28
February 1832 - to -13 January 1833
Survey
of South America, Part 1
The
Beagle arrives at Salvador, Brazil
Survey
work at Rio de Janeiro
Survey
work at Buenos Aires
Two
boats hired to assist in surveying
Violent
storms at Tierra del Fuego

On
28 February the Beagle arrived at Salvador (Bahia), Brazil,
and anchored in All Saints Bay. Darwin spent a few days exploring
the tropical rain forests on long walks, taking in the rich
magnificence of nature. He described the scene as beautiful
beyond his wildest dreams, even von Humboldt did not do it justice
in his "Personal Narrative."

While
strolling about the town Darwin was disgusted at the sight of
black slaves, and upon returning to the Beagle he got into a
big quarrel with Capt. FitzRoy about the ethics of treating
humans as property. FitzRoy flew into a temper and forbid Darwin
to share his dinner table with him ever again. After a short
cooling off period Capt. FitzRoy apologized to Darwin and his
privilege to dine with him was restored.
"We
had several quarrels; for when out of temper he [FitzRoy]
was utterly unreasonable. For instance, early in the voyage
at Bahia in Brazil he defended and praised slavery, which
I abominated, and told me that he just visited a great slave-owner,
who had called up many of his slaves and asked them whether
they were happy, and whether they wished to be free, and all
answered 'No.' I then asked him, perhaps with a sneer, whether
he thought that the answers of slaves in the presence of their
master was worth anything. This made him excessively angry
..."
-- Charles Darwin [11]
On
18 March the Beagle set out from All Saints Bay and spent the
next two weeks doing sounding measurements at the hazardous
Abrolhos Shoals. During this survey Darwin made observations
of microscopic tube-like "animals" that colored the
ocean surface brown.

The
Beagle arrived at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 3 April 1832 and
the crew received its first mail from England. Darwin learned
that his former girlfriend, Fanny Owen, was now married (last
May) to a wealthy politician named Robert Biddulph. He stayed
onshore, perhaps to recover from his sea-sickness, while the
Beagle surveyed around Cape Frio. While surveying a small cove,
eleven of the crew went onshore to explore the Rio Racacu. At
some time during this inland trek Charles Musters (volunteer
1st class), Morgan (seaman) and Jones (a boy) came down with
malaria and died a short time later.
On
8 April Darwin went off exploring in the tropical rain forest
with Patrick Lennon, a local English merchant, and five others.
They explored about one-hundred miles up the coast from Rio
de Janeiro.

Along
the way they traveled through several small villages, one of
which treated them to a huge feast. Darwin collected many good
specimens of plants, insects and animals during this trek. They
spent three days at an estate on the Rio Macae where Darwin
was again disgusted at the treatment of slaves. Over the next
two days they traced their steps back to Rio de Janeiro.
Darwin
returned to Rio de Janeiro on the evening of 23 April with a
collection of insects and plants that was beyond his wildest
dreams. He learned that the Beagle had gone back towards Salvador
to check on some survey readings in the Abrolhos Shoals, so
he took a boat to Botofogo Bay with Augustus Earle (the ship's
draughtsman) and Philip King (Midshipman) to wait for the Beagle
to return.

They
spent the next few weeks in a little cottage located beneath
the rounded mountain of Corcovado (2,300 feet). Darwin occupied
himself in collecting and preserving specimens, making notes,
and writing letters back to England. The climate was delightful
during this time of year, about 72 degrees all day and Darwin
often spent his evenings sitting in the garden, listening to
the frogs and crickets chirping and cicada buzzing in the forest
that surrounded him.
"It
was impossible to wish for any thing more delightful than
thus to spend some weeks in so magnificent a country. In England
any person fond of natural history enjoys in his walks a great
advantage, by always having something to attract his attention;
but in these fertile climates, teeming with life, the attractions
are so numerous, that he is scarcely able to walk at all."
-- Charles Darwin [12]
The
Beagle returned on 6 June from its survey work off the coast
of Salvador. At some time during the next few weeks the ships
surgeon, Robert McCormick, resigned his position and headed
back to England on the H.M.S. Tyne (a British warship with a
crew of 175 men). On British survey ships it was standard practice
for the ship's surgeon to collect specimens during a voyage,
and McCormick felt his duty was usurped by Darwin. Benjamin
Bynoe (formally Assistant Surgeon) was made head surgeon for
the voyage.

