TheVotageoftheBeagle-PrefaceTheVoyageoftheBeaglebyPrefaceIhavestatedintheprefacetothefirstEditionofthiswork，andintheZoologyoftheVoyageoftheBeagle，thatitwasinconsequenceofawishexpressedbyCaptainFitzRoy，ofhavingsomescientificpersononboard，accompaniedbyanofferfromhimofgivinguppartofhisownaccommodations，thatIvolunteeredmyservices，whichreceived，throughthekindnessofthehydrographer，CaptainBeaufort，thesanctionoftheLordsoftheAdmiralty。AsIfeelthattheopportunitieswhichIenjoyedofstudyingtheNaturalHistoryofthedifferentcountrieswevisited，havebeenwhollyduetoCaptainFitzRoy，IhopeImayherebepermittedtorepeatmyexpressionofgratitudetohim；andtoaddthat，duringthefiveyearsweweretogether，Ireceivedfromhimthemostcordialfriendshipandsteadyassistance。BothtoCaptainFitzRoyandtoalltheOfficersoftheBeagle[note1]IshalleverfeelmostthankfulfortheundeviatingkindnesswithwhichIwastreatedduringourlongvoyage。
　　Thisvolumecontains，intheformofaJournal，ahistoryofourvoyage，andasketchofthoseobservationsinNaturalHistoryandGeology，whichIthinkwillpossesssomeinterestforthegeneralreader。Ihaveinthiseditionlargelycondensedandcorrectedsomeparts，andhaveaddedalittletoothers，inordertorenderthevolumemorefittedforpopularreading；
　　butItrustthatnaturalistswillremember，thattheymustreferfordetailstothelargerpublicationswhichcomprisethescientificresultsoftheExpedition。TheZoologyoftheVoyageoftheBeagleincludesanaccountoftheFossilMammalia，byProfessorOwen；oftheLivingMammalia，byMr。
　　Waterhouse；oftheBirds，byMr。Gould；oftheFish，bytheRev。L。Jenyns；
　　andoftheReptiles，byMr。Bell。Ihaveappendedtothedescriptionsofeachspeciesanaccountofitshabitsandrange。Theseworks，whichIowetothehightalentsanddisinterestedzealoftheabovedistinguishedauthors，couldnothavebeenundertaken，haditnotbeenfortheliberalityoftheLordsCommissionersofHerMajesty’sTreasury，who，throughtherepresentationoftheRightHonourabletheChancelloroftheExchequer，havebeenpleasedtograntasumofonethousandpoundstowardsdefrayingpartoftheexpensesofpublication。
　　Ihavemyselfpublishedseparatevolumesonthe’StructureandDistributionofCoralReefs；’onthe’VolcanicIslandsvisitedduringtheVoyageoftheBeagle；’andonthe’GeologyofSouthAmerica。’Thesixthvolumeofthe’GeologicalTransactions’containstwopapersofmineontheErraticBouldersandVolcanicPhenomenaofSouthAmerica。Messrs。Waterhouse，Walker，Newman，andWhite，havepublishedseveralablepapersontheInsectswhichwerecollected，andItrustthatmanyotherswillhereafterfollow。TheplantsfromthesouthernpartsofAmericawillbegivenbyDr。J。Hooker，inhisgreatworkontheBotanyoftheSouthernHemisphere。TheFloraoftheGalapagosArchipelagoisthesubjectofaseparatememoirbyhim，inthe’LinneanTransactions。’TheReverendProfessorHenslowhaspublishedalistoftheplantscollectedbymeattheKeelingIslands；andtheReverendJ。M。Berkeleyhasdescribedmycryptogamicplants。
　　IshallhavethepleasureofacknowledgingthegreatassistancewhichIhavereceivedfromseveralothernaturalists，inthecourseofthisandmyotherworks；butImustbehereallowedtoreturnmymostsincerethankstotheReverendProfessorHenslow，who，whenIwasanundergraduateatCambridge，wasonechiefmeansofgivingmeatasteforNaturalHistory，——who，duringmyabsence，tookchargeofthecollectionsIsenthome，andbyhiscorrespondencedirectedmyendeavours，——andwho，sincemyreturn，hasconstantlyrenderedmeeveryassistancewhichthekindestfriendcouldoffer。
