Describes his trip to north of Santa Fé, his illness, and return by boat to Buenos Aires – which he found in the throes of a revolution. Covington is cut off from the town, which some expect to be plundered.
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The Charles Darwin Collection
The Darwin Correspondence Project is publishing letters written by and to the naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882). Complete transcripts of letters are being made available through the Project’s website (www.darwinproject.ac.uk) after publication in the ongoing print edition of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (Cambridge University Press 1985–). Metadata and summaries of all known letters (c. 15,000) appear in Ɛpsilon, and the full texts of available letters can also be searched, with links to the full texts.
Describes his trip to north of Santa Fé, his illness, and return by boat to Buenos Aires – which he found in the throes of a revolution. Covington is cut off from the town, which some expect to be plundered.
Writes of his ride from Rio Negro to Bahia Blanca and Buenos Aires, which he undertook in order to learn the geology of the land, so full of bones of large extinct quadrupeds.
Tierra del Fuego and the barren coasts of Patagonia are "singularly unfavourable to the insect world". In the tropics, however, CD captured minute Coleoptera by the hundreds – which should result in his bringing home many undescribed species.
Is sending a cargo of specimens – birds’ skins, small quadrupeds, and fossil bones.
Describes his overland trip from Rio Negro to Buenos Aires and his expedition to Santa Fé.
Asks for mineralogical works to help him with the volcanic rocks of the west coast.
His troubles during the revolution have ended well.
Now plans to investigate geological formations at Rio Negro. Is concerned about the expense but cannot bear to miss seeing "one of the most curious pieces of Geology".
Has had to draw bills totalling £217 in seven months.
Is glad the Captain has decided to winter in Tierra del Fuego, because this will facilitate "glorious excursions" into the Andes.
Has obtained fragments of fossil bones and part of a Megatherium head.
Their long delay occurred because the charts were not complete for sending home.
CD is now on shore because of seasickness.
The family may not hear from him for a year.
On fossils ([Megatherium], etc.), plants, shells sent and new ones found; geological observations. Asks for help in understanding cleavage and planes of deposition.
A new species of ostrich. Cites differences in size, colour, nidification, and geographical distribution.
CD asks the time of shipment and vessel in which the [Megatherium] bones were conveyed.
Patagonia swarms with guanaco, but few other creatures.
Hopes to be able to draw up a tolerable sketch of the geology of the east side of S. America.
Saw Jemmy Button, who is married and will stay in Tierra del Fuego. Mentions Falkland uprising.
Describes Patagonia and its inhabitants.
Writes of his pleasure in geology.
Predicts that Falklands will become an "important halting place". Outlines Beagle’s future itinerary.
In the past six months he has done much geology and natural history. His geological pursuits are a source of high pleasure. Has lately determined to work chiefly on corals.
Spent three weeks going up the Santa Cruz with a party; they ran out of provisions 20 miles from the Cordilleras. Winter at present prevents his doing much natural history.
Would welcome hearing Cambridge news. Impossible not to regret friends and pleasures in England, but
has much solid enjoyment and never-failing interest in geology. Tells of his first sight of a savage.
CD is excited by JSH’s high opinion of his collections.
Discusses his notes and some new discoveries. Summary of events since leaving Falklands.
Geology of Patagonia.
Corallines at Tierra del Fuego convince him of artificiality of arrangement of their families by Lamarck and Cuvier.
Geological expedition in Andes, ending with serious illness. Specimens being sent.
Thanks for her letter of March, which gave him his first explanation of the interest in the [Megatherium] head he had sent.
Wants E. A. Darwin to tell William Clift not to remove numbers or markers on any specimens. The British Museum has first claim on any of his specimens; CD cannot at present say where any should go.
Recounts his trip [from Valparaiso] to Santiago. His meeting with Claude Gay, Thomas Sutcliffe, and others. Geology of tour uninteresting.
CD is unwell.
FitzRoy has dispatched two casks of bones and stones, a box with "very valuable specimens", and a large jar.
Became ill two weeks before on his return from Santiago after an interesting trip and some geology – though snow kept him out of the Andes. FitzRoy has had to sell the schooner; he was discouraged by the Admiralty, and the expense was too much for him to bear personally.
CD has recovered from his illness.
Fatigue and depression had almost decided Captain FitzRoy to turn over his command, but he was dissuaded.
Beagle will now go no further south than Cape Tres Montes and will finish survey in five months.
CD experiences his first earthquake.
Sends two boxes of specimens and part of his "hum-drum letter-like" journal.
Congratulates WDF on his marriage,
reminisces about Cambridge and early entomology. Now neglects entomology for geology.
Describes Concepción after earthquake.
Hopes to cross Cordilleras before they leave South America in September.
Definite plans now to leave Valparaiso 1 June and to arrive in Sydney in January; then Cape of Good Hope and home in September 1836.
Describes Concepción after earthquake.
Will cross the Cordilleras. Hopes snow will hold off.