a bag four feet deep, made of bunting, & attached to semicircular bow this by lines is kept upright, & dragged behind the vessel. — this evening it brought up a mass of small animals, & tomorrow I look forward to a greater harvest. —

11^th

I am quite tired having worked all day at the produce of my net. — The number of animals that the net collects is very great & fully explains the manner so many animals of a large size live so far from land. — Many of these creatures so low in the scale of nature are most exquisite in their forms & rich colours. — It creates a feeling of wonder that so much beauty should be apparently created for such little purpose. — The weather is beautiful & the blueness of the sky when contrasted with white clouds is certainly striking.

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[page] 57

Teneriffe to C.Verd Islands

1832

January 11- Again did I admire the rapid course of the setting sun. — It did not at first occur to me that it was owing to the change of Latitude: I forgot that the same vertical motion of the sun which causes the short twilight at the Equator, must necessarily hasten its disappearance beneath the horizon. — The mean Temp from 12 observations for the 10^th gives was 73 1/2. —

12^th

These have been two quiet uninteresting days:

13^th

my time since the making of the net has been fully occupied with collecting & observing the numerous small animals in the sea. — I find sea-life so far from unpleasant, that I am become quite indifferent whether we arrive a week sooner or later at any port. — I cannot help much regretting we were unable to stay at Teneriffe: St Jago is so miserable a place that my first landing in a Tropical country will not make that lasting impression of beauty which so many have described. —

14^th

These, like the last two days have rapidly glided past

15^th

with nothing to mark their transit. — The weather has been light & to sailors very annoying: all the 15^th we were tacking about the NW end of St Jago. — making so little way from the effects of a strong current, that after some hours we scarcely got on a mile. — Some few birds have been hovering about the vessel

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[page] 59

St Jago

1832

& a large gay coloured cricket found an insecure resting place within the reach of my fly-nippers. — He must at the least have flown 370 miles from the coast of Africa.

Monday 16^th

At about 11 oclock we neared the Western coast of St Jago & by about three we anchored in the bay of Porto Praya. — St Jago viewed from the sea is even much more desolate than the land about Santa Cruz. — The Volcanic fire of past ages & the scorching heat of a tropical sun have in most places rendered the soil sterile & unfit for vegetation.-  The country rises in successive steps of table land, interspersed by some truncate conical hills, & the horizon is bounded by an irregular chain of more lofty & bolder hills. — The scene when viewed through the peculiar atmosphere of the tropics was one of great interest: if indeed a person fresh from sea & walking for the first time in a grove of Cocoa-nut trees, can be a judge of anything but his own happiness.- At three oclock I went with a party to announce our arrival to the "Governador".- After having found out the house, which certainly is not suited to the grandeur of his title we were ushered into a room where the great man most courteously received us. — After having made out our story in a very

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[page] 61

St Jago

1832

Jan. 16^th

ludicrous mixture of Portuguese, English & French, we retreated under a shower of bows. — We then called on the American Consul who likewise acts for the English. — The Portugeese might with great advantage have instilled a little of his well-bred politesse into this quarter. — I was surprised at the houses: the rooms are large & airy, but with uncommonly little furniture, & that little in vile taste. —

We then strolled about the town, & feasted upon oranges: which I believe are now selling a hundred per shilling. I likewise tasted a Banana: but did not like it, being maukish & sweet with little flavor. — The town is a miserable place, consisting of a square & some broard streets, if indeed they deserve so respectable a name. — In the middle of these "Ruas" are lying together goats, pigs & black & brown children: some of whom boast of a shirt, but quite as many not: these latter look less like human being than I could have fancied any degradation could have produced.- There are a good many black soldiers, it would be difficult I should think to pick out a less efficient body of men. — Many of them only possess for arms a wooden staff. — Before returning to our boat, we walked across the town & came to a deep valley.- Here I first saw the glory of tropical

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[page] 63

St Jago

1832

Jan. 16^th

vegetation. Tamarinds, Bananas & Palms were flourishing at my feet. — I expected a good deal, for I had read Humboldts descriptions & I was afraid of disappointments: how utterly vain such fear is, none can tell but those who have seen experienced what I to day have. — It is not only the gracefulness of their forms or the novel richness of their colours, it is the numberless & confusing associations that rush together on the mind that& produces the effect.- I returned to the shore, treading on Volcanic rocks, hearing the notes of unknown birds, & seeing new insects fluttering about still newer flowers. — It has been for me a glorious day, like giving to a blind man eyes, —he is overwhelmed with what he sees & cannot justly comprehend it. — Such are my feelings, & such may they remain. —

17^th

Immediately after breakfast I went with the Captain to Quail Island. — This is a miserable desolate spot, less than a mile in circumference. It is intended to fix here the observatory & tents; & will of course be a sort of head quarters to us. — Uninviting as its first appearance was, I do not think the impression this day has made will ever leave me. — The first examining of Volcanic rocks must to a Geologist be a memorable epoch, & little less so to the naturalist is the first burst of admiration at seeing Corals growing on their

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[page] 65

[no running title]

1832

Jan. 17^th

native rock.- Often whilst at Edinburgh, have I gazed at the little pools of water left by the tide: & from the minute corals of our own shore pictured to myself those of larger growth: little did I think how exquisite their beauty is & still less did I expect my hopes of seeing them would ever be realized. — And in what a manner has it come to pass, never in the wildest castles in the air did I imagine so good a plan; it was beyond the bounds of the little reason that such day-dreams require. — After having selected a series of geolog. specimens & collected numerous animals from the sea — I sat myself down to a luncheon of ripe tamarinds & biscuit; the day was hot, but not much more so than the summers of England & the sun tried to make cheerful the dark rocks of St Jago.- The atmosphere was a curious mixture of haziness & clearness — distant objects were blended together: but every angle & streak of colour was brightly visible at the short distance on the nearer rocks. —

Let those who have seen the Andes be discontented with the scenery of St Jago. I think its unusually sterile character gives it a grandeur which more vegetation might have spoiled. — I suppose the view is truly African, especially to our left, where some round sandy hills were only broken

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[page] 67

[no running title]