　　DOWN，BROMLEY，KENT，June9，1845Notes：ImusttakethisopportunityofreturningmysincerethankstoMr。Bynoe，thesurgeonoftheBeagle，forhisverykindattentiontomewhenIwasillatValparaiso。
　　TheVoyageoftheBeagle-Chapter1TheVoyageoftheBeaglebyCharlesDarwinNextChapterChapter1-St。Jago——CapedeVerdIslandsAFTERhavingbeentwicedrivenbackbyheavysouthwesterngales，HerMajesty’sshipBeagle，aten-gunbrig，underthecommandofCaptainFitzRoy，R。N。，sailedfromDevonportonthe27thofDecember，1831。TheobjectoftheexpeditionwastocompletethesurveyofPatagoniaandTierradelFuego，commencedunderCaptainKingin1826to1830，——tosurveytheshoresofChile，Peru，andofsomeislandsinthePacific——andtocarryachainofchronometricalmeasurementsroundtheWorld。Onthe6thofJanuarywereachedTeneriffe，butwerepreventedlanding，byfearsofourbringingthecholera：thenextmorningwesawthesunrisebehindtheruggedoutlineoftheGrandCanaryisland，andsuddenlyilluminatethePeakofTeneriffe，whilstthelowerpartswereveiledinfleecyclouds。Thiswasthefirstofmanydelightfuldaysnevertobeforgotten。Onthe16thofJanuary，1832，weanchoredatPortoPraya，inSt。Jago，thechiefislandoftheCapedeVerdarchipelago。
　　TheneighbourhoodofPortoPraya，viewedfromthesea，wearsadesolateaspect。Thevolcanicfiresofapastage，andthescorchingheatofatropicalsun，haveinmostplacesrenderedthesoilunfitforvegetation。Thecountryrisesinsuccessivestepsoftable-land，interspersedwithsometruncateconicalhills，andthehorizonisboundedbyanirregularchainofmoreloftymountains。Thescene，asbeheldthroughthehazyatmosphereofthisclimate，isoneofgreatinterest；if，indeed，aperson，freshfromsea，andwhohasjustwalked，forthefirsttime，inagroveofcocoa-nuttrees，canbeajudgeofanythingbuthisownhappiness。
　　Theislandwouldgenerallybeconsideredasveryuninteresting，buttoanyoneaccustomedonlytoanEnglishlandscape，thenovelaspectofanutterlysterilelandpossessesagrandeurwhichmorevegetationmightspoil。
　　Asinglegreenleafcanscarcelybediscoveredoverwidetractsofthelavaplains；yetflocksofgoats，togetherwithafewcows，contrivetoexist。Itrainsveryseldom，butduringashortportionoftheyearheavytorrentsfall，andimmediatelyafterwardsalightvegetationspringsoutofeverycrevice。Thissoonwithers；anduponsuchnaturallyformedhaytheanimalslive。Ithadnotnowrainedforanentireyear。Whentheislandwasdiscovered，theimmediateneighbourhoodofPortoPrayawasclothedwithtrees[note1]，therecklessdestructionofwhichhascausedhere，asatSt。Helena，andatsomeoftheCanaryislands，almostentiresterility。
　　Thebroad，flat-bottomedvalleys，manyofwhichserveduringafewdaysonlyintheseasonaswater-courses，areclothedwiththicketsofleaflessbushes。Fewlivingcreaturesinhabitthesevalleys。ThecommonestbirdisakingfisherDaceloIagoensis，whichtamelysitsonthebranchesofthecastor-oilplant，andthencedartsongrasshoppersandlizards。Itisbrightlycoloured，butnotsobeautifulastheEuropeanspecies：initsflight，manners，andplaceofhabitation，whichisgenerallyinthedriestvalley，thereisalsoawidedifference。
　　Oneday，twooftheofficersandmyselfrodetoRibeiraGrande，avillageafewmileseastwardofPortoPraya。
