A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

turtle, and their shells (tortoise shell). Vegetables and pigs were also sold to passing ships. Both Covington and FitzRoy mention trade in beche-de-mer (bicho do mar, Opisthobranchia): Covington describes Beech de la mar like large black English slug only about 10 times the size . Captain Ross sold the coconuts, oil and other products of the islands in Singapore (this is where he was at the time the Beagle visited the island group), and also traded with the Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

volumes by J.C. Ross, sometime master of a merchant ship . This account, well over a hundred pages in length, although prepared as though written by FitzRoy, is in fact a vicious attack on both FitzRoy and Darwin. It is couched in terms of vitriolic sarcasm, and in places it is intemperate to say the least. It is so libellous that no publisher would ever accept it. Although obviously the work of someone of considerable ability and education, and not devoid of insight, in a few places it lapses almost

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

Most of he Malays in fact came originally mainly from south-east Asia, although to be fair, Hare had resided in Cape Colony with his entourage after being required to leave Borneo, and indeed there does seem to have been a small amount of African blood. The main objective of the circumnavigation, from the point of view of the Admiralty, was the compilation of hydrographic charts, a task at which FitzRoy was first rate. Early in the voyage Captain (later Admiral) Beaufort, to whom FitzRoy

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

FitzRoy to make better use of the prevailing winds, but it is also certain that Darwin and FitzRoy discussed the germinating ideas on coral islands from time to time, and the Captain could hardly fail to have been impressed by his colleague's enthusiasm. The origins of the theory We have already noted that one of the most important influences on Darwin during the Beagle period was Lyell's Principles of Geology. In this work Lyell expressed the view that the low circular or horseshoe-shaped islands

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

thence to the eaves of the house. The resemblance of the entire fabric to such a structure as one sees on old japanned work was no doubt exact – providing that the said representation corresponds to the foregoing – but if not –why then – not.- (Clunies Ross Papers BM Add Ms No 37631, Adventure and Beagle, account, page 99) There is no evidence whatever that Darwin and FitzRoy visited any house of the Ross family on South Island, the point where they landed on that islet seems to have been to

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

The fine detail of some of the hydrographic notes in the Cocos Manuscript (depths of water, character of sea bottom) suggests that Darwin may have been present when hydrographic work was being conducted during the last day or two of the stay. On the other hand is is quite possible that some of these particulars could have been obtained from FitzRoy, Sulivan or Stokes; in some cases, the pencil notes include a day of the week by way of heading upon which Darwin was occupied ashore. In the

A342    Periodical contribution:     Herbert, Sandra. 1991. Charles Darwin as a prospective geological author. British Journal for the History of Science 24: 159-192.   Text   Image   PDF

magnetism in the southern hemisphere'. E. Sabine, 'Report on the variations of the magnetic intensity observed at different points of the earth's surface', Rep. Seventh Meeting Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. [Liverpool 1837], (1838), 6, pp. 32, 33. FitzRoy had provided unpublished data on magnetic intensity gathered during the voyage to Sabine who incorporated it into his survey, which was relied on by C. F. Gauss. N. Reingold, 'Edward Sabine', DSB. FitzRoy published his data on magnetic variation in R

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

the well-to-do young Cambridge man and the boy to poop cabin was too great for the relationship to have ever been close. Although in most particulars Covington's journal echoes that of Darwin, it contains occasional fragments not recorded in either the Darwin or FitzRoy journals. Darwin, for example, writes of the Malay kampong on Home Island: The whole place bore a rather desolate air, because there were no gardens to show signs of care cultivation. FitzRoy, however, commented that when they

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

, taken there by Hare after his ousting from Borneo. Other sources suggest that a small number of Zulus from the Cape were included in the original party.6 There was also some intermingling with European blood. FitzRoy wrote in his Narrative: Two boys attracted my notice particularly, because their colour was of a brighter red than that of any South American or Polynesian whom I had seen, and upon enquiry I found that these two boys were sons of Alexander Hare and a Malay woman. He adds a note

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

they must have formed an important part of the Cocos Malays' diet. Fish traps may have been sued at the time of Darwin's visit, as well as nets and lines. Captain FitzRoy, however records: Mr Stokes [Mate and Assistant Surveyor] saw a dog, (bred on the island), catch three fish in the course of a few hours by chasing them in shallow water, springing after them almost as a kangaroo springs on land. Sometimes one would take shelter under a rock, when the dog would drive it out with his paw, and

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

quite close to the village, and indeed a regularly tended grave, said to be that of the first imam (presumably the one mentioned by FitzRoy, see above), lies at the foot of a large coconut palm, fifty metres north-east of the Primary School on Home island (see Figure 16). But relatively early in the history of the settlement a cemetery was established away from the kampong on the island of Pulu Gangsa, although this islet has now been joined to [page] 6

A342    Periodical contribution:     Herbert, Sandra. 1991. Charles Darwin as a prospective geological author. British Journal for the History of Science 24: 159-192.   Text   Image   PDF

Figure 4. Heights of Patagonian plains. by the ship's officers and men for estimating the slope of the sea bottom. The culminating event of the collaboration of Fitzroy and Darwin was the expedition up the Santa Cruz River, which provided Darwin with what he termed his 'best opportunity' of observing facts regarding the elevation of Patagonia.59 Finally, from the point of view of literary continuity, the essay 'Elevation of Patagonia' is of interest because it served as the foundation for