1832

Jan. 17^th

by a few stunted Palms. — I returned to the ship heavily laden with my rich harvest, & have all evening been busily employed in examining its produce. —

18^th

I have been excessively busy all day & have hardly time to write my days log: the little time I was out of my cabin, I spent geologising on Quail Island.- The day has been very hot: & I have feasted on Tamarinds & a profusion of oranges, — for dinner I had Barrow Cooter for fish & sweet potatoes for vegetables: quite tropical and correct. —

19^th

I took a walk with Musters. I went to the West along the coast, & then returned by a more inland path. — My imagination never pictured so utterly barren a place as this is — it is not the absence of vegetation solely that produces this effect: every thing adds to the idea of solitude: nothing meets the eye but plains strewed over with black & burnt rocks rising one above the other: And yet there was a grandeur in such scenery & to me the unspeakable pleasure of walking under a tropical sun on a wild & desert island. — It is quite glorious the way my collections are increasing. I am even already troubled with the vain fear that there will be nobody in England who will have the courage to examine some of the less known branches. — I have been

[page 68]

[Sketch of a baobob tree] Vide (77). AB. Apparent diameter as compared to the altitude CD.

[page] 69

St Jago

1832

Jan. 19

so incessantly engaged with objects full of new & vivid interest: that the three days appear of an indefinite length. — I look back to the 16th as a period long gone by. —

20^th

I took a long walk with Maccormick into the interior. — Although in such a country the objects of interest are few, yet perhaps from this very reason, each individual one strikes the imagination the more. — We followed one of the broard water courses, which serves as a road for the country people, by the greatest good luck it lead us to the celebrated Baobob trees. — I had forgotten its existence, but the sight immediately recalled a description of it which I had formerly read. — This enormous tree measured 36f 2 inches at the height of 2 .. 8 from ground. Its altitude in no way corresponds with its great thickness. — I should not suppose it was 30 feet high. — This tree is supposed to be one of longest lived that exists.- Adanson supposed that some reached to the age of 6000 years.- This one bears on its bark the signs of its notoriety — it is as completely covered with initials & dates as any one in Kensington Gardens. — We passed on with nothing except the novelty of the scene that could give us any enjoyment: the glowing sun above our heads was the only thing that reminded us we were in the tropics. — Nature is here

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[page] 71

St. Jago

1832

Jan. 20^th

sterile, nothing breaks the absolute stillness, nothing is seen to move: we may indeed except a gay coloured kingfisher & its prey, the less gaudy grasshopper. At midday, we seated ourselves under the shade of a Tamarind & measured out our small portion of water. — The bluish green tint of its colour & the extreme lightness of its pinnate foliage gives to this Acacia a most pleasing appearance. — We then left the valley & crossed over to Red hill, which is 1300 high & composed of more recent Volcanic rocks. — On road, two black men brought us some goats milk, to pay them we put some copper money on our open hands: they took a farthing, & when we gave them a penny, we hardly could prevent them pouring down a quart of milk into our very throats. — These merry simple hearted men left us in roars of laughter. — I never saw anything more intelligent than the Negros, especially the Negro or Mulatto children. — they all immediately perceived & are astonished at the percussion guns, — they examine every thing with the liveliest attention, & if you let them the children chattering away, will pull everything out of your pockets to examine them it. — My silver pencil case was pulled out & much speculated upon. — When catching a stinging ichneumon, the children pinched themselves

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[page] 73

St Jago

1832

Jan. 20

in order to show that the insect would pain me. — We scaled the top of the Red hill & from it had a good view of the most desolate countrys in the world. — Our road home, near to Praya, lay through a more fertile valley & few will imagine how refreshing is the sight of the dark green of the Palm. — We returned to the vessel very thirsty & covered with dust, but not much fatigued, neither did I suffer much from the heat of the sun. —

21^st

All day I have been working at yesterdays produce. — Geology is at present my chief pursuit & this island gives full scope for its enjoyment. — There is something in the comparative nearness of time, which is very satisfactory whilst viewing Volcanic rocks. —

There have been two bright meteors passing from East to West.

22^nd

This day has passed (& it is a subject for wonder) very much like any other Sunday out of the Magic line of the Tropics. — In the evening I strolled about Quail Island & caught myself thinking of England & its politicks, — it is my belief that the word reform has not passed the lips of any man on board since we saw Madeira. — So absorbing is the interest of a new country. —

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[page] 75

St Jago

1832

Monday Janu. 23

Walked with Maccormick to Flag Staff Hill.- We passed over an extended plain of table land. — There was scarcely one green leaf on the whole tract, yet large flocks of goats, together with some cattle, contrive to live. — It rains but very seldom in this country & when it does [1 word deleted] a mass of vegetation springs up; this soon drys up & withers: & upon this such miserable sort of hay that the animals exist: at present it has not rained for a year, & I suppose will not till the proper time next year, viz. November & October. — At these periods the island is very unhealthy: one ship some years past lost six of its junior officers. — A little to the North of the hill, we found a very curious ravine, not much above 30 yards across, — about 200 feet high. We with some difficulty found one single path at the very end, where we descended. — In this wild dell we found the building places of many birds. — Hawks & Ravens & the beautiful Tropic bird were soaring about us: a large wild cat bounded across & reached its den before Maccormick could shoot it. — The place seemed formed for wild animals: large blocks of rocks, entwined with succulent creepers & the ground strewed over with bleached bones of Goats would have been a fine habitation for a Tiger.

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[page] 77

St Jago

1832

Janr 24^th

After our one oclock dinner, Wickham, the Captain & myself walked to the famous Baobob tree & measured it more accurately.- Cap FitzRoy first took an angle by a pocket sextant & afterward climbed the tree & let down a string, both ways gave the same result, viz. 45 feet in height. — Its circumference measured 2 feet from the grounds (there being no projecting roots) gave 35. — Its form is oval, & its greatest visible diameter was 13 feet. — So that in an accurate drawing its breadth height would be 3.4 of its height breadth. — Cap FitzRoy made a sketch which gave a good idea of its proportion, yet in this the height was only about 2.4 of breadth. Proving, what one so often observes, that a faithful delineation of Nature does not give an accurate idea of it.- We returned home, after our merry & pleasant walk, just as it was dark. — :

A very pretty schooner came in this morning: it is strongly suspected that she is a slaver in disguise, she says she is a general trader to the coast of Africa. — The Captain means to overhaul her in the morning & make out what she is. — I suppose every thing is well concealed, else she would not have come into a harbour where a pennant was flying.

