Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visi
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- No scanning noise detected (automatic measure over the whole text, not checked by hand)
- Extent:
- ~220,000 words · 1,048 passages
Cite this work
- APACharles Darwin. (n.d.). Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visi. Digital reproduction: SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/charles-darwin/journal-of-researches-into-the-natural-history-and-geology-of-the-countries-visi
- MLACharles Darwin. Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visi. Digital reproduction, SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/charles-darwin/journal-of-researches-into-the-natural-history-and-geology-of-the-countries-visi.
- ChicagoCharles Darwin. Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visi. Digital reproduction, SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/charles-darwin/journal-of-researches-into-the-natural-history-and-geology-of-the-countries-visi.
Reference to the edition that SigPhi reproduces: SigPhi is its digital reproduction, not its publisher. The edition's year is not in the metadata (hence "n.d."), and the translator appears only when recorded.
What it is about
The original title of the Beagle journal: Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visited during the Voyage.
Context and history
It is the same work that also appears in the catalogue as The Voyage of the Beagle, and it is worth saying so, lest it look as though Darwin wrote two books. This is the name it came out under; Voyage prevailed later. The first edition is of 1839, the second, of 1845, rewritten at important points. A citation must always name the edition used, because the two do not say the same thing.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
is situated at the bottom of a valley, bounded by lofty and jagged walls of stratified lava. The black rocks afford a most striking contrast with the bright green vegetation, which follows the banks of a little stream of clear water. It happened to be a grand feast-day, and the village was full of people. On our return we overtook a party of about twenty young black girls, dressed in excellent taste; their black skins and snow-white linen being set off by coloured turbans and large shawls. As soon as we approached near, they suddenly all turned round, and covering the path with their shawls, sung with great energy a wild song, beating time with their hands upon their legs. We threw them some vintéms, which were received with screams of laughter, and we left them redoubling the noise of their song. One morning the view was singularly clear; the distant mountains being projected with the sharpest outline, on a heavy bank of dark blue clouds. Judging from the appearance, and from similar cases in England, I supposed that the air was saturated with moisture. The fact, however, turned out quite the contrary. The hygrometer gave a difference of 29.6 degrees, between the temperature of the air, and the point at which dew was precipitated. This difference was nearly double that which I had observed on the previous mornings. This unusual degree of atmospheric dryness was accompanied by continual flashes of lightning. Is it not an uncommon case, thus to find a remarkable degree of aerial transparency with such a state of weather? Generally the atmosphere is hazy; and this is caused by the falling of impalpably fine dust, which was found to have slightly injured the astronomical instruments. The morning before we anchored at Porto Praya, I collected a little packet of this brown-coloured fine dust, which appeared to have been filtered from the wind by the gauze of the vane at the masthead. Mr.…