Voyage of HMS Beagle

Historical significance

The voyage improved hydrographic knowledge of southern South America and gave Darwin the observations, collections, and research experience that shaped his later work on geology, coral reefs, biogeography, and evolution.

Significant moments

Second voyage of HMS Beagle

People

• Charles Darwin: English naturalist and geologist who collected specimens and observations during extensive shore journeys from HMS Beagle.
• Robert FitzRoy: Royal Navy officer who commanded HMS Beagle and directed its hydrographic survey and circumnavigation.

Vehicles

• HMS Beagle: Royal Navy survey vessel commanded by Robert FitzRoy on its second voyage, refitted as a three-masted barque for coastal surveying.

Major places

• Plymouth: English naval port from which Endeavour sailed in August 1768 and HMS Beagle in December 1831.
• Praia, Cape Verde: The voyage’s first sustained landfall, where Darwin began field observations on volcanic geology and tropical environments.
• Salvador da Bahia: Brazilian port and tropical field base visited near the beginning and again near the end of the voyage.
• Rio de Janeiro: South Atlantic port used by Endeavour and later as a principal Beagle anchorage for inland observations and collections.
• Montevideo: A recurring base during Beagle’s surveys of the Río de la Plata and southern Atlantic coast.
• Patagonia Coast: Representative point for the long coastal surveys and Darwin’s inland journeys in southern Argentina.
• Tierra del Fuego: The southern archipelago repeatedly surveyed by Beagle, including channels and anchorages around Cape Horn.
• Falkland Islands: South Atlantic islands visited during the Patagonian survey, where Darwin examined geology and fossils.
• Valparaíso: A major Chilean Pacific port used by scientific and surveying voyages.
• Concepción: Chilean city where Darwin observed the effects of the destructive 1835 earthquake.
• Santiago de Chile: Darwin’s base for Chilean inland journeys and approaches to the Andes.
• Portillo Pass: The southern Andean pass used by Darwin on his outward journey from Santiago toward Mendoza in March 1835.
• Mendoza: Darwin’s eastern destination after crossing the Andes from Chile, reached in March 1835.
• Uspallata Pass: The more northerly Andean pass used by Darwin on his return from Mendoza to Chile in April 1835.
• Callao: The principal port of Lima, visited by HMS Beagle and later used as Kon-Tiki’s departure harbour.
• Galápagos Islands: Pacific archipelago where Darwin compared the geology and organisms of several islands during September and October 1835.
• Papeete, Tahiti: The principal Tahitian anchorage visited during the westward Pacific crossing.
• Bay of Islands: Aotearoa New Zealand anchorage used during Cook’s coastal survey and later visited by HMS Beagle.
• Sydney: The voyage’s first Australian port, where Darwin began an inland excursion into New South Wales.
• Hobart: Tasmanian port visited in February 1836 during Beagle’s passage around southern Australia.
• King George Sound: Beagle’s final Australian anchorage before crossing the Indian Ocean.
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands: Indian Ocean atolls where Darwin investigated coral-reef formation in April 1836.
• Port Louis, Mauritius: Indian Ocean port visited between the Cocos Islands and the Cape of Good Hope.
• Cape Town: A major port at the Cape of Good Hope visited by several global scientific voyages.
• St Helena: South Atlantic provisioning stop visited by Endeavour and later by HMS Beagle, where Darwin studied its volcanic landscape and introduced vegetation.
• Ascension Island: Volcanic South Atlantic island visited on the homeward voyage in July 1836.
• Falmouth: The English return port where Darwin left Beagle on 2 October 1836.

Sources

1. Darwin’s Itinerary on the Voyage of the Beagle, The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. Day-by-day chronology, historical place names, coordinates, ports, shore excursions, and Beagle positions.
2. Voyage of HMS Beagle, Darwin Correspondence Project, University of Cambridge. Voyage purpose, Darwin’s role, FitzRoy’s command, correspondence, dates, and scientific context.
3. HMS Beagle, Royal Museums Greenwich. Ship history, survey role, dimensions, equipment, FitzRoy’s command, and global voyage overview.