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[page] 79

St Jago

1832

Janu. 25^th

Collected some marine animals at Quail Island & spent most part of the day in examining them. —

26^th

Rowlett, Bynoe & myself started early in the morning on a riding expedition to Ribera Grande. — We went to Praya to get our horses & there had our breakfast: The greatest shopkeeper in the place was our host: He is an American & has married a Spanish woman & seems one of the most influential people in the place. — After we had finished our Coffee in his large & airy rooms, we mounted our ponys. — The road to Ribera for the first six miles is totally uninteresting & till we arrived at the valley of St Martin the country presented its usual dull brown appearance: here our eyes were refreshed by the varied & beautiful forms of the tropical trees. The valley owes its fertility to a small stream & following its course Papaw trees, Bananas & Sugar cane flourished. — I here got a rich harvest of flowers, & still richer one of fresh water shells. — After having watered our active & sure footed little horses, we again commenced climbing. — In the course of an hour, we arrived at Ribera & were astonished at the sight of a large ruined fort & a Cathedral: — Ribera Grande which lies

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[page] 81

St Jago

1832

Jan. 26^th

9 miles to the West of Praya & was till within later years the principal place in the island. — The filling up of its harbour has been the cause of the overthrow of its grandeur. — It now presents a melancholy, but very picturesque appearance. The town is situated at the foot of a high black precipice, through which a narrow & abrupt valley has cut its way. —

The vegetation in this little corner was most beautiful; it is impossible sufficiently to admire the exquisite form of the Cocoa-nut tree, & when, as in this case, they are seen waving their lofty heads above the dark green of an Orange Grove, one feels convinced that all the praise bestowed on tropical scenery is just. — Having procured a black padre for a guide, & a Spaniard who had served in the Peninsular war for our interpreter, we visited a collection of buildings of which an antient Church forms the principal part. — It is here the Governors & Captain Generals of the Islands are buried, — some of the tombstones recorded dates of the fourteenth century; the heraldic ornaments were the only things in this retired place that reminded one of Europe. — This Church or Chapel formed one of the sides of a Quadrangle, in which Bananas were

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[page] 83

St Jago

1832

Jan. 26^th

were growing. — On two of the others were the buildings in which the the people connected with the institution lived. — On the fourth was a hospital, containing about a dozen of miserable looking inmates. — In one of the rooms, to our surprise, we were shown a collection of tolerable paintings. — the colouring & drawing of the drapery was excellent. — We then, accompanied as before, returned to the "Venda" & eat our dinner. — To see which operation a concourse of black men, women & children had collected. We luckily had brought some cold meat: as the only things the men helped us to were wine & crumbs made from Indian corn. — Certainly the whole scene was most amusing, our companions the blacks were extremely merry, every thing we said or did was followed by their hearty laughter. Our Spanish interpreter now left us, before mounting his donkey, he loaded a formidable pistol with slugs. — quietly remarking "this very good for black man".-

Before leaving Ribera, we visited the Cathedral. — It is a building of some size, but does not appear from the absence of plate to be so rich

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[page] 85

St Jago

1832

Jan. 26^th

as the smaller Church. — It boasts however of a small organ, which sent forth most singularly inharmonious notes. — We presented our friend the black priest (which the Spaniard with much candour said he thought made no difference) with a few shillings & wishing him good morning returned as fast as the Ponys would carry us to Porto Praya.

27^th

Employed in working at yesterdays produce.

28^th

Collected a great number of curious & beautiful animals from the little pools left by the tide. The colours of the sponges & corallines are extremely vivid & it is curious how all animated nature becomes more gaudy as it approaches the hotter countrys. — Birds, fishes, plants, shells are familiar to every one. — but the colours in these marine animals will rival in brilliancy those of the higher classes.

29^th

Divine service was performed on Board. — it is the first time I have seen it: it is a striking scene & the extreme attention of the men renders it much more imposing than I had expected. Every thing on board on Sunday is most delightfully clean — the lower decks would put to shame many gentlemens houses. —

[page 86] [blank]

[page] 87

St Jago

1832

Jany 30^th

Walked to the coast West of Quail Island with King, & collected numerous marine animals, — all of extreme interest. — I am frequently in the position of the ass between two bundles of hay. — so many beautiful animals do I generally bring home with me. — In the morning a few drops of rain fell.

31^st

This morning the view was very fine. — the air being singularly clear. — & the mountains were projected against dark blue or black clouds. — Judging from their appearances I should have thought the air was saturated with moisture. — The Hygrometer proved the contrary, the diff: between Temp & Dew point being 29.6: this is nearly double what it has been any other morning: on the 20^th& 21^st it was 15.5. — The dew formed at 42.2 & atmosphere was 71.8. — On the previous morning the diff was only 8.8: & dew point 64,4. — This uncommon dryness of the air was accompanied by continued flashes of lightning. — consequent I suppose on the great change from unusual dampness to such extreme dryness. —

The whole of this day I have been working very hard with microscope at yesterdays produce.

February 1^st

Busy with my usual employment viz marine animals.

[page 88]

x Rowlett, Bynoe & myself

[page] 89

St Jago

1832

Feb 2^nd

We started by day-break on a riding excursion to St Domingo. — For the first 5 miles the road passed over one of the numerous plains of table-land: The country here has not quite so sterile an appearance owing to the stunted Acacia trees which are sparing scattered over its faces. — These trees are curiously bent by the prevailing wind & I should think formed an excellent average wind vane for the Island. Their direction is exactly NE & SW (magnetic), & by its force their tops are often bent into an exact right angle. — At the foot of a pyramidal hill of scoriae I tied up my pony to examine the rocks. . . — The road makes so little impression on the barren soil, that we here missed our track & took that to Fuentes. — This we did not find out till we arrived there, & we were afterwards very glad of our mistake. — Fuentes is a pretty village with a small stream & everything appears to prosper well. — Excepting indeed that which ought to do so most — its inhabitants. — The black children, perfectly naked & looking very wretched, were carrying bundles of fire wood half as big as their own bodies.- The men & women badly clothed looked much overworked.

