At Simon’s Town Darwin Reported There Was Nothing Worth Seeing!
Nov 28th, 2009 by Johan
Scientists in South Africa are no less interested in the Darwinian anniversaries this year than are those elsewhere. An extra little zest of motivation flows from the visit of the Beagle to the Cape between May 31 and June 18 1836, in the last of the five years at sea. Our colleagues in the Cape, justifiably proud of the Darwin link, have produced a delightful pamphlet, The Darwin Trail: Retrace Charles Darwin’s Visit to the Cape. They point out that of the 13 ports where the Beagle called, on its homeward voyage from South America to England, the ship stayed longer at Simon’s Town Bay than anywhere else, except for the Galapagos Islands. At Simon’s Town Darwin reported there was nothing worth seeing! Even on his journey to Cape Town on a gig, he reported that “the country is very desert; and with the exception of the pleasure which the sight of an entirely new vegetation never fails to communicate, there is very little of interest”. However, he changed his tune over the next few weeks. During his visit Darwin was enthralled to have dinner with Sir John Herschel, whose Introduction to the Study of Natural Philosophy he had read at Cambridge, as he had Humboldt’s Personal Narrative.
via mg.co.za
It’s great to know that Drarwin visited Simon’s Town even if he was critical about it.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Robert Darwin’s birth. And this week — Tuesday November 24 — marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of the first edition of his greatest work, The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.
Posted via web from Your Stories, Your Tales -> Our Far South Pot Pourri
It’s great to have you back. Thanks.
