Cape Horn

Following there is a brief story by Charles Darwin written in 1834 regarding his experience when crossing the Cape Horn on the vessel called Beagle to the control of Captain Fitz Roy. We must consider that the German new comers had to fight against the same severe weather conditions in their trips from Europe to Chile in the year 1845.

Terrible Storm

After having spent six days in the Wigwam bay, having been delayed due to bad weather conditions, we headed to the sea in December 30 th . The captain wanted to approach in Tierra del Fuego western coast in order to allow York and Fuegia to come back to their country. But as soon as we get to high seas, we are whipped by a storm succession. Besides, the sea current is against us and we are dragged until 57°23 south latitude. In January 11 th of 1833, we get to some miles from de big uneven mountain whose name York Minster had been given by captain Cook (being our Tierra del Fuego's native' origin), but a violent tempest forces us to drop sails and come back to the high seas instead. The waves strike against the coast and the foam reaches the top of a 200 feet long cliff. The twelveth day, the storm becomes twice as violent and then we do not know exactly where we are. It was rather unpleasant to constantly hear the Commander's shout: ”Pay attention to windward!”. The thirteenth day the storm reaches its highest point. Our horizon is considerably diminished by the foam clouds lift by the wind. The sea has a terrible face, it looks like a huge waving valley covered here and there by snow. While our ship fights fiercely, the albatross with the wings opened, seem to play with the wind. At noon, a huge wave breaks over us and so one of the inner places gets full of water which we have no other choice than throwing it to the sea immediately. Poor Beagle shivers under the strike and for some seconds it fails to obey the steering, but very soon it arises like the brave ship it is and gives the wind its prow. If a second wave had followed the previous one, it would have caught us in a moment. It has been 24 days since we have been fighting for reaching the western coast. Men are exhausted and there have been no dry suits to try on for several days. Captain Fitz Roy quits then the idea of reaching the West coast by Tierra del Fuego. During the night we are heading for shelter behind Cape Horn and we anchor at a bottom of 47 fathoms. The chain makes jump true sparks when unrolled. How delicious is a quite night after such a long time being the furious nature elements' puppets!

1832-1835 Journey of a naturalist around the world, by Charles Darwin.