The
Beagle headed out of Rio de Janeiro harbor on 5 July 1832 and
set sail for Montevideo. Along the way the ship was escorted
by hundreds of porpoises which probably would have excited Darwin
a great deal, had he not been sea-sick the whole time.

They
arrived at Montevideo on the 26th amid much lightning and St.
Elmo's Fire (a glowing light seen on the tops of masts caused
by a discharge of atmospheric electricity which gives off a
crackling or fizzing noise). Fortunately the Beagle was equipped
with William Harris's new lightning conductors, which worked
perfectly during the entire voyage. A packet ship dropped off
mail a few days later, but Darwin received nothing from his
family or friends. While in port FitzRoy led a survey trip up
the Rio Parana in one of the Beagle's boats.

When
he returned to Montevideo on 31 July Capt. FitzRoy was requested
by the local police chief to help put down a negro riot in town.
Fifty men went on shore and matters were soon put to right.
On
19 August Darwin shipped off his first load of specimens and
notes to Revd. Henslow back in Cambridge. The specimens included
several rocks and tropical plants, four bottles of animals in
spirits, many beetles, and various marine animals; all of which
were numbered, catalogued and described. Apparently Darwin had
much doubt about the quality of his work and feared Henslow
would think the shipment was quite small and of little importance
to natural science (CCD, 1:179).
Later
in the month the Beagle started surveying south along the coastline
towards Bahia Blanca, guided by Mr. Harris, a local Englishman
employed in the sealing trade.

During
the first week in September Capt. FitzRoy, Darwin, and Mr. Harris
went onshore to visit Fort Argentina (see map, below), a military
stronghold just south of Bahia Blanca. The Major in charge of
the fort eyed them with much suspicion, especially Darwin with
his odd looking instruments. He thought they were spies sent
to reconnoiter the fort, and ordered his soldiers to watch their
every move.

"We afterwards heard, that the old major's suspicions
had been very much increased by Mr. Harris's explanation of
Mr. Darwin's occupation. 'Un naturalista' was a term unheard
of by any person in the settlement, and being unluckily explained
by Harris as meaning 'a man that knows every thing,' any further
attempt to quiet anxiety was useless."
-- Capt. Robert FitzRoy [13]
Always
eager to get off the ship, Darwin spent many weeks collecting
fossils in Patagonia, and found huge fossil bones in a cliff
at Punta Alta. Darwin knew very little about paleontology, but
he figured any fossils he collected may be of some interest
to the experts back in England. When Darwin came back onboard
Capt. FitzRoy had a difficult time understanding why he was
bringing all sorts of "useless junk" on the ship.
The fossils he collected at Punta Alta turned out to be giant
rodent-like animals, armadillo shells, ground sloths and giant
teeth, most of which were entirely unknown to science at the
time.

At
this early stage in FitzRoy's survey work it was already becoming
obvious that the requirements of the Admiralty Office could
not possibly be met with just one ship. As luck would have it,
Mr. Harris owned two schooners (the Paz and Liebre) at the town
of Del Carmen on the Rio Negro, and was willing to loan them
to Capt. FitzRoy to assist him with his survey work along the
Patagonian coast.
The
Paz and Liebre met up with the Beagle one week later, and after
a brief inspection they were hauled on shore at Arroyo Pareja,
near Bahia Blanca, for refitting. During the refit the Beagle
surveyed along the coast to Bahia Blanca, then towards Mt. Hermosa
where Darwin collected many good fossils (see map, below).

The
refitting of the Paz and Liebre was completed on 18 October
1832 and Lieutenant John Wickham was put in command of them.
A few days later the schooners surveyed along the outside of
Blanco Bay (see map, below).

While
the schooners were out surveying down the coast, the Beagle
headed back to Montevideo to collect Revd. Richard Matthews
and the three Fuegians, and take on provisions for the trip
further south.

