www.pickeringchatto.

com/beagle

The Narrative of the Beagle Voyage,

1831–1836
Editor: Katharine Anderson, York University
The Pickering Masters
4 Volume Set: c.1600pp: May 2011
978 1 85196 844 2: 234x156mm: £350/$625

HMS Beagle has entered the collective imagination

as the ship that carried Charles Darwin to the
Galapagos, triggering his later work on the theory
of natural selection. However, the Beagle also
played a vital role in the development of modern
hydrography, cartography and meteorology in both
the voyage of 1831–36 and an earlier one of 1826–
30. The work of the Beagle under her captain,
Robert FitzRoy, was to chart South American
coastlines, many of which had not previously been
mapped, and to build a global chain of meridian
distances. On this voyage, FitzRoy also pioneered
the use of Francis Beaufort’s new system for
identifying wind force, the basis of the modern
Beaufort scale. FitzRoy’s unofficial goal on this
voyage was to return three Fuegians to their native
shores and establish a Protestant mission in the HMS Beagle
desolate, southern fringes of the continent. It was Image from: DARWIN, Charles, A Naturalist’s Voyage Round
the World, John Murray, 1901
a pivotal experience of civilization and savagery © Jarndyce Antiquarian Booksellers
for both Darwin and FitzRoy.
Darwin and FitzRoy’s separate accounts of
the voyage were published in the four-volume
Narrative of the Surveying Voyage of His •A fascinating alternative account of Darwin’s
Majesty’s Ships Adventure and Beagle Between Beagle voyage
the Years 1826 and 1836 (1839). Darwin’s version
has never been out of print. In contrast, this set •N
 ew editorial material contextualizes the
presents the first critical edition of the remaining voyages with general introduction, headnotes and
texts from 1839: FitzRoy’s account of the second endnotes
voyage, his detailed appendices and the account • Includes a separate introduction to the Appendices
of the 1826–30 voyage by Phillip Parker King,
•C
 onsolidated index in the final volume
captain of HMS Adventure. Together they give
an unparalleled example of British scientific
exploration. This edition will generate new
scholarly approaches to the Beagle voyage and be
crucial for those interested in Darwin, Maritime
rs ng

Studies, History of Science and Empire.

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as ke
M Pic
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 www.pickeringchatto.com/beagle