[page 90] [blank]

[page] 91

St. Jago

1832

Feb 2^d

We gladly left Fuentes & passed along a wild narrow road to St. Domingo, which lay about a league to the East. — Before we arrived at Fuentes, we saw a large flock of the wild Guinea fowl: they were extremely wary & would not allow us to approach them near.- Their manner of avoiding us was like that of Partridges on a rainy day in September, no sooner do they alight than with their heads cocked up they run away & then if approached fly again. — On approaching St Domingo a turn in the road first showed us the background of wild peaked rocks. — their forms are most fantastic; one part looks like a castle wall, others like towers & pyramids. — every thing betrays marks of extreme violence: & which is better shown by the rocks being in horizontal beds. — As the road approaches the sides of the hill or precipice, the town & valley of St Domingo are seen. — I can imagine no contrast more striking than that of its bright vegetation against the black precipices that surround it. — A clear brook gives a luxuriance to the spot that no other part of the Island would lead you to expect.- Nothing has surprised me so much as the very dark green of the oranges;

[page 92]

[page] 93

St. Jago

1832

Feb 2d some tropical forms can easily be imagined either from hot-house specimens or from drawings, — but neither such as Bananas, — but I do not think any adequate idea of the beauty of Oranges or Cocoa Nut trees can be formed without actually seeing them on their own proper soil —.

We had an introduction to a most hospitable Portugeese, who treated us most kindly & feasted us with a most substantial dinner of meat cooked with various sorts of herbs & spices, & Orange Tart. — This man is a principal owner of the plantation & apparently lives in great comfort: his house is simple, but he has perhaps the Utopian felicity of growing every thing he wants on his own ground. — We were told there was a lake about 2 miles from St. Domingo: after dinner we started to see, & followed a path by the side of a brook. — On each side were flourishing Bananas, Sugar Cane, Coffee, Guavas, Cocoa Nuts, & numberless wild flowers. — None can guess conceive such delight but those who fond of Natural history have seen such scenes. — We at last arrived at the lake: one certainly on the smallest scale, for it was not 20 feet across, — by such great names in this dry country do they

[page 94] [blank]

[page] 95

St. Jago

1832

February 2^d

designate a small puddle of fresh water. — After again & again admiring this beautiful & retired valley, we returned to our ponys, & wishing our most hospitable entertainer buenas dias, we took the direct road for Praya. — The day was a grand feast day & the village very full of people — a little distance out of it we overtook about 20 young black girls. — dressed in most excellent taste, — their black skins & snow white linen were adorned with a gay coloured turbans & large shawls. — When we approached them they suddenly all turned round & covered the path with their shawls, — they sung with great energy a wild song: beating time with their hands upon the legs. — We threw them some Vintem, which were received with screams of laughter, & we left them redoubling the noise of their song. — We arrived after it was dark at Praya & with our tired ponys had some difficulty in picking out our way.-

3^d

A blowing day: I observe it feels quite cool when thermometer is under 75 if at the time there is a fresh breeze. — Walked along Eastern coast & found some beautiful corals. —

[page 96] [blank]

[page] 97

St. Jago

1832

Febr 4^th

Walked with Musters to a high hill N by E of Praya. — On the road saw a large flock of guinea fowl, & their usual companion & destroyer the wild cat. — These animals appear to be very common in the island, so many have been seen since we were here. —

5^th

This day or rather the 6th was originally fixed for sailing but the Captain is so much engaged with experiments on Magnetism, that the time is put off till tomorrow. — I was engaged with my usual occupation of collecting marine animals in the middle of the day & examining them in the evening. — Daily do I feel myself very hardly used, when on returning to the ship I find it growing dark soon after six oclock. — The days are exactly the same as in a dry hot summer in England, but it is very surprising the sun choosing to set before its accustomed time about 8 oclock. —

6^th

Went in a boat dredging for Corals; but did not succeed in obtaining any. Tomorrow we certainly sail. And I am glad of it, for I am becoming rather impatient to see tropical Vegetation in greater luxuriance than it can be seen here. — Upon the whole the time has been for me of a proper length & has flown away very pleasantly. . — It is

[page 98] [blank]

[page] 99

St.Jago to Fernando Noronho

1832

February 6^th

now three weeks, & what may appear very absurd it seems to me of less duration than one of its parts. — During the first week every object was new & full of uncommon interest & as Humboldt remarks the vividness of an impression gives it the effect of duration, — in consequence of this, those few days appeared to me a much longer interval than the whole three weeks does now. —

8^th

The dates for the few last days are wrong, for we certainly sailed on the 8^th after noon. — Again I admired the varied outline of the hills round Praya; the memory of which will never be effaced from my mind.

9^th

Beautiful & calm day, but I could not enjoy it, as to my great indignation I felt squeamish & uncomfortable.

10^th

In the morning a vessel was in sight. We chased her all day & have just come up to her this evening. — She is a Packet bound for Rio & in the morning I intend sending a letter to England via Rio de Janeiro, as possibly it may sooner arrive there by this than any other conveyance. I have felt a little sea-sickness to day: which is too bad, as objects of interest are continually occurring. — There were plenty of flying fish round the vessel but no large ones. Everybody is much pleased with the Beagles sailing, it certainly is something

[page 100] [blank]

[page] 101

St. Jago to Fernando Noronho

1832

February 10^th

extraordinary so very easily to beat a packet, which is built as a man of war & without her guns. — It is rather unaccountable the extreme interest that is universally felt at speaking a ship in "blue water". — We expected no news & we received none yet I believe a great disappointment to every person in the ship if we had not boarded her. —

To our shame be it spoken, we entirely forgot the Cholera Morbus, & although ourselves having smarted from the quarantine at Teneriffe, yet we made no enquiries about our friends in England. —

11^th

We are rapidly gaining on our voyage to the Equator.

12^th

There has been a little swell on the sea to day, & I have been very uncomfortable: this has tried & quite overcome the small stock of patience that the early parts of the voyage left me. — Here I have spent three days in painful indolence, whilst animals are staring me in the face, without labels & scientific epitaphs. — This has been the first day that the heat has annoyed us.

