Category Voyages

               The flora and fauna of the Galapagos Island gave Darwin crucial information about the evolution of life.

               The Galapagos Island was home to an amazing array of animal species. The Galapagos Island had a special kind of tortoise, which came to be known as the giant tortoise. Interestingly, the appearance of these tortoises varied from island to island. Darwin observed that the tortoises living on more arid islands had to stretch their necks to reach branches of cactus and other vegetation. Consequently, they had longer necks, and a high peak to the front edges of their shells.

               Then he studied finches, a type of birds, known for their remarkable diversity in beak form and function. The food supplies differed on each island, and the beaks of the finches were adapted to the islands on which they lived. These were the key pieces of information that helped Darwin to formulate his theory of adaptation.

               On his return journey, Darwin started to write ‘The Origin of Species’. It introduced the scientific theory that populations evolve over the course of generations through a process of natural selection.

               During the first two years of the expedition, Darwin collected several fossil mammals from Argentina and Uruguay. It was in the cliffs near Punta Alta, that Darwin recovered his first fossil bones. It was of a large extinct mammal. He sent all the specimens to his mentor, John Stevens Henslow.

               A fossil tooth helped Darwin to identify the little-known Megatherium. Megatherium was a genus of elephant-sized ground sloths, endemic to South America. These findings later helped Darwin in formulating the theories about evolution of life.

               Darwin was interested in geology too and he studied volcanic rock formations intently. He was surprised to find the fossils of sea creatures at high altitudes, or thousands of metres above sea level. This led to his exploring further into the realities of natural disaster.

               During this voyage Darwin was witness to a severe earthquake in Chile on 20th February, 1835 which was claimed to be the largest earthquake ever recorded in Chile. Thus the voyage was eventful as well as significant. 

               The British admiralty decided to chart the islands around Cape Horn. Captain Robert FitzRoy was ordered to command the voyage. Charles Darwin was offered the chance to join Robert FitzRoy.

               The fleet set sail from Plymouth in Southern England, with a crew of 73, on 27th December 1831 on HMS Beagle. As the ship’s naturalist, he thoroughly enjoyed every occasion for exploration. He studied natural history, and discovered many new life forms.

               As the ship proceeded to Tierra del Fuego, the main object of the expedition commenced- charting of the islands around Cape Horn. The expedition rounded the Cape Horn to discover a new passage, which was later named ‘Beagle Passage’. It was a picturesque long straight channel that offered an alternative, but slower route from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

               Darwin explored the glorious mountainous region around the passage. Interestingly, he never thought that he would make iconic scientific discoveries during the voyage.

               Interestingly, Darwin became seriously ill on the way, as he suffered from seasickness.

               James Cook was an intelligent and skilful navigator, and his maps and charts were so well prepared and exemplary that some of them were used even after his death. His wise and amiable character endeared him to everyone, including his crew members, and the natives of the lands he visited.

               He was the first captain to know his position on the surface of the globe within a few nautical miles. He was an excellent disciplinarian, and always commanded respect from his men.

               He always had a great appetite for knowledge. He was much more scientific than many explorers of his time. He was the first sailor to use a nautical almanac and chronometer during an expedition. He even took a professional astronomer to enable him to calculate his longitude from the observations of the Moon. Cook is also remembered for navigating by latitude and longitude.

               Cook was the first sailor to find an apt remedy for scurvy. He knew that shortage of vitamin-rich food was the main reason behind scurvy. He stocked up fresh fruits and vegetables in his ship, and collected more from the islands he visited on the way. 

            James Cook’s third and last voyage was to find the North-West Passage around the American continent. The Passage which was supposed to open more convenient trade routes was believed to link the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.

            Cook commanded the HMS Resolution, while another Captain Charles Clerke, commanded the HMS Discovery. Cook travelled north, and in 1778, became the first European to explore the Hawaiian Islands. After making his initial landfall on the island Kauai, Cook named the islands the Sandwich Islands, after the Earl of Sandwich, because at the time, the Earl was the acting First Lord of the Admiralty.

            Cook made his next landfall on what is today the Oregon coast. Then he sailed on to Vancouver Island and did trading with the natives. In a single visit, Cook charted the majority of the North American north-west coastline.

            By August 1778, Cook was through the Bering Strait, sailing into the Chukchi Sea. Later, he sailed further to reach Alaska, but couldn’t continue due to sea ice. Cook returned to Hawaii in 1779. Cook was killed in Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii on 14th February 1779, in a dispute with the natives.

               Captain Cook’s second voyage was to find out whether Terra Australis really existed or not.

               On his first voyage, he discovered the southeast coast of Australia. On the same trip, he also mapped them. However, the ‘hypothetical’ Terra Australis still remained an unsolved mystery. Shortly after his return from the first voyage, Cook was promoted to the rank of commander.

               Later he was commissioned for a second voyage. Cook commanded the HMS Resolution on this voyage. During this voyage, he became the first explorer to sail into the Antarctic Circle. He circumnavigated Antarctica at the very limits of the ice shelf. But he did not make a landfall on the mainland of Antarctica, as he had to sail towards Tahiti to resupply his ship.

               Cook visited Easter Island, the Marquesas, the New Hebrides, New Caledonia, and the Tonga Isles. Cook was able to find these comparatively smaller lands in the Pacific, and to map them. After sailing through all its likely locations, Cook confirmed that there was no land called Terra Australis.

               Thus, Cook became the first to officially prove that the existence of Terra Australis was a myth.