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Start of the Beagle Voyage
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Cape Verde Islands
Darwins first observations were made at the Cape Verde Islands -
Crossing the Equator
Darwin and the HMS Beagle crossed the equator at this time -
Salvador, Brazil
at this point, Darwin explored the rainforests in brazil for the first time -
Punta Alta, Argentina
'I have been wonderfully lucky with fossil bones. Some of the animals must have been of great dimensions! I am almost sure that many of them are quite new.' -
Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Captain Robert FitzRoy repatriates three native people he had brought to England on a previous voyage; He attempts to start a Christian mission, which fails disastrously. -
Falkland Islands
Darwin finds the barren, windswept Falkland Islands 'desolate and wretched.' But he perks up when he cracks open some 'primitive looking rocks' and finds fossils -
Rio Negro, Argentina
Darwin explores the fertile lowland areas, known as Pampas, with the local people or 'gauchos'. 'There is high enjoyment in the independence of the gaucho like - to be able at any moment to pull up [your] house.' -
Chiloe Island, Chile
Darwin sees Mount Osorno erupt while on the island of Chiloe and experiences the earthquake in the woods near Valdivia. Seeing the aftermath of the earthquake affected him tremendously. 'I believe this earthquake has done more in degrading or lessening the of the island, than 100 years of ordinary wear and tear.' -
Chiloe Island, Chile ~ The Departure
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Galapagos Islands
Darwin finds many species of plants, birds and tortoises unique to the Galapagos Islands, but they seem mysteriously related to mainland species. He is particularly fascinated by the 'immense' Galapagos tortoises. They were so large that he could not resist climbing on top for a ride. -
Galapagos Islands ~ The Departure
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Sydney, Australia
On arriving in Sydney cove, Darwin's first feeling was, "to congratulate myself that I was born an Englishman...it was a fine town." -
Cocos Islands (Keeling Islands)
Darwin studies coral reefs growing around islands to test his theory of atoll formation. He was glad that he has visited those islands; that such information surely rank high among the wonderful objects of this world. -
Mauritius
"I took a quiet walk along the sea coast to the north of the town; the plain is there quite uncultivated, consisting of a field of black lava smoothed over with grass and bushes, the greater part of which are mimosas" -
Cape Town, South Africa
"The first object in _ which strikes the eye of a stranger is the number of bullock wagons... I have as yet not mentioned the well known Table Mountain; this great mass of horizontally stratified sandstone rises quite close behind the town to a height of 3,500 feet". -
Bahia and Pernambuco, South America
In the jungles of South America, Darwin discovers many incredible creatures. However, both homesick and seasick, he is dismayed when the Beagle makes an unscheduled detour to make additional longitude measurements. "This zigzag manner of proceeding is very grievous... I loathe; I abhor the sea". -
Falmouth, England
" I reached home late last night, My head is quite confused with so much delight". The Beagle Ship was only 27m (90 feet) long and carried 74 people, and 22 clocks, in very close quarters!