Leonie Moyle @speciationlab.bsky.social · Feb 12 In celebration of #DarwinDay, here are his decidedly mixed first impressions after landing on the Galápagos (17 Sept 1835; from 'the Voyage' Chap X): "Nothing could be less inviting..."
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“close and sultry”… “bushes smelt unpleasantly” — can’t help but think this writer has been on a ship for a while😅
This falls in the "I'm glad he took another look the next day" category.
“The black Lava rocks on the beach are frequented by large (2-3 ft), disgusting clumsy Lizards. They are as black as the porous rocks over which they crawl & seek their prey from the Sea. I call them ‘imps of darkness’. They assuredly well become the land they inhabit.”
his appreciation evolved over time, apparently
Fascinating he didn’t appreciate a speciation factory at first blush. 🤗