13^th

& in proportion all have enjoyed the delicious coolness of the moonlight nigh evenings: but when in bed, it is I am sure just like what one would feel if stewed in very warm melted butter. — This morning a glorious fresh trade wind is driving us along; I call it glorious because others

[page 102] [blank]

[page] 103

St. Jago to Fernando Norinho

1832

Feb. 13^th

do; it is however bitter cruelty to call anything glorious that gives my stomach so much uneasiness. — Oh a ship is a true pandemonium, & the cawkers who are hammering away above my head veritable devils. —

14^th

To day at noon we were 150 miles from the Equator, & have experienced the weather which is so frequent in these regions. — The wind has been light & variable accompanied by small squalls & much rain. — The thermometer is night & day between 75 & 80. — air is very damp & oppressive. — The appearance of the sky is in these parts generally striking: the scene after sunset was particularly so. Every class & form of clouds was present, & by their shadows gave to the sea a dead black colour. The sails were flapping against the mast & a long swell quietly rolled the ship. The place where the sun had set was marked by a long red streak on the horizon & higher above it by a clear yellow space, which cast a glare on that part of the ocean. — It is in such moments that one fully recollects the many miles that separates our ship from any land. —

Every body is alive with the anticipation about Neptunes appearance, & I hear of nothing but razors sharpened with a file & a lather made of paint & tar, to be used by the gentlest valet de chambre.

[page 104] [blank]

[page] 105

St. Jago to Fernando Norinha

1832

Febu. 15^th

Saw the rocks of St Pauls right ahead:

16^th

heaved to during the night, & this morning we were a few miles distant from them. — When within 3 miles, two boats were lowered, one with M^r Stokes for surveying the island, the other with M^r Wickham & myself for geologizing & shooting. — St Pauls may be considered as the top of a submarine mountain. — It is not above 40 feet above the sea, & about 1/2 a mile in circumference. — Bottom could not be found within a mile of the Island, & if the depth of the Atlantic is as great as it is usually supposed, what an enormous pyramid this must be. —

We had some difficulty in landing as the long swell of the open sea broke with violence on the broken rocky coast. — We had seen from a distance large flocks of sea-birds soaring about, & when we were on the Island a most extraordinary scene was presented. — We were surrounded on every side by birds, so unaccustomed to men that they would not move. — We knocked down with stones & my hammer the active and swift tern. — Shooting was out of the question, so we got two of the boats crew & the work of slaughter commenced. They soon collected a pile of birds, & hats full of eggs.

[page 106] [blank]

[page] 107

St. Jago to Fern: Norinha

1832

Feb. 16^th

Whilst we were so active on shore, the men in the boat were not less so. — They caught a great number of fine large fish & would have succeeded much better had not the sharks broken so many of their hooks & lines: they contrived to land three of these latter fish, & during our absence 2 large ones were caught from the ship. — We returned in great triumph with our prey, but were a good deal fatigued. —

The island is only 50 miles from the Equator, & the rocks being white from the birds dung, reflected a glaring heat. — The birds were only of two sorts, Booby and Noddys, & these with a few insects were the only organized beings that inhabited this desolate spot. —

In the evening the ceremonies for crossing the line commenced: The officer on watch reported a boat ahead. — The Captain turned "hands up, shorten sail", and we heaved to in order to converse with M^r Neptune. The Captain held a conversation with him through a speaking trumpet, the result of which was that he would in the morning pay us a visit. —

17^th

We have crossed the Equator. I have undergone the disagreeable sensation operation of being shaved. About 9 oclock this morning we poor "griffins"

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[page] 109

St. Jago to Fern: Norinha

1832

Febr. 17^th

two & thirty in number, were put altogether on the lower deck. — The hatchways were battened down, so we were in the dark & very hot. — Presently four of Neptunes constables came to us, & one by one led us up on deck. — I was the first & escaped easily: I nevertheless found this watery ordeal sufficiently disagreeable. — Before coming up, the constable blindfolded me & thus lead along, buckets of water were thundered all around; I was then placed on a plank, which could be easily tilted up into a large bath of water. — They then lathered my face & mouth with pitch and paint, & scraped some of it off with a piece of roughened iron hoop, — a signal being given I was tilted head over heels into the water, where two men received me & ducked me. —at last, glad enough, I escaped, — most of the others were treated much worse, dirty mixtures being put in their mouths & rubbed on their faces. — The whole ship was a shower bath: & water was flying about in every direction: of course not one person, even the Captain, got clear of being wet through.

[page 109 verso] [blank]

[page] 110

[From page 110 to 124 the even numbers are recto pages]

St. Jago to Fern: Norinha

1832

Febru. 18^th

At last I certainly am in the Southern hemisphere, & whilst enjoying the cool air of the evening, I can gaze at the Southern Cross, Magellans cloud & the great crown of the South. — In August quietly wandering about Wales, in February in a different hemisphere; nothing ever in this life ought to surprise me. — I find I had formed a very exaggerated idea of the heat in these zones during their cooler months. — I have often grumbled at a hot summers day in England in much more earnest than I do at present. —

19^th

This morning a vessel was in sight, but would not show her colours. — An hour before sunset Fernando was clearly visible — it appears an extraordinary place, — there is one lofty mountain that at a distance looks as if it was overhanging. — We are at present lying off & on, & as soon as the moon gets up we shall anchor in the harbor. — Just before it was dark Sullivan harpooned a large porpoise. The instrument was hurled with such force that it passed through the entire body. — In a few minutes a fine animal about five feet long, was lying

[page] 111

Fernando Norinha

1832

Feb 19^th

on the deck & in a still less time a dozen knives were skinning him for supper. — The view of the group of Islands was very grand by the clear moonlight, & I felt rather disappointed when I found at day-break

