Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) — Robert Fitzroy (1805-1865, editor)
Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle. London: Henry Colburn, 1839.
First edition of Darwin's first published book, one of the finest examples of scientific autobiography ever published. This is the Admiralty Office’s own copy, and was most probably on board HMS Nassaufor use during that ship’s expedition to survey the Straits of Magellan (1866-1869).

Darwin's Journal and Remarks 1832-1836, published as volume III in the set, was the result of Fitzroy's invitation to Darwin to contribute to the official narrative of the voyage of the Beagle. Next to the Origin, it was his most important and most popular book, leading to the opening of his first notebook on 'Transmutation of Species' in 1837. While Darwin's studies on the voyage concentrated initially on geology, the experience also aroused a desire to understand and explain the distribution and development of the species he encountered. 'The five years of the voyage were the most important event in Darwin’s intellectual life and in the history of biological science. Darwin sailed with no formal scientific training. He returned a hard-headed man of science, knowing the importance of evidence, almost convinced that species had not always been as they were since the creation but had undergone change … The experiences of his five years in the Beagle, how he dealt with them, and what they led to, built up into a process of epoch-making importance in the history of thought' (DSB). In his own words: 'The voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in my life, and has determined my whole career' (Charles Darwin, Life and Letters I, p.61).

Volume I of the Narrative concerns the initial surveying expedition,1826-1830, under Phillip Parker King in the Adventure, during which FitzRoy succeeded Pringle Stokes as commander of the accompanying Beagle. Volume II describes FitzRoy’s continuation and completion of the survey with the Beagle alone, ending in 1836. ‘The surveys he carried out in South American waters established FitzRoy as a first-rate hydrographer and won for him the gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society (1837). Because his marine surveys were accurate to such a high degree they are still used as the foundation for a number of charts of that area’ (DSB).

Loosely inserted is a note by Lt-Cdr Andrew David of the Admiralty’s Hydrographic Dept indicating that the work is not only annotated by G.H. Richards, Hydrographer of the Royal Navy 1864-1874, but that very probably this very copy was taken by Captain (later Rear Admiral) Richard Charles Mayne, commander of HMS Nassau, on his survey expedition to the Straits of Magellan, 1866-1869. David notes that the ink annotations in the Appendix to vol. II are dated 1866 and agree with observations written the same hand while on board the Nassau; these observations now lie in the Hydrographic Dept archives. David also links the pencil annotation on p.325 of the Appendix to vol. II noting that the Morrice Pocket Chronometer 6144 was on board both the Beagle and the Nassau as further evidence that this copy was on board the Nassau.

4 volumes including index of vol. II, octavo (222 x 140mm). Half-titles, 7 (of 8) engraved folding maps and charts, 48 plates and charts, and 6 text illustrations (without the advertisements sometimes found at end of the appendix, lacking the map of the Keeling Islands, frontispiece to vol. I cut down and mounted and inserted after title with Admiralty Office stamp on verso, creased and soiled at top and fore-edge with associated repairs, plates mostly soiled and spotted, but with 4 plates in vol. I and one plate in vol. II in cleaner state but cut-down and probably inserted from another copy, folding maps with various tears and very small holes at creasefold joins, but without loss, blank corners of pp.519-520 in vol. I and pp.181-182 in vol. II chipped). Modern tan half morocco, black morocco gilt spine labels.

Hydrographic Office, Admiralty Library (rectangular accession stamps dated 16 May 1845 on titles, together with various ink manuscript classmarks and some later circular stamps including one on verso of final leaf of vol. III, folding charts with stamps and contemporary ink inscriptions on versoes of folding maps) –
Sir George Henry Richards (1820-1896, Hydrographer of the Royal Navy 1864-1874; pencil marginalia on II, 594 and other leaves) –
Captain (later Rear Admiral) Richard Charles Mayne (1835-1892; commander of HMS Nassau on the survey expedition to the Straits of Magellan, 1866-1869) –
Lt-Cdr Andrew David (bookplates)

Freeman 10
Hill 607
Norman 584
Sabin 37826

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Vol
Page
Plate
The lot is as described in the online cataloguing, but a further description of the plates and maps in each volume is as follows:

Vol. I
Frontispiece (bound in after title). Patagonian. Cut down and mounted with Admiralty Office stamp on verso, creased and soiled at top and fore-edge with associated repairs
p.1 Monte Video soiled and spotted
p. 26 The Hope, in the Strait of Magellan; Distant view of Mount Sarmiento soiled and spotted
p. 52 Port Famine, Curious Peak soiled and spotted
p. 94 Patagonians Toldo and Tomb soiled and spotted
p. 105 Monte Video, mole cut down, but clean, probably inserted from another copy
p. 106 Mole, Palace and Cathedral, Rio de Janeiro cut down, but clean, probably inserted from another copy
p. 126 Figueans wigwam small tear at fore-edge into caption but without loss, soiled and spotted
p. 187 Monte Video, customs house cut down, but clean, probably inserted from another copy
p. 188 Corcovado Mountain, Rio de Janeiro soiled and spotted
p. 252 Mount Sarmiento soiled and spotted
p. 275 San Carlos soiled and spotted
p. 287 Breast ploughing soiled and spotted
p. 300 Old Church at Castro; Puenta Arena soiled and spotted, lower corner chipped but without loss to image
p. 407 Cape Horn (9 views) cut down, but clean, probably inserted from another copy
p. 433 North-East side of Wollaston Island soiled and spotted
p. 463 Chart of a part of South America 40mm tear into blank area of map without loss, cancelled Admiralty Office stamp on verso
bound in at end South America from original documents 20mm tear into blank area of map without loss, a few other very minor tears along creasefolds at margins, Admiralty Office stamp on verso
bound in at end The Strait Magalhaens commonly called Magellan a few very short tears along creasefolds at margins without loss, Admiralty Office contemporary ink manuscript inscription in two hands and stamp on verso
blank corner of pp.519-520 chipped

Vol. II
Frontispiece Fuegian soiled, stained and spotted
p. 46 Panoramic view of Madiera soiled and spotted
p. 57Crossing the line soiled and spotted
p. 62 San Salvador, Bahia soiled, stained and spotted
p. 136 Patagonians at Gregory Bay soiled, stained and spotted
p. 141 Fuegians soiled, stained and spotted
p. 171 Fuegians going to trade soiled and spotted
p. 208 Woollya soiled and spotted
p. 248 Berkeley Sound soiled and spotted
p. 316 Bivouac soiled and spotted, tiny marginal tear
p. 323 Button Island soiled and spotted
p. 324 Fuegians soiled and spotted
p. 326 Cove in Beagle Channel soiled and spotted
p. 336 Beagle laid ashore in Santa Cruz light soiling and spotting
p. 339 River Santa Cruz (map) Y clean
p. 348 Basalt Glen soiled and spotted
p. 351 Santa Cruz River soiled and spotted
p. 352 Mystery Plain cut down, but clean, probably inserted from another copy
p. 359 Mount Sarmiento soiled and spotted
p. 398 Valdivia soiled and spotted
p. 405 Remains of the cathedral at Concepcion soiled and spotted
p. 498 Albemarle Island soiled and spotted
p. 509 Otaheite or Tahiti soiled and spotted
p. 517 Otaheite, Eimeo, Matavai, Chapel soiled and spotted
p. 568 New Zealanders soiled and spotted
bound in at end Part of Tierra del Fuego 20mm tear just into left hand side of map but without loss, a few very short tears along creasefolds at margins without loss, two tiny holes at creasefold joins, Admiralty Office ink manuscript inscription and cancelled stamp on verso
bound in at end Chiloe and parts of the adjacent coast 30mm tear into left hand side of map with tape repair with some tiny associated loss to printed margin, 30mm tear to creasefold at top margin but without loss, two tiny holes at creasefold joins, Admiralty Office stamp on verso
30mm tear just into text of 'Directions to the Binder' leaf without loss
pp.181-2 lower corner chipped
4pp. Ms in contemporary hand bound in with details of the shipwreck of the 'Favourite' inserted at p.316

Appendix to vol. II
p. 206 Surveying diagram soiled, stained and spotted
p. 275 Clouds - cumulus soiled, stained and spotted
p. 276 Clouds - cirrito-stratus soiled, stained and spotted
p. 276 Clouds - stratitus soiled, stained and spotted
p. 276 Clouds - cumulito-stratus soiled, stained and spotted
p. 287 Tide diagrams soiled, stained and spotted
bound in at end General Chart shewing the principal tracks of H.M.S. Beagle apart from faint browning and tiny nicks to fore-edge, generally clean, Admiralty Office stamp on recto in upper margin and just into central Asia on map
bound in at end Dangerous Archipelago of the … Low Islands 15mm tear into left hand margin, two long tears along two creasefolds sometime repaired with some associated staining to verso, and the whole map re-sized

Vol. III
p. 178 Cordillera of the Andes soiled and spotted
(loose) Southern Portion of South America generally clean, Admiralty Office stamp to verso

Print Report