Another
load of mail arrived by packet ship a few days later and Darwin
received some letters from his sisters, Susan and Caroline (CCD
1:170, 173). In his mail Darwin also found a copy of Charles
Lyell's second volume of "Principles of Geology" which
he had been very much looking forward to. Darwin now had his
Beagle Diary up to about 250 pages.
On
24 November Darwin sent his second load of specimens and notes
to Revd. Henslow. This collection consisted of the teeth of
a Cavia (a large rodent-like creature), the upper jaw and head
of a large animal (perhaps a Megatherium), the lower jaw of
another large animal, some rodent teeth, several marine shells,
an odd looking bird, some snakes and lizards, a toad, many crustaceans,
dried plants, fish, some seeds, and naturally a lot of beetles.
The
Beagle left Montevideo on 27 November, taking on a new crew
member, Mr. Robert Hammond (a Mate), who came onboard from H.M.S.
Druid (a warship with a crew of 315 men). On 3 December the
Beagle caught up with the Paz and Liebre down the coast. Lieutenant
Wickham reported that all his survey work has gone well, but
he was very sunburn on his face, and this drew much laughter
from the crew. The next day the ships parted ways and the Beagle
sailed towards Tierra del Fuego.


Tierra
del Fuego was sighted on 18 December and the three Fuegians
became very excited to be so close to their home. As the Beagle
rounded Cape San Diego, dozens of natives appeared along the
forested cliffs and followed the Beagle along the strait, screaming
and shouting at them for hours on end. In the afternoon they
sailed through the strait of Le Maire, and anchored at Good
Success Bay ("G" on map, below).

The
next morning Capt. FitzRoy sent a party out to attempt communication
with the Fuegians. A small group of Fuegians met the landing
party as they came ashore. After a futile attempt at verbal
communication, the crew presented the Fuegians with some bright
red cloth and they immediately became friendly with them. They
initiated a dialogue by patting the crewmen on their chests,
evidently a sign of friendship. A crude dialogue followed, with
Jemmy and York Minster as interpreters. Apparently, the Fuegians
had the most amazing ability to mimic the crew's gestures and
even the words they spoke - often repeating whole English sentences
back to them. Darwin and the other crew members were bewildered
by this display, while the Fuegians were astounded by the crew's
singing and dancing, their ugly beards, and odd pale skin.
"These
poor wretches were stunted in their growth, their hideous
faces bedaubed with white paint, their skins filthy and greasy,
their hair entangled, their voices discordant, their gestures
violent and without dignity. Viewing such men, one can hardly
make oneself believe they are fellow-creatures, and inhabitants
of the same world."
-- Charles Darwin [14]
About
a week later Darwin explored the dense forest surrounding Good
Success Bay. He tried to climb Banks Hill but had a very difficult
time scrambling through the dense vegetation and eventually
gave up and followed a stream back down to the shore.
The
following day the Beagle set out again, passing the Barnevelts,
then sailing to Cape Deceit ("D" on map, above) and
on to Cape Horn. The ship stood out to sea during the night,
then sailed back into the islands of Tierra del Fuego the next
day. Late in the afternoon they experienced heavy rains and
squalls, so FitzRoy ordered the Beagle to Wigwam Cove in Cape
Horn for shelter.
On
24 December H.M.S. Beagle was off Cape Spencer at Hermit Island
("H" on map, above), and later in the day the ship
moved to St. Francis Bay to hunt game for the upcoming Christmas
dinner.

The
Beagle spent the next few weeks out at sea waiting out a series
of violent storms (see map, above). Capt. FitzRoy tried to enter
the Beagle Channel on 13 January 1833, but the winds were so
fierce that it was impossible to do so. Bringing the Beagle
into the Channel was a risk Capt. FitzRoy was not willing to
take, so the next day they crossed Nassau Bay ("N"
on map, above) and anchored at Windhond Bay ("W" on
map, above) where the Beagle would be safe from the elements.
[11]
The Autobiography of Charles Darwin, page 73. Barlow, Nora.
(editor). New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1993. (1958 reprint)
[12]
Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure
and Beagle between the years 1826 and 1836, Volume 3, page 29.
Darwin, Charles. New York: AMS Press, 1966. (a reprint of the
1839 edition, by Henry Colburn Publishers, London)
[13]
Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure
and Beagle between the years 1826 and 1836, Volume 2, page 104.
FitzRoy, Capt. Robert. New York: AMS Press, 1966. (a reprint
of the 1839 edition, by Henry Colburn Publishers, London)
[14]
Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure
and Beagle between the years 1826 and 1836, Volume 3, page 235.