20^th

that the hills are by no means lofty. — I have written one account of the Island in my geology and it is much too hard work to copy anything when the sun is only a few degrees from the Zenith. — I spent a most delightful day in wandering about the woods. — The whole island is one forest, & this is so thickly intertwined that it requires great exertion to crawl along. — The scenery was very beautiful, & large Magnolias & Laurels & trees covered with delicate flowers ought to have satisfied me. — But I am sure all the grandeur of the Tropics has not yet been seen by me. — We had no gaudy birds. No humming birds. No large flowers. — I am glad that I have seen these islands, I shall enjoy the greater wonders all the more from having a guess what to look for. — All the trees either bearing some fruit or large flower is perhaps one of the most striking things that meet one, whilst wandering in a

[page] 112

Fernando Norinha

1832

Feb 20^th

wood in these glorious regions. —

I joined the Captain in the evening & was informed that we should sail that very evening. — What decided his plans is the great difficulty in landing in the surf. —

21

We sailed at night, but have not made much way this morning, — latterly it has been a dead calm, the ships head standing the wrong way. — As long as one was motionless the extreme heat is rather enjoyable — but after any bodily or mental exertion a most helpless degree of languor comes over every faculty. During the night it is like sleeping in a warm bath. I am forced to get out & lie on the table, the hardness of which is delightful after the round soft hammock. —

22^d

The wind has continued so variable that this morning we were yet in sight of Fernando Noronha. — The day has been uncomfortably hot & the evening deliriously cool. — The most serious discomfort which affects me, is the difficulty of sleeping: before going to bed it is next to impossible to keep the head from falling on the book, but the instant one is in the hammock all sleep deserts you. —

[page] 113

Fernando Norinha to Bahia

1832

Feb 23^d, 24^th & 25^th

These three days have passed by quietly & without note, — On the 23^d we had scarcely got out of the "variables" which are so common in the Equatorial regions, but for the two last days we have been driving with a steady Trade wind for the continent of S America. —

Since leaving Teneriffe the sea has been so calm that it is hard to believe it the same element which tossed us about in the Bay of Biscay. This stillness is of great moment to the quantity of comfort which is attainable on ship-board, hitherto I have been surprised how enjoyable life is in this floating prison. — But the greatest & most constant drawback to this is the very long period which separates us from our return. — Excepting when in the midst of tropical scenery, the my greatest share of pleasure is in anticipating a future time when I shall be able to look back on past events; & the consciousness that this prospect is so distant never fails to be painful. — To enjoy the soft & delicious evenings of the Tropic; to gaze at the bright band of Stars which stretches from Orion to the Southern Cross, & to enjoy such pleasures in quiet solitude, leaves an impression which a few years will not destroy. —

[page] 114

Fernando Norinha to Bahia

1832

Feb 26^th

For the first time in my life I saw the sun at noon to the North: yesterday it was very near over our heads & therefore of course we are a little to the South of it. — I am constantly surprised at not finding the heat more intense than it is; when at sea & with a gentle breeze blowing one does not even wish for colder weather. — I am sure I have frequently been more oppressed by a hot summers day in England.

27^th

Quietly sailing, tomorrow we shall reach Bahia.

28^th

About 9 oclock we were near to the coast of Brazil; we saw a considerable extent of it, the whole line is rather low & irregular, & from the profusion of wood & verdure of a bright green colour. — About 11 oclock we entered the bay of All Saints, on the Northern Side of which is situated the town of Bahia or S^t Salvador. It would be difficult [to] imagine, before seeing the view, anything so magnificent. — It requires, however, the reality of nature to make it so — if faithfully represented in a picture, a feeling of distrust would be raised in the mind, as I think is the case in some of Martins pictures views. — The town is fairly embosomed in a luxuriant wood & situated on a steep bank overlooks the calm waters of the great bay of All Saints.

[page] 115

Bahia

1832

Feb 28^th

The houses are white & lofty & from the windows being narrow & long have a very light & elegant appearance. Convents, Porticos & public buildings vary the uniformity of the houses: the bay is scattered over with large ships; in short the view is one of the finest in the Brazils. — But their beauties are as nothing compared to the Vegetation; I believe from what I have seen Humboldts glorious descriptions are & will for ever be unparalleled: but even he with his dark blue skies & the rare union of poetry with science which he so strongly displays when writing on tropical scenery, with all this falls far short of the truth. The delight one experiences in such times bewilders the mind, — if the eye attempts to follow the flight of a gaudy butter-fly, it is arrested by some strange tree or fruit; if watching an insect one forgets it in the stranger flower it is crawling over, — if turning to admire the splendour of the scenery, the individual character of the foreground fixes the attention. The mind is a chaos of delight, out of which a world of future & more quiet pleasure will arise. — I am at present fit only to read Humboldt; he like another Sun illumines everything I behold. —

29^th

The day has passed delightfully: delight is however a weak term for such transports of pleasure: I have been wandering by

[page] 116

Bahia

1832

Feb 29^th

myself in a Brazilian forest: amongst the multitude it is hard to say what set of objects is most striking; the general luxuriance of the vegetation bears the victory, the elegance of the grasses, the novelty of the parasitical plants, the beauty of the flowers. — the glossy green of the foliage, all tend to this end. — A most paradoxical mixture of sound & silence pervades the shady parts of the wood, — the noise from the insects is so loud that in the evening it can be heard even in a vessel anchored several hundred yards from the shore. — Yet within the recesses of the forest when in the midst of it a universal stillness appears to reign. — To a person fond of natural history such a day as this brings with it pleasure more acute than he ever may again experience. — After wandering about for some hours, I returned to the landing place. — Before reaching it I was overtaken by a Tropical storm. — I tried to find shelter under a tree so thick that it would never have been penetrated by common English rain, yet here in a couple of minutes, a little torrent flowed down the trunk. It is to this violence we must attribute the verdure in the bottom of the wood, — if the showers were like those of a colder clime, the moisture would be absorbed or evaporated before reaching the ground.

