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Embarks the HMS Beagle
Age 22, embarks on the HMS Beagle voyage as the ship captain's assistant. Plymouth, England -
Cape Verde Islands
He is exhilarated by his first observations.'It then first fawned on me hat I might perhaps write a book on the geology of the various countries visited.' -
Crossing the Equator
"I have undergone the disagreeable operation of being shaved... the constable blindfolded me and this lead along, buckets of water were thundered around: I was then placed on the plank, which could easily tilted up into a large bath of water... the whole ship was a shower bath. -
Explores Brazilian Rainforests
Salvador, Brazil
Darwin explores Brazilian rainforests for the first time. 'Here I first saw a tropical forest in all its sublime grandeur... I never experienced such intense delight.' He is enraptured by the experience. He wandered by himself in the Brazilian rainforest.'the general luxuriance of the vegetation bears the victory, the elegance of the grasses, the novelty of the parasitical plants, the beauty of the flowers." -
Finds Giant Fossils
Punta Alta, Argentina
Darwin is intrigued by the giant fossils he sees. He thought he had been very lucky with fossil bones. He realized some of the animals great dimensions. He was sure a lot of the fossils he found were pretty new. -
Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Captain Robert FitzRoy repatriates three native people he had brought to England on the previous voyage. Fitzroy attempts to start a Christian mission, which fails terribly. -
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. Falklands were full of brachiopods- two- shelled animals once among the most abundant organisms on Earth. -
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 life- to be able to at any moment pull up your house.' -
Chiloé Island, Chile
January-Febuary
Darwin sees Mount Osorno erupt who on the island of Chiloé and feels the earthquake in the woods near Valdivia. Seeing the aftermath of the earthquake has done more in degrading or lessening the size of the island, than 100 years of ordinary wear and tear. -
Galapogos Islands
Darwin finds many species, birds, and tortoises unique to the islands, but they seem very related to mainland species. The tortoises were huge and he was particularly interested in them. He also observed the marine iguana, no other iguana swims or feeds in the ocean. Many animal's colors often blended with the lava around them. A few like the Blue footed booby&Sally lightfoot crab had bright colors. He learned that what he thought were many different birds were actually all finches.