(Moderately) able seaman Darwin.
Despite spending five years aboard HMS Beagle and making the rare feat of circling the globe, Charles Darwin was no great sailor. After his return home in 1836 he went to sea only to cross the few miles to the Isle of Wight where he started writing The Origin of Species. Philip Gidley King recalls one occasion where Darwin did help with sail-handling:
`Though Mr. Darwin knew little or nothing of nautical matters he one day volunteered his services to the First Lieutenant. The occasion was when the ship first entered Rio de Janeiro. It was decided to make a display of smartness in shortening sail before the numerous Men-of-War at the anchorage under flags of all nations. The ship entered the harbour under every yard of canvas which could be spread upon her yards including studding sails, and afloat on both sides, the lively sea-breeze which brought her in being right aft. Mr. Darwin was told off to hold to a main-royal sheet in each hand and a top-mast studding-tack in his teeth. At the order “shorten sail” he was to let go and clap on to any rope he saw was short handed – this he did and enjoyed the fun of it often afterwards remarking “the feat could not have been performed without him”’.
The crew of the Beagle did occasionally make fun of their gentlemanly scientific guest: asking him to hold one of the ropes in his teeth may have been part of the crew 'working off their humours' on the man Captain FitzRoy called 'Philos'.
Tags: charles darwin,
hms beagle replica, hms beagle, voyage of the beagle
`Though Mr. Darwin knew little or nothing of nautical matters he one day volunteered his services to the First Lieutenant. The occasion was when the ship first entered Rio de Janeiro. It was decided to make a display of smartness in shortening sail before the numerous Men-of-War at the anchorage under flags of all nations. The ship entered the harbour under every yard of canvas which could be spread upon her yards including studding sails, and afloat on both sides, the lively sea-breeze which brought her in being right aft. Mr. Darwin was told off to hold to a main-royal sheet in each hand and a top-mast studding-tack in his teeth. At the order “shorten sail” he was to let go and clap on to any rope he saw was short handed – this he did and enjoyed the fun of it often afterwards remarking “the feat could not have been performed without him”’.
The crew of the Beagle did occasionally make fun of their gentlemanly scientific guest: asking him to hold one of the ropes in his teeth may have been part of the crew 'working off their humours' on the man Captain FitzRoy called 'Philos'.
Tags: charles darwin,
hms beagle replica, hms beagle, voyage of the beagle
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