[page] 117

Bahia

1832

March 1^st

I can only add raptures to the former raptures. I walked with the two Mids a few miles into the interior. The country is composed of small hills & each new valley is more beautiful than the last. — I collected a great number of brilliantly coloured flowers, enough to make a florist go wild. — Brazilian scenery is nothing more nor less than a view in the Arabian Nights, with the advantage of reality. — The air is deliriously cool & soft; full of enjoyment one fervently desires to live in retirement in this new & grander world. —

2^d, 3^d

I am quite ashamed at the very little I have done during these two days; a few insects & plants make up the sum total. — My only excuse is the torrents of rain, but I am afraid idleness is the true reason. — Yesterday Cap^t Paget dined with us & made himself very amusing by detailing some of the absurdities of naval etiquette. — To day Rowlett & myself went to the city & he performed the part of Cicerone to me. — in the lower part near to the wharfs, the streets are very narrow & the houses even more lofty than in the old town of Edinburgh, the smell is very strong & disagreeable, which is not to be wondered at, since I observe they have the same need of crying "gardez l'eau" as in

[page] 118

Bahia

1832

March 3^d

Auld Reekie. — All the labor is done by the black men, who stand collected in great numbers round the merchants warehouses. — The discussions which arise about the amount of hire are very animated; the negros at all times use much gesticulation & clamor & when staggering under their heavy burthens, beat time & cheer themselves by a rude song. — I only saw one wheel carriage; but the horses are by no means scarce; they are generally small & well shaped & are chiefly used for the merchants to ride. — We paid a visit to one of the principal churches, we here found for a guide, a little Irish boy about 13 years old. — His father was buried there two months ago, & was one of the unfortunate people whom Don Pedro enticed into the country under the pretence of settling them. — This little fellow contrives to support his mother & sister by the few Vintems which in the course of the day he earns by messages. — Mr Gond, one of the principal merchants in the place, offered to lend us horses, if we would walk to his country house. — We gladly accepted his offer & enjoyed a most delightful ride; one beautiful view after another opening upon us in endless succession.

[page] 119

Bahia

1832

March 4^th

This day is the first of the Carnival, but Wickham, Sullivan & myself nothing undaunted were determined to face its dangers. — These dangers consist in being unmercifully pelted by wax balls full of water & being wet through by large tin squirts. — We found it very difficult to maintain our dignity whilst walking through the streets. — Charles the V has said that he was a brave man who could snuff a candle with his fingers without flinching; I say it is he who can walk at a steady pace, when buckets of water on each side are ready to be dashed over him. After an hours walking the gauntlet, we at length reached the country & there we were well determined to remain till it was dark. — We did so, & had some difficulty in finding the road back again, as we took care to coast along the outside of the town. — To complete our ludicrous miseries a heavy shower wet us to the skins, & at last gladly we reached the Beagle. — It was the first time Wickham had been on shore, & he vowed if he was here for six months it should be only one. —

5^th

King & myself started at 9 oclock for a long naturalizing walk. — Some of the valleys were even more beautiful than any I have yet seen. — There is a wild luxuriance in these spots that is

[page] 120

Bahia

1832

March 5^th

quite enchanting. — One of the great superiorities that Tropical scenery has over European is the wildness even of the cultivated ground. Cocoa Nuts, Bananas, Plantain, Oranges, Papaws are mingled as if by Nature, & between them are patches of the herbaceous plants such as Indian corn, Yams & Cassada: & in this class of views, the knowledge that all conduces to the subsistence of Mankind, adds much to the pleasure of beholding them. We returned to the ship about 1/2 after 5 oclock & during these eight hours we scarcely rested one. — The sky was cloudless & the day very hot, yet we did not suffer much: It appears to me that the heat merely brings on indolence, & if there is any motive sufficient to overcome this it is very easy to undergo a good deal of fatigue. — During the walk I was chiefly employed in collecting numberless small beetles & in geologising. — King shot some pretty birds & I a most beautiful large lizard. — It is a new & pleasant thing for me to be conscious that naturalizing is doing my duty, & that if I neglected that duty I should at same time neglect what has for some years given me so much pleasure. —

[page] 121

Bahia

1832

March 6^th

I pricked my knee some days since, & it is now so much swolen that I am unable to walk. — The greater part of the day has been spent in idly lying on deck. — I am not surprised that people are so indolent in a hot country; neither mind or body require any exercise; watching the sky is sufficient occupation for the former & the latter seems well contented with lying still. —

12^th

Since the 6^th I have been for the greater part of the time in my hammock; my knee continued to swell & was exceedingly painful. — To day is the first I have been able to sit up for many hours together. — It has been mortifying to see the clear blue sky above my head & not be able to enjoy it. — I have heard of interesting geological facts & am disabled from examining them; but instead of grumbling I must think myself lucky in having at all seen the glorious city of Bahia. — We have had some festivities on board; the day before yesterday there was a grand dinner on the quarter deck. — Cap Paget has paid us numberless visits & is always very amusing: he has mentioned in the presence of those who would if they could have contradicted him, facts about slavery so revolting, that

[page] 122

Bahia

1832

March 12^th

if I had read them in England, I should have placed them to the credulous zeal of well-meaning people: The extent to which the trade is carried on; the ferocity with which it is defended; the respectable (!) people who are concerned in it are far from being exaggerated at home. — I have no doubt the actual state of by far the greater part of the slave population is far happier than one would be previously inclined to believe. Interest & any good feelings the proprietor may possess would tend to this. — But it is utterly false (as Cap Paget satisfactorily proved) that any, even the very best treated, do not wish to return to their countries. — "If I could but see my father & my two sisters once again, I should be happy. I never can forget them." Such was the expression of one of these people, who are ranked by the polished savages in England as hardly their brethren, even in Gods eyes. — From instances I have seen of people so blindly & obstinately prejudiced, who in other points I would credit, on this one I shall never again scruple utterly to disbelieve: As far as my testimony goes, every individuall

[page] 123

Bahia

1832

March 12^th

who has the glory of having exerted himself on the subject of slavery, may rely on it his labours are exerted against miseries perhaps even greater than he imagines. —

13^th

Unable as yet to leave the ship.

14^th

Hired a boat & went some miles up the harbour. — I found some interesting geological appearances & spent some pleasant hours in wandering on the beach.

