Charles Darwin
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In 1835 Charles Darwin visited Copiapó. He describes Copiapó's social life. Three years earlier, the Chañarcillo mines began their activities. Darwin arrived in Atacama during the initial phase of the silver fever. He takes into account that the prices in Copiapó are at a very high level, and observes the scarcity of transportation means for mining. He also says that the inhabitants only know one thing during conservation: mining, mines and metal prices (changed something?). He mentioned that many residents only come to Copiapó with the aim of working and earning money - not to stay forever: the migration of people was very high..
In conclusion, Darwin ignored a little the mining in Atacama of 1835: He only spent a few kilometers in distance of Chañarcillo, but did not visit the recently inaugurated works..
The Voyage of the Beagle
Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle - Chapter 16 - Northern Chile and Peru
We returned down the valley, and on the 22nd reached the town of Copiapo.
The lower part of the valley is broad, forming a fine plain like that of
Quillota. The town covers a considerable space of ground, each house possessing
a garden: but it is an uncomfortable place, and the dwellings are poorly
furnished. Every one seems bent on the one object of making money, and then
migrating as quickly as possible. All the inhabitants are more or less directly
concerned with mines; and mines and ores are the sole subjