17th May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
Heavy rain; in the course of the day 1.6 inches fell, as the storm passed over the Caucorado, the sound produced by the drops pattering on the countless number of leaves was very singular. It might be heard for ¼ of a mile. I jumped up to see what it was; for it sounded like the rushing of a large body of water.

16th May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
Examined the rich produce of yesterdays collecting. Earl is considerably better.

15th May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
Went out collecting & had a most delightful walk: It is now full moon. I do not know whether the clear outline of the view seen by night is most admirable, or when lighted up by the gorgeous colours of a Tropical sun.

14th May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
My arm is nearly well. I took the opportunity of paying several calls; that most empty yet burdensome form of civility.

11th, 12th & 13th May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
These four days I have been almost laid up by an inflammation in my arm. — Any small prick is very apt to become in this country a painful boil. — Earl continues very ill & is in bed. — This is the winter season; a great deal of rain falls, but chiefly by night; in other respects the weather is most delightful & cool. — The temperature in a room generally varies from 70°-75°.

10th May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
The Beagle sailed for Bahia this evening.

9th May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
Went out collecting & took the direction of the Botanic Garden; I soon came to one of the salt water lakes or bays by which the surrounding country is often penetrated. Many of the views were exceedingly beautiful; yet in tropical scenery, the entire newness, & therefore absence of all associations, which in my own case (& I believe in others) are unconsciously much more frequent than I ever thought, requires the mind to be wrought to a high pitch, & then assuredly no delight can be greater; otherwise your reason tells you it is beautiful but the feelings do not correspond. I often ask myself why can I not calmly enjoy this; I might answer myself by also asking, what is there that can bring the delightful ideas of rural quiet & retirement, what that can call back the recollection of childhood & times past, where all that was unpleasant is forgotten; until ideas, in their effects similar to them, are raised, in vain may we look amidst the glories of this almost new world for quiet contemplation.

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The Captain called in the evening & says the Beagle sails tomorrow. We also today heard the bad news that three of the party, who went up in the Cutter to Macucu for snipe shooting, are taken seriously ill with Fevers. There is reason to fear that others were to day beginning to feel the bad effects of their excursion. The first case occurred 4 days after the arrival of the party on board on the 2nd. A boat from the Warspite started yesterday for the same purpose. I very nearly succeeded in joining it; my good star presided over me when I failed. Four of us belonging to the Beagle are now living here. Earl, who is unwell & suffers agonies from the Rheumatism. The serjeant of Marines, who is recovering from a long illness, & Miss Fuegia Basket, who daily increases in every direction except height.

8th May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
Torrents of rain. I am at present chiefly collecting spiders. In the course of a few hours 2.6 inches of rain fell.

7th May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
Went on board & spent the day there, in the evening brought with me a few things which I wanted before the departure of the Beagle.

5th & 6th May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
These days have quietly glided away; there have been torrents of rain, & the fields are quite soaked with water; if I had wished to walk it would have been very disagreeable, but as it is, I find one hours collecting keeps me in full employment for the rest of the day. The naturalist in England enjoys in his walks a great advantage over others in frequently meeting with something worthy of attention; here he suffers a pleasant nuisance in not being able to walk a hundred yards without being fairly tied to the spot by some new & wondrous creature.

4th May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
Worked away at my usual employments, & filled up the cracks in the time by building castles in the air about the "pomp & circumstance of war".

3rd May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
Went on board the Warspite, a 74 line of battle ship, to see her inspected by the Admiral. It was one of the grandest sights I ever witnessed. When the Admiral arrived the yards were manned by about 400 seamen; from the regularity of their movements & from their white dresses, the men really looked more like a flock of wild-fowl than anything else. When a ship is inspected, everything is done precisely the same as if she was engaged with an enemy; and although on paper it may sound like child’s play, in the reality it was most animating. One almost wished for an enemy, when the awful words were shouted to the great batteries below: "Clear for Action".

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After having manoeuvred the enormous guns and proved how well & easily it was done. Fire in the Cock-pit sung through the decks, in perfect order, the guns yet working, the pumps were rigged, the fire engines brought into play, and all the firemen with their buckets. The action became hotter. (nobody knew what was coming). The Admiral sung out "a Raking shot has cut our fore-shrouds". "Captain Talbot wared ship: cut away the mizzen mast, in an instant men with their axes sprung to their places: and then it was truly wonderful how soon the store rooms were opened and vast ropes brought to support the tottering fore mast. The admiral was determined to puzzle them: during all this bustle he ordered a broadside, and shouted the main shrouds and fore stay are gone. In short in a few minutes all our principal ropes were cut through and joined.

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Perhaps however the most glorious thing was when the Bugle gave the signal for the Boarders; the very ship trembled at so dense a body rushing a long with their drawn cutlasses. The appalling shout, with which the English seamen execute the most dangerous service he is ever called upon to perform, was the only thing that was absent.
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In the evening dined with the Admiral & afterwards enjoyed the calmer pleasure of reading letters from Shropshire.

2nd May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
Walked to Rio: the whole day has been disagreeably frittered away in shopping.

1st May 1832

Rio de Janeiro
Worked at a host of fresh water animals with which every ditch abounds.