The Voyage of the Beagle, by Charles Darwin, first
published 1839
Highlights from the journal Darwin kept during the five
year round-the-world voyage he took on HMS Beagle, between 1831 and
1836. Not simply the record of a 19th century voyage of exploration. The
animal and plant species that he encountered in South America, the
Galapagos Islands and the Pacific inspired him to formulate his theory of
natural selection, as set out in the Origin of the Species - one of
the most influential watersheds in modern science and philosophy. Everyone
should read this classic travelogue!
This ebook edition features the original text, set in
typographical fonts, illustrated with 19th century engravings (many on
colour) and maps, plus biographical notes. PDF version features mock
parchment look-and-feel.
"We
were here told a fact, which I would not have credited, if I had not had partly
ocular proof of it; namely, that, during the previous night hail as large as
small apples, and extremely hard, had fallen with such violence, as to kill the
greater number of the wild animals. One of the men had already found thirteen
deer (Cervus campestris) lying dead, and I saw their fresh hides; another of the party, a few minutes after my arrival
brought in seven more. Now I well know, that one man without dogs could hardly
have killed seven deer in a week. The men believed they had seen about fifteen
ostriches (part of one of which we had for dinner); and they said that several
were running about evidently blind in one eye. Numbers of smaller birds, as
ducks, hawks, and partridges, were killed. I saw one of the latter with a black
mark on its back, as if it had been struck with a paving-stone. A fence of
thistle-stalks round the hovel was nearly broken down, and my informer, putting
his head out to see what was the matter, received a severe cut, and now wore a
bandage. The storm was said to have been of limited extent: we certainly saw
from our last night's bivouac a dense cloud and lightning in this direction. It
is marvellous how such strong animals as deer could thus have been killed; but I
have no doubt, from the evidence I have given, that the story is not in the
least exaggerated."
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