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

enraged by some of the things that Darwin and FitzRoy wrote about the settlement – it will be remembered that some of the observations in both the Narrative and the Voyage were not particularly favourable. Clunies Ross probably seethed over these matters for years, and wrote a lengthy, vitriolic diatribe against Darwin and FitzRoy some time in the 1840s, some fragments of which have been quoted in this book. This attack, preserved in the Clunies Ross papers in the British Library, does not seem to

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

islands – unsurprising in view of the stormy weather experienced during the last few days of the passage, and the fact that one of the tasks of the expedition was to fix their position, and FitzRoy recorded: [page] 1

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

For much if HMS Beagle's sojourn in the islands the log give rather little information, although we know from it that on 4 April some of the crew were employed watering - carrying water from the wells on Water Island (Home Island) to the ship. Watering continued on 5 and 6 April. For the most part, however, for several days of the Beagle's stay in Cocos, the log says only that the crew were Employed variously on ship's duties or something similar. But Captain FitzRoy, Midshipman Stokes

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

water close to a coral reef would be virtually impossible, and certainly extremely dangerous, under such conditions. FitzRoy's account suggests that some survey work, mainly in the lagoon, continued until 12 April. In the evenings, and whenever they were not otherwise required for ship's duties, the seamen probably spent their time relaxing in the sun, fishing or swimming (see note from Covington's diary, page 31). One day FitzRoy seems to have baptized some of the European children in the

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

high point, and the empire was expanding apace. As an educated young Englishman, particularly perhaps after spending several years in the company of naval officers of the cut of the patrician Captain FitzRoy, Darwin would naturally believe in the advantages of European civilisation, and the appropriateness of the British imperial role. Just a few weeks before the visit to Cocos he had written to Henslow describing the colony of New South Wales as a wonderful place. Ancient Rome might have

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

have been very common. Those seen in the lagoon were probably green turtle (Chelonia mydas), although hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata) are very occasionally sighted off Direction Island. Darwin's diary account records that on 6 April 1836 he and FitzRoy ventured in a ship's boat to the southern end of the lagoon: We saw several turtle two boats were employed in catching them. The method is rather curious; the water is so clear and shallow that although at first the turtle dives away with much

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

from a ship called the Trusty, one Joseph Raymond by name. He is not mentioned in the accounts of Darwin, FitzRoy or Covington: perhaps he adopted a low profile – he has been said to have been plotting with Liesk against Ross at this time.13 The settlement was at one established in the southern part of the archipelago, on South Island (sometimes called South-east Island, Pulu Atas). This was not very satisfactory, because the shallowness of the lagoon made it impossible to bring any but the

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

This passage, from the Voyage of the Beagle, chapter 20, was put together after Darwin's return from the sea, but was based on material he collected at Cocos: specimens of both species of fish were taken, and are described, partly on the basis of Darwin's notes, by Leonard Jenyns in Volume IV of the Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle (see Figure 17). Indeed, the strange green species seems to have attracted a good deal of interest on board; FitzRoy mentions them and even Covington, who does

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

: The island has scarely ever been visited, nor is it probable that a ship had been wrecked there. In this last Darwin was probably mistaken, for Captain FitzRoy (who would have known about such matters) says the following about North Keeling: two English vessels have been lost since 1825, and probably other ships met a similar fate there in earlier years, when its existence was hardly known. [page] 8

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

,200 yards from the breakers, Captain FitzRoy found no bottom with a line 7,200 feet in length; hence the submarine slope of this coral formation is steeper than that of any volcanic cone. Off the mouth of the lagoon, and likewise, off the northern point of the atoll, where the currents act violently, the inclination, owing to the [page] 9

A588    Book:     Armstrong, Patrick. 1991. Under the blue vault of heaven: A study of Charles Darwin's sojourn in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Nedlands: Indian Ocean Centre for Peace Studies.   Text   PDF

numbered specimen in the Darwin Collection; a label on the folder containing the specimen gives the complete entry for that species in D M Porter's Linnean Society paper on Darwin's plant specimens, giving virtually everything that is known of the provenance of the specimen including all former scientific names. Some specimens have noted by Henslow on them. 12 DAR 29.3/3. 13 C R Darwin, The Zoology of the voyage of HMS Beagle under the command of Captain FitzRoy, RN, during the Years 1832-1836, Parts

A342    Periodical contribution:     Herbert, Sandra. 1991. Charles Darwin as a prospective geological author. British Journal for the History of Science 24: 159-192.   Text   Image   PDF

Murchison. As he recalled in a letter to Murchison written after the crisis had passed, 41 J. Hall, 'On the revolutions of the earth's surface', Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinb. (1815), 44, pp. 139 212. G. Greenough, A Critical Examination of the First Principles of Geology, London, 1819, pp. 151 5. Darwin had this book aboard ship (Correspondence, op. cit. (2), i, p. 560). For his later use of Hall's article see Notebooks, op. cit. (17, 26), A: 36, n. 4 and FitzRoy (ed.), op. cit. (7), iii [Journal and

A342    Periodical contribution:     Herbert, Sandra. 1991. Charles Darwin as a prospective geological author. British Journal for the History of Science 24: 159-192.   Text   Image   PDF

the Gal pagos Islands. He considered the possibility that the quantity of calcareous matter was deficient in the region, but his primary suggestion, for which he credited FitzRoy, was that the sea surrounding the islands was too cold for reef-building corals, 'a tribe of Animals, which seem only to flourish where the heat is intense. '.121 To this remark he attached a long entry, part of which was added after the Beagle had visited Tahiti, in which he recorded sea temperatures from the