Charles Darwin/Second Voyage Around the World (2005-2009)

Summary of the Cabo Verde's step

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"On the 16th of january, 1832, we anchored at Porto Praya, in St. Jago, the chief island of the Cape de Verde archipelago".

Charles Darwin

(The Voyage of the Beagle, 1839)

 

"The neighbourhood of Porto Praya, viewed from the sea, wears a desolate aspect. The volcanic fires of a past age, and the scorching heat of a tropical sun, have in most places rendered the soil unfit for vegetation".

Charles Darwin

(The Voyage of the Beagle, 1839)

 

 "The country rises in successive steps of table-land, interspersed with some truncate conical hills, and the horizon is bounded by an irregular chain of more lofty mountains".  

 Charles Darwin

(The Voyage of the Beagle, 1839)

 

Praia today: 80000 inhabitants.

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"The island would generally be considered as very uninteresting, but to anyone accustomed only to an English landscape, the novel aspect of an utterly sterile land possesses a grandeur which more vegetation might spoil. A single green leaf can scarcely be discovered over wide tracts of the lava plains; yet flocks of goats, together with a few cows, contrive to exist. It rains very seldom, but during a short portion of the year heavy torrents fall, and immediately afterwards a light vegetation springs out of every crevice. This soon withers; and upon such naturally formed hay the animals live".  

Charles Darwin

(The Voyage of the Beagle, 1839)

 

 "One day, two of the officers and myself rode to Ribeira Grande, a village a few miles eastward of Porto Praya. Until we reached the valley of St. Martin, the country presented its usual dull brown appearance; but here, a very small rill of water produces a most refreshing margin of luxuriant vegetation".

Charles Darwin

(The Voyage of the Beagle, 1839)

 

Ribeira Grande, when it was the capital of Cape Verde Islands

Today his name is Cidade Velha.

"In the course of an hour we arrived at Ribeira Grande, and were surprised at the sight of a large ruined fort and cathedral. This little town, before its harbour was filled up, was the principal place in the island: it now presents a melancholy, but very picturesque appearance".

Charles Darwin

(The Voyage of the Beagle, 1839)

...we visited a collection of buildings, of which an ancient church formed the principal part. It is here the governors and captain-generals of the islands have been buried. Some of the tombstones recorded dates of the sixteenth century".

 Charles Darwin

(The Voyage of the Beagle, 1839)

 

After:

Excursion around Santo Domingo, march 2006

 

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We visit the "Instituto do Arquivo Historico Nacional"in Praia.

 

A mystery about the Beagle in Cabo Verde

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Observations about the Climate, Biodivesity

and conservation of landscapes.

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(This is a little summary in progress for the book and the exibition).

Milan-Praia, 25 marzo 2006 - info@darwin2.org

Companion of this step: Francesco Balladore (Photographer).

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Thanks to: Josè Maria Almeida, Instituto do Arcquivo Historico National

Josè Maria Barreto, artist August Oliveira, Radio Television of Capo Verde

George Beltzung, Cultural Center of Praya

Josè Maria Santos Carvalho, Técnico Da Direçao Geral das Pescas

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