Sample Pages

NARRATIVE
NARRATIVE OF
OF THE
THE BEAGLE
BEAGLE

Vol
Vol 1,
1, ch
ch 44
After
After aa tedious
tedious and and difficult
difficult passage
passage through
through the the Gabriel
Gabriel Channel,
Channel, we we anchored
anchored
in
in aa snug
snug harbour
harbour within
within the the entrance
entrance of of Magdalen
Magdalen Channel, Channel, on on thethe west
west side,side,
under
under aa peaked
peaked hill hill called
called byby Sarmiento
Sarmiento ‘El ‘El Vernal,
Vernal,’’ –– in in our
our plan,
plan, thethe ‘Sugar-
‘Sugar-
loaf.’1 The
loaf.’ The entrance
entrance isis about
about aa quarter
quarter of of aa mile
mile wide;
wide; but but after
after aa few
few hundred
1
hundred
yards
yards the harbour opens, extending in for nearly a mile. It is of easy depth; seven
the harbour opens, extending in for nearly a mile. It is of easy depth; seven
fathoms
fathoms in in the
the entrance,
entrance, and and four,
four, five,
five, and
and sixsix fathoms
fathoms within;
within; so so that
that itit isis very
very
convenient
convenient for for aa small
small vessel:
vessel: toto us,
us, indeed,
indeed, itit was was aa most
most welcome
welcome discovery.
discovery.
The
The land
land rises,
rises, around
around thisthis cove,
cove, toto the
the height
height of of two
two or or three
three thousand
thousand feet. feet. ItIt isis
covered
covered with Beech, and Winter’s-bark, and near the water is adorned withlarge
with Beech, and Winter’s-bark, and near the water is adorned with large
groves
grovesof ofFuchsia,
Fuchsia,Berberis,
Berberis,and andthethecommon
commonshrubs shrubsof ofPort Famine,2growing
PortFamine, growingso
2
so
thickly
thickly as as to
to form
form an an almost
almost impenetrable
impenetrable jungle; jungle; but,but, notwithstanding
notwithstanding the the pic- pic-
turesque
turesque character
character of of its
its scenery,
scenery, thethe towering
towering height height of of the
the hills,
hills, which
which exclude
exclude
the
the sun’s
sun’s rays
rays for
for the
the whole
whole day,
day, during
during the the greater
greater portion
portion of of the
the year,
year, renders
renders itit
aa gloomy
gloomy and and melancholy
melancholy spot.*spot.*
We
We found aa family
found family of of Fuegians
Fuegians in in the
the inner
inner harbour.
harbour. ThreeThree canoes
canoes were were
hauled
hauled up on the beach, but their owners were not at first visible. At last,
up on the beach, but their owners were not at first visible. At last, after
after
our
our repeatedly
repeatedly callingcalling out
out ‘Ho-say, ho-say,’’4 they
‘Ho-say, ho-say, they appeared,
appeared, and, and, rather
rather reluc-
4
reluc-
tantly,
tantly,invited
invitedus, us,by
bysigns,
signs,totoland.
land.There
Thereseemed
seemedto tobebefourteen
fourteenor orfifteen
fifteenpeople,
people,
and
and seven
seven or or eight
eight dogs.
dogs. Mr. Wickham5 and
Mr. Wickham and Mr. Mr. Tarn
Tarn6 went
went on on shore
shore to to these
5 6
these
natives, who exhibited some timidity, until a hideous
natives, who exhibited some timidity, until a hideous old woman began to chat- old woman began to chat-
ter,
ter, and
and soon
soon made
made them
them understand
understand that that thethe young
young men men (Lā-ā-pas)
(Lā-ā-pas) were were absent
absent
on
on a hunting excursion, but were every moment expected to return. There
a hunting excursion, but were every moment expected to return. There were were
only
only three
three men
men withwith the
the women
women and and children.
children. To To inspire
inspire them
them withwith confidence
confidence
in
in our
our good
good intentions,
intentions, Mr. Mr. Wickham
Wickham gave gave each
each man man aa red cap,7 and
red cap, and some
some other
7
other
trifles.
trifles. One of them complained of being sick, but I rather imagine his illnesswas
One of them complained of being sick, but I rather imagine his illness was
feigned,
feigned, and and the
the others
others did
did not
not atat all
all seem
seem to to like
like our
our visit.
visit. By
By degrees
degrees theirtheir fears
fears
subsided,
subsided, and, and, restraint
restraint being
being laid
laid aside,
aside, an an active
active trade
trade began;
began; in in which
which several
several
otter
otter skins,
skins, shell-necklaces,
shell-necklaces, spears,
spears, andand other
other trifles,
trifles, were
were obtained
obtained from from them them
** sub
subrupe
rupecavatâ
cavatâArboribus
Arboribusclausam
clausamcircum
circumatque
atquehorrentibus
horrentibusumbris.
umbris.’’3
3

––11––
www.pickeringchatto.com/beagle

22 The Narrative
The Narrative of
of the
the Beagle
Beagle

in exchange
in exchange for
for beads,
beads, buttons,
buttons, medals,
medals, &c.
&c. The
The otters
otters are
are caught
caught byby the
the help
help of
of
dogs, on which account, principally, the latter are so valuable.
dogs, on which account, principally, the latter are so valuable.
These people
These people were
were slightly
slightly clothed
clothed with
with skins
skins ofof the
the seal
seal and
and otter,
otter, but
but some
some
had pieces of guanaco mantles over their shoulders, whence we
had pieces of guanaco mantles over their shoulders, whence we supposed that supposed that
they were either of the same tribe, or at peace, with the Indians
they were either of the same tribe, or at peace, with the Indians of Admiralty of Admiralty
Sound:88 unless,
Sound: unless, indeed,
indeed, they
they trade
trade with
with the
the Patagonia
Patagonia Indians;
Indians; but
but such
such is
is the
the
poverty of
poverty of the
the Fuegians,
Fuegians, they
they can
can scarcely
scarcely possess
possess any
any thing
thing of
of value
value sufficient
sufficient to
to
exchange with
exchange with the
the good
good ofof their
their northern
northern neighbours,
neighbours, unless
unless it
it be
be iron
iron pyrites,
pyrites,
which II think
which think isis not
not found
found in in the
the open
open country
country inhabited
inhabited by by the
the Patagonian
Patagonian
Indians, and, from the facility with which it yields sparks of
Indians, and, from the facility with which it yields sparks of fire, must befire, must be an
an
object of importance.
object of importance.

