Throughout "The Voyage of the Beagle, Darwin tries to help us
see the landscapes he visited, often, like other Victorian word-
painters, such as Ruskin, presenting them by means of narrative.
Sometimes he tries to convey the beauty or novelty of what he
sees; once, when relating his experience of an earthquake, he
tells he will not even try, explaining, “I have not attempted to
give any detailed description of the appearance of Concepcion,
for I feel that it is quite impossible to convey the mingled
feelings which I experienced. Several of the officers visited it
before me, but their strongest language failed to give a just
idea of the scene of desolation.” Note that in true Romantic and
post-Romantic fashion, Darwin emphasizes the need to
communicate, not just the appearance of the scene before him but
the “feelings” that it prompted. H.M.S. "Beagle" in Straits of
Magellan. Mt. Sarmiento in the distance by R. T. Pritchett.
1913. [Click on image to enlarge it] Other parts of "The Voyage
of the Beagle relate, n