365-Day Project: Day 29

Visits the Land of Fire

Charles Robert Darwin (1809–1882).?The Voyage of the Beagle.?

South of Patagonia is Tierra del Fuego - "The Land of Fire." The natives of that primitive country are today almost extinct. Darwin made a careful and vitally interesting study of that land and its ill-fated inhabitants. (Darwin married Emma Wedgewood, Jan. 29, 1839.)

Background

The circumnavigation of the globe would be the making of the 22-year-old?Darwin. Five years of physical hardship and mental rigour, imprisoned within a ship’s walls, offset by wide-open opportunities in the Brazilian jungles and the?Andes Mountains, were to give Darwin a new seriousness. As a gentleman naturalist, he could leave the ship for extended periods, pursuing his own interests. As a result, he spent only 18 months of the voyage aboard the ship.?

The Beagle Voyage of Charles Darwin, Encyclopedia Britannica

Today’s reading is from one chapter in Charles Darwin’s famous book chronicling his 5-year trip around the world.?When I hear the name Charles Darwin, I immediately think of him as a scientist and the “Father of Evolution”, but after today’s reading, the image of Indiana Jones might join that list.???

Just like Drake, Odysseus and Dante from earlier daily readings, Darwin was on a life altering journey encountering dangerous challenges along the way.?We all know Darwin from his scientific theories, but this text allows us insight into a young man in his early twenties exploring new worlds daily.?The text is written as a travel log with daily entries.?However, I was surprised at the detailed realism of these written observations.?In the chapter included in today’s reading, Darwin describes the native peoples, wildlife, and landscapes encountered during this portion of his trip to southern South America.

“A group of Fuegians partly concealed by the entangled forest, were perched on a wild point overhanging the sea; and as we passed by, they sprang up and waving their tattered cloaks sent forth a loud and sonorous shout.”

“This beech keeps its leaves throughout the year; but its foliage is of a peculiar brownish-green colour, with a tinge of yellow. As the whole landscape is thus coloured, it has a sombre, dull appearance; nor is it often enlivened by the rays of the sun.”

I really have focused little on the importance of communication during this first month of daily readings & analysis, but I feel it is appropriate to mention today.?Darwin literally wrote thousands of pages of notes during the voyage that would later be used as a foundation for his world changing theories.?I can’t imagine how much of Darwin’s knowledge would have been lost if his written communication skills weren’t so advanced.?Darwin is a perfect example of how someone with excellent technical knowledge can elevate to a higher level of success by finding the right medium to communicate their intellectual capital.

During this 365-day project, I am deliberately trying to improve my written communication skills through these daily posts.?As I mentioned before, I am more comfortable communicating verbally, so this effort is helping me grow.?I hope that by the end of the project; I feel equally capable of sharing ideas with others using either communication method.

Best,

Matt

To learn more about me, as well as my coaching services, please visit my website at?https://www.silverarrowcoaching.com/?or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Resources

Kindle version of The Harvard Classics ($1.99):?https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089K4RP1F/