Charles Darwin's Notebooks From the Voyage of the Beagle

Edited by:
  • Gordon Chancellor &
  • John van Wyhe
CAMBRIDGE UNIV. PRESS: 2009. 615 pp. £85.00/$150.00

Copies of On the Origin of Species are available in almost every bookshop, but access to the notes that Charles Darwin used to formulate his theories on evolution and geological processes has been limited to the excerpts published in Nora Barlow's Charles Darwin and the Voyage of the Beagle and microfiche copies. An initial transcription of Darwin's diaries from the 1831–36 voyage of the Beagle is available online at www.darwin-online.org.uk. Now, a final revision has led to the publication of these important works in book format.

Fans of Barlow's book, which recounted primarily biological observations, may be surprised that the diaries themselves are overwhelmingly dedicated to the geology of the sites he visited. His earliest diary — the Cape de Verds notebook — contains only brief descriptions of rock types and the geological setting, whereas later notebooks contain detailed descriptions of the geology interspersed with information about the history of the region and anecdotal stories from local guides, documenting Darwin's growth as a geologic observer.

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I found the most intriguing part of the diaries to be the reproduction of Darwin's sketches. Although these interesting sketches are rudimentary at times, they provide glimpses of his view of the landscape and what mattered most to him. It is a credit to the editors that the drawings are reproduced as they appear in the notebooks, but this makes interpreting them a bit challenging. In a few cases, it was difficult to be convinced that a particular feature depicted in the drawing was a dyke, rather than an eel. Of course, this may very well have been a result of Darwin's rather hasty sketching. Hints or potential interpretations provided by the editors definitely help, especially when the significance of a drawing cannot be easily determined from the text.

The notebooks sometimes contain a bewildering mixture of topics. A single page in the earlier works, in particular, might cover regional epidemics, volcanic structures and the bird calls Darwin heard while walking. In this regard, the editors' introduction to each notebook is indispensable. The editors' notes describe the history of the voyage that is represented by the notebooks, and interesting points from the text are highlighted. They also link specific entries to Darwin's later scientific publications, demonstrating the progression from observation to interpretation.

The book itself is not a light read. But readers who persevere will be rewarded by fascinating insights into Darwin's evolution as a scientist. The notebooks also reveal a more personal side of Darwin, with descriptions of lonely roads, tiring travels and interesting encounters with people he met along the way. These anecdotes introduce readers to the young scientist who did not yet know that he would go on to dramatically alter the way we view life on Earth.