Life and Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 1Darwin, Charles
History
Life and Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 1
Darwin, Charles
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882; Naturalists -- Great Britain -- Biography; Naturalists -- Great Britain -- Correspondence
Bahia, or San Salvador. I arrived at this place on the 28th of February,
and am now writing this letter after having in real earnest strolled
in the forests of the new world. No person could imagine anything so
beautiful as the ancient town of Bahia, it is fairly embosomed in a
luxuriant wood of beautiful trees, and situated on a steep bank, and
overlooks the calm waters of the great bay of All Saints. The houses
are white and lofty, and, from the windows being narrow and long, have
a very light and elegant appearance. Convents, porticos, and public
buildings, vary the uniformity of the houses; the bay is scattered over
with large ships; in short, and what can be said more, it is one of
the finest views in the Brazils. But the exquisite glorious pleasure of
walking amongst such flowers, and such trees, cannot be comprehended
but by those who have experienced it. Although in so low a latitude the
locality is not disagreeably hot, but at present it is very damp, for it
is the rainy season. I find the climate as yet agrees admirably with me;
it makes me long to live quietly for some time in such a country. If
you really want to have [an idea] of tropical countries, study Humboldt.
Skip the scientific parts, and commence after leaving Teneriffe. My
feelings amount to admiration the more I read him. Tell Eyton (I find I
am writing to my sisters!) how exceedingly I enjoy America, and that I
am sure it will be a great pity if he does not make a start.
This letter will go on the 5th, and I am afraid will be some time before
it reaches you; it must be a warning how in other parts of the world you
may be a long time without hearing. A year might by accident thus pass.
About the 12th we start for Rio, but we remain some time on the way in
sounding the Albrolhos shoals. Tell Eyton as far as my experience goes
let him study Spanish, French, drawing, and Humboldt. I do sincerely
hope to hear of (if not to see him) in South America. I look forward to
the letters in Rio--till each one is acknowledged, mention its date in
the next.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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