Randal Keynes, Charles Darwin’s great-great-grandson, has lent me a copy of Darwin’s Beagle Diary, which he wrote on his 5 year sea voyage around the world. I’m writing a series of articles on a Darwin theme for the BBC website and, although I wasn’t planning on including any of his Beagle work, I thought it would be useful (and polite) to flick through the diary.
I wasn’t expecting it to be so entertaining! Even before the ship leaves Plymouth, Darwin has already charmed me with his endearing turn of phrase.
15th November 1831
Went with Cap FitzRoy to Plymouth & were unpleasantly employed in finding out the inaccuracies of Gambeys new dipping needle.
The Beagle sits in harbour for two months while the paint dries, the crew load in supplies and they wait for good enough weather to set sail. Darwin is miserable at the thought of leaving his family for such a long time and bored with all the waiting.
5th November 1831
Wretched, miserable day, remained reading in the house.
7th
Staid at home.
17th
A very quiet day.
20th
Went to Church & heard a very stupid sermon…
A couple of weeks later Darwin decides to try sleeping on the boat and writes an amusing description of the “most ludicrous difficulty” he has getting into a hammock. (You shouldn’t try to get in legs first, apparently.)
On Christmas Day, still waiting for the wind and rain to clear up, the sailors let their hair down.
25th December 1831
Christmas day is one of great importance to the men: the whole of it has been given up to revelry, at present there is not a sober man in the ship: King is obliged to perform duty of sentry, the last one sentinel came staggering below declaring he would no longer stand sentinel on duty, whereupon he is now in irons getting sober as fast as he can. Wherever they may be, they claim Christmas day for themselves, & this they exclusively give up to drunkedness — that sole & never failing pleasure to which a sailor always looks forward to.
Then on Boxing Day, they have the weather they’ve been waiting for.
26th
A beautiful day, & an excellent one for sailing, — the opportunity has been lost owing to the drunkedness & absence of nearly the whole crew.”
This diary is brilliant, and nothing has even happened yet! I’m looking forward to reading the remaining 4 and a half years… I’ve just spotted that someone is (or has been) posting the diary online as a blog. Oh and so has someone else. That’s a nice idea – and might be an easier way of tackling it.
Tags: Charles Darwin