Notes:
1.
1. Pedro Sarmiento
Pedro Sarmiento de de Gamboa
Gamboa (1532–592),
(1532–592), Spanish
Spanish explorer
explorer andand cartographer
cartographer of of the
the
Strait of Magellan, who surveyed the
Strait of Magellan, who surveyed the area in 1578–79.area in 1578–79.
2.
2. All significant
All significant plants
plants to to the
the British
British mariners:
mariners: fuchsia
fuchsia indicated
indicated aa sheltered
sheltered location;
location;
beriberis (elsewhere
beriberis (elsewhere identified
identified as beriberis ilicifolia)
as beriberis ilicifolia) was
was considered
considered an anantiscorbutic;
antiscorbutic;
winter’s bark
winter’s bark tree
tree (Drimys winteri) was
(Drimys winteri) was used
used asas aa stimulant
stimulant andand an an antiscorbutic.
antiscorbutic. TheThe
latter was
latter was named
named for for Captain
Captain John John Winter,
Winter, of of the Elizabeth, who
the Elizabeth, who navigated
navigated through
through the the
Strait with
Strait with SirSir Francis
Francis Drake
Drake in in 1578.
1578.
3.
3. Virgil, Aeneid, Book
Virgil, Aeneid, Book 1, 1, lines
lines 310–12:
310–12: the the lines
lines occur
occur as as the
the shipwrecked
shipwrecked AeneasAeneas deter-
deter-
mines to explore the wild and mountainous harbour into
mines to explore the wild and mountainous harbour into which the gods’ storm has which the gods’ storm has
driven his
driven his fleet.
fleet.
4.
4. King and
King and his
his officers
officers used
used thisthis phrase
phrase to to mean
mean “come,
“come, come”
come” but
but itit is
is unclear
unclear whether
whether he he
thought it part of the local language, or simply an expression the natives
thought it part of the local language, or simply an expression the natives understood that understood that
had come
had come from
from another
another source;
source; it it is
is not
not part
part ofof FitzRoy’s
FitzRoy’s list
list of
of Fuegian
Fuegian vocabulary
vocabulary in in
appendix to
appendix to Vol.
Vol. II.
II.
5.
5. John Clements
John Clements Wickham
Wickham (1798–1864),
(1798–1864), mate mate of Adventure during
of Adventure during thethe first
first voyage
voyage under
under
Capt. Phillip
Capt. Phillip Parker
Parker King;
King; became
became Captain
Captain FitzRoy’s
FitzRoy’s lieutenant
lieutenant on Beagle during
on Beagle during the the
second voyage;
second voyage; made
made captain
captain in in 1837
1837 andand surveyed
surveyed parts
parts of
of the
the Australian
Australian coast
coast inin the
the
Beagle the
Beagle the following
following year.
year.
6.
6. John Tarn (1793–1877),
John Tarn (1793–1877), surgeon surgeon of Adventure.
of Adventure.
7.
7. FitzRoy later
FitzRoy later recorded
recorded that that red
red was
was aa colour
colour ofof peace
peace for
for the
the Fuegians.
Fuegians. Cf. Cf. Vol
Vol II,
II, ch
ch 9.
9.
8.
8. A small
A small tribe
tribe toto the
the north
north hunted
hunted guanaco
guanaco and and aa species
species ofof deer
deer known
known as as huemul;
huemul; the the
comment is typical of the efforts of the British to make sense of
comment is typical of the efforts of the British to make sense of the various peoples of the various peoples of
the regions,
the regions, whowho were
were very
very different
different in in appearance
appearance and and culture.
culture. FitzRoy
FitzRoy considered
considered thisthis
tribe aa kind
tribe kind of of intermediary
intermediary betweenbetween the the Patagonians
Patagonians (or (or Tehuel-het,
Tehuel-het, aa horse
horse tribe,
tribe, with
with
no traditions
no traditions of of fishing
fishing and and watercraft)
watercraft) and and the
the other
other Fuegian
Fuegian tribes
tribes (a(a people
people of of canoes
canoes
and the
and the sea),
sea), anan example
example of of his
his speculations
speculations aboutabout geographical
geographical influence.
influence.

*not actual size

 Contents

General Introduction
Biographical essay on Phillip Parker King
King’s Narrative: Proceedings of the first expedition, 1826–30
Biographical essay on Robert FitzRoy
FitzRoy’s Narrative: Proceedings of the second expedition, 1830–36
Introduction to FitzRoy’s Appendices
FitzRoy’s Appendices
Consolidated Index

Related title

Nineteenth-Century Travels, Explorations and Empires: Writings

from the Era of Imperial Consolidation, 1835–1910
General Editor: Peter J Kitson
Building on the success of the first two parts of the Travels series comes this collection of writings on travels
undertaken in the Victorian era.

‘Kitson ... does a service to researchers by bringing together some important primary sources
and contextualising them clearly and thoroughly.’ Studies in Travel Writing

Travels, Explorations and Empires

Part I: Volumes 1–4: 1880pp: 2003
978 1 85196 760 5: 234x156mm: £350/$625
Part II: Volumes 5–8: 2128pp: 2004
978 1 85196 761 2: 234x156mm: £350/$625

www.pickeringchatto.com/travels2

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