　　UntilwereachedthevalleyofSt。Martin，thecountrypresenteditsusualdullbrownappearance；buthere，averysmallrillofwaterproducesamostrefreshingmarginofluxuriantvegetation。InthecourseofanhourwearrivedatRibeiraGrande，andweresurprisedatthesightofalargeruinedfortandcathedral。Thislittletown，beforeitsharbourwasfilledup，wastheprincipalplaceintheisland：itnowpresentsamelancholy，butverypicturesqueappearance。HavingprocuredablackPadreforaguide，andaSpaniardwhohadservedinthePeninsularwarasaninterpreter，wevisitedacollectionofbuildings，ofwhichanancientchurchformedtheprincipalpart。Itisherethegovernorsandcaptain-generalsoftheislandshavebeenburied。Someofthetombstonesrecordeddatesofthesixteenthcentury[note2]。
　　TheheraldicornamentsweretheonlythingsinthisretiredplacethatremindedusofEurope。Thechurchorchapelformedonesideofaquadrangle，inthemiddleofwhichalargeclumpofbananasweregrowing。Onanothersidewasahospital，containingaboutadozenmiserable-lookinginmates。
　　WereturnedtotheVendatoeatourdinners。Aconsiderablenumberofmen，women，andchildren，allasblackasjet，collectedtowatchus。Ourcompanionswereextremelymerry；andeverythingwesaidordidwasfollowedbytheirheartylaughter。Beforeleavingthetownwevisitedthecathedral。
　　Itdoesnotappearsorichasthesmallerchurch，butboastsofalittleorgan，whichsentforthsingularlyinharmoniouscries。Wepresentedtheblackpriestwithafewshillings，andtheSpaniard，pattinghimonthehead，said，withmuchcandour，hethoughthiscolourmadenogreatdifference。
　　Wethenreturned，asfastastheponieswouldgo，toPortoPraya。
　　AnotherdaywerodetothevillageofSt。Domingo，situatednearthecentreoftheisland。Onasmallplainwhichwecrossed，afewstuntedacaciasweregrowing；theirtopshadbeenbentbythesteadytrade-wind，inasingularmanner——someofthemevenatrightanglestotheirtrunks。
　　ThedirectionofthebrancheswasexactlyN。E。byN。，andS。W。byS。，andthesenaturalvanesmustindicatetheprevailingdirectionoftheforceofthetrade-wind。Thetravellinghadmadesolittleimpressiononthebarrensoil，thatweheremissedourtrack，andtookthattoFuentes。Thiswedidnotfindouttillwearrivedthere；andwewereafterwardsgladofourmistake。Fuentesisaprettyvillage，withasmallstream；andeverythingappearedtoprosperwell，excepting，indeed，thatwhichoughttodosomost——itsinhabitants。Theblackchildren，completelynaked，andlookingverywretched，werecarryingbundlesoffirewoodhalfasbigastheirownbodies。
　　NearFuenteswesawalargeflockofguinea-fowl——probablyfiftyorsixtyinnumber。Theywereextremelywary，andcouldnotbeapproached。
　　Theyavoidedus，likepartridgesonarainydayinSeptember，runningwiththeirheadscockedup；andifpursued，theyreadilytooktothewing。
　　ThesceneryofSt。Domingopossessesabeautytotallyunexpected，fromtheprevalentgloomycharacteroftherestoftheisland。Thevillageissituatedatthebottomofavalley，boundedbyloftyandjaggedwallsofstratifiedlava。Theblackrocksaffordamoststrikingcontrastwiththebrightgreenvegetation，whichfollowsthebanksofalittlestreamofclearwater。Ithappenedtobeagrandfeast-day，andthevillagewasfullofpeople。Onourreturnweovertookapartyofabouttwentyyoungblackgirls，dressedinexcellenttaste；theirblackskinsandsnow-whitelinenbeingsetoffbycolouredturbansandlargeshawls。Assoonasweapproachednear，theysuddenlyallturnedround，andcoveringthepathwiththeirshawls，sungwithgreatenergyawildsong，beatingtimewiththeirhandsupontheirlegs。Wethrewthemsomevintems，whichwerereceivedwithscreamsoflaughter，andweleftthemredoublingthenoiseoftheirsong。