15^th

The Beagle weighed anchor this morning & proceeded to sound the bank, which runs out at the head of the bay. — As it was intended to come in again I was landed on shore & was very glad to have one other opportunity of admiring the beautiful country round Bahia. I procured an Irish boy as an interpreter & again started to revisit the same place as I did yesterday. — After walking for some time in the heat of the sun, we entered a Venda & drank some most excellent Sangaro. — As is generally the case we were soon surrounded by black men, women & children. I do not know whether they afforded me or I them the most amusement; their astonishment was great at the Fly net, small pistol & compass: as one thing came out after another from my most capacious pockets, they cried "full, full of sins". — Doubtless

[page] 124

Bahia

1832

March 15^th

thinking all my instruments were related "al Diabolo". — Every body is delighted with the excellent manners of the Negros. — I gave my friends at the Venda some wine & when I parted with them it is my firm belief, no Dutchess with three tails could have given such courtlike & dignified bows as the black women saluted me with. — In the evening I went to the Hotel d Universe, where by the help of the three words "comer" to eat, "cama" a bed & "pagar" my host & myself contrived to agree very well.

16^th

The next morning I took a long walk & collected a great number of plants & insects; it was a fine glowing day; but it is quite delightful to find, so contrary to what I had expected, that the heat by no means incapacitates one for exercise. — In the middle of the day went on board the Samarang & dined there. The difference between a surveying vessel & one in real fighting order is very striking. In the Samarang at any time under five minutes they could fire an effective broadside. I spent most part of the evening with the Mids; & such set of young unhanged

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Bahia

1832

March 16^th

rogues the young gentlemen" are, is sufficient to astonish a shore-going fellow. — About 9 oclock the Beagle came in & anchored & instead of sleeping on board the Samarang I went to my own hammock. — It was a piece of high good luck that I remained on shore during the two days: the ship rolled & pitched so much, that the greater part of the junior officers were sick. — People in general are not at all aware what a lasting misery sea-sickness is. Continually one meets men who having been at sea during their whole life yet are uncomfortable in every breeze.

17^th

Took a farewell stroll with King: the evening was bright & exceedingly clear; not a breath of air moved the leaves; every thing was quiet; nothing could be better adapted for fixing in the mind the last & glorious remembrances of Bahia. — If to what Nature has granted the Brazils, man added his just & proper efforts, of what a country might the inhabitants boast. But where the greater parts are in a state of slavery, & where this system is maintained by an entire stop to education, the mainspring of human actions, what can be expected; but that the whole would be polluted by its part. —

[page] 126

Bahia to Rio de Janeiro

1832

March 18^th

We got under weigh early in morning & cruized about the harbor untill the charts were finished. — Against a strong tide we slowly stood out of the bay of All Saints & took a lasting farewell of Bahia: if I have already seen enough of the Tropics to be allowed to judge, my report would be most favourable; nothing can be more delightful than the climate, & in beauty the sky & landscape are unparalleled in a colder zone. —

19^th

The next morning from the light winds & strong current we were yet in sight of the coast of Brazil:

20^th

& this morning to the astonishment of every body the opening into Bahia was distinctly visible. — In the forenoon a water-spout took place at a few miles distance & was to me a very interesting phenomenon. — From a stratus or black bank of clouds, a small dark cylinder (shaped like a cows tail) depended & joined it self to a funnel shaped mass which rested on the sea. — It lasted some moments & then the whole appearance vanished into an exceedingly heavy rain storm. — When they approach near to a vessel, it is usual to fire a big gun in order to break them. A large shark followed the ship, & was first struck by a harpoon; after this he was hooked by a bait & again being struck broke the hook & escaped. — Such an adventure creates great interest all over the whole ship. —

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Bahia to Rio de Janeiro

1832

March 21^st

The greatest event of the day has been catching a fine young shark with my own hooks: It certainly does not require much skill to catch them, yet this no way diminishes the interest. — In this case the hook was bigger than the palm of the hand & the bait only a bit of salted pork just sufficient to cover the point. Sharks when they seize their prey turn on their backs; no sooner was the hook astern, than we saw the silvery belly of the fish & in a few moments we hauled him on deck. —

22^d, 23

The wind yet continues very light & contrary; there is however to my cost a little swell, enough to make me all day long rather uncomfortable: Occupation is the best cure, & I always have, when leaving a port, the pleasant one of arranging my collections. —

24^th, 25^th, 26^th

Monday These three days, like the weather, have passed away with quietness & enjoyment. — We are nearly 4 degrees from the coast of Brazil & about 2 from the Albrolhos, from which islands a long shoal extends itself. — The Lead has been regularly cast at every two hours. — to day after finding no bottom at 230 fathoms we suddenly came on the bank with between 30 and 40. We are now steering for the islands. —

[page] 128

Bahia to Rio de Janeiro

1832

March

I find living on board a most excellent time for all sorts of study; & I cannot imagine why anybody who is not sick should make objections on that score. — There is little to interrupt one, for instance since leaving Bahia the only living things that we have seen were a few sharks & Mother Carys chickens. — At night in these fine regions of the Tropics there is one certain & never failing source of enjoyment, it is admiring the constellations in the heaven. — Many of those who have seen both hemispheres give the victory to the stars of the North. — It is however to me an inexpressible pleasure to behold those constellations, the first sight of which Humboldt describes with such enthusiasm. — I experience a kindred feeling when I look at the Cross of the South, the phosphorescent clouds of Magellan & the great Southern Crown. —

27^th, 28^th

During these two days the labours of the expedition have commenced. — We have laid down the soundings on parts of the Abrolhos, which were left undone by Baron Roussin. — The depth varied to an unusual extent: at one cast of the lead there would be 20 fathoms & in a few minutes only 5. — The scene being quite new to me was very interesting. — Everything in such a state

[page] 129

Bahia to Rio (Abrolhas Islands)

1832

March

of preparation; sails all shortened & snug: anchor ready to let fall: no voice or noise to be heard, excepting the alternate cry of the leadsmen in the chains. — We anchored for the night &

29^th

next morning we altered our place to within 2 miles of the groupe of Islands. — The Abrolhos consisted of 5 small rocky islands, which although uninhabited are not unfrequently visited by fishermen. — Two parties landed directly after breakfast. I commence an attack on the rocks & insects & plants, — the rest began a more bloody one on the birds. — Of these an enormous number were slaughtered by sticks, stones & guns; indeed there were more killed than the boats could hold. — We all returned for dinner & after that a boat was given to the midshipmen in order that they might see the islands. —