The Voyage of the Beagle · Chapter
Chiloe and Concepcion: Great Earthquake explained
Darwin describes his experiences in Chiloe and the devastating earthquake that struck Concepcion and Talcahuano on February 20th.
What happens
Darwin describes his experiences in Chiloe and the devastating earthquake that struck Concepcion and Talcahuano on February 20th. He details the physical sensations of the earthquake, the destruction of towns, the effects on the landscape, and the survival of inhabitants. The chapter also includes observations on the forests, apple cultivation, and the aftermath of the earthquake, including the great wave that washed away ruins.
Themes in this chapter
Geological Uniformitarianism
Darwin observes the effects of the earthquake on the landscape, including fissures, shattering of rock, and elevation of shells, illustrating ongoing geological processes.
Human Impact on Environment
The inhabitants of Chiloe clear land by burning forests, though with limited success, showing human attempts to modify the environment.
Characters to notice
- Captain Fitz Roy
Was in the town of Valdivia during the earthquake and witnessed the shaking of wooden houses.
- Mr. Rouse
English consul in Concepcion who narrowly escaped his collapsing house during the earthquake.
- Mr. King
Accompanied Darwin on an expedition along the coast north of Punta Huantamo.
Key passages
“A bad earthquake at once destroys our oldest associations: the earth, the very emblem of solidity, has moved beneath our feet like a thin crust over a fluid;—one second of time has created in the mind a strange idea of insecurity, which hours of reflection would not have produced.”
A severe earthquake shatters our fundamental sense of stability, making the solid ground feel like a fragile shell over liquid, and instantly instills a profound unease that long contemplation could not achieve.
Darwin reflects on the psychological impact of experiencing an earthquake.
“I believe this convulsion has been more effectual in lessening the size of the island of Quiriquina, than the ordinary wear-and-tear of the sea and weather during the course of a whole century.”
Darwin thinks the earthquake reduced the island's size more in moments than a century of erosion by sea and weather.
Darwin notes the rapid geological change caused by the earthquake.