Bahia Blanca to Buenos Aires explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Human Impact on Environment

  Darwin details how cattle grazing, horse introduction, and European plants like cardoon and fennel have transformed the Pampas, displacing native species and altering vegetation.

• Colonialism and Imperialism

  The chapter reflects colonial expansion through the enthusiasm for Rosas' war against 'barbarians', the spread of European species, and the transformation of the landscape for European agriculture.

• Exploration and Discovery

  Darwin's ascent of Sierra Ventana, a mountain previously unclimbed by foreigners, and his observations on the region's geography and hydrology embody the spirit of exploration.

Characters to notice

• General Rosas

  Darwin observes the immense estancias of General Rosas and notes the local enthusiasm for his war against the Indians.

• Captain Fitz Roy

  Fitz Roy's calculation of the height of Sierra Ventana (3,340 feet) is cited.

• Azara

  Azara's observations on vegetation change due to cattle and the appearance of plants near new habitations are referenced.

• Mr. Lyell

  Lyell's principles are invoked to discuss the remarkable changes in the Pampas since European colonization.

• Don Carlos

  Darwin's passport identifies him as 'El Naturalista Don Carlos', which earns him respect at a post-house.

Key passages

• “I hired a Gaucho to accompany me on my ride to Buenos Aires, though with some difficulty, as the father of one man was afraid to let him go, and another, who seemed willing, was described to me as so fearful, that I was afraid to take him, for I was told that even if he saw an ostrich at a distance, he would mistake it for an Indian, and would fly like the wind away.”

  Darwin had trouble finding a gaucho guide for the ride to Buenos Aires because one man's father refused permission, and another was deemed too skittish—likely to flee at the sight of an ostrich, mistaking it for an Indian.

  Highlights the pervasive fear of Indian attacks in the region.

• “I do not think Nature ever made a more solitary, desolate pile of rock;—it well deserves its name of Hurtado, or separated.”

  Darwin describes Sierra de la Ventana as an extremely isolated and barren mountain, aptly named 'Hurtado' (separated).

  Emphasizes the stark, uninhabited landscape of the region.

• “According to the principles so well laid down by Mr. Lyell, few countries have undergone more remarkable changes, since the year 1535, when the first colonist of La Plata landed with seventy-two horses.”

  Darwin notes that since the first European colonist arrived in 1535 with just 72 horses, the Pampas have experienced dramatic ecological changes, consistent with Lyell's ideas.

  Connects local observations to Lyell's uniformitarian geology and the concept of gradual change.

• “I never saw anything like the enthusiasm for Rosas, and for the success of the 'most just of all wars, because against barbarians.'”

  Darwin was struck by the intense popular support for General Rosas and his campaign against indigenous peoples, which was framed as a righteous war.

  Reflects the colonial mindset and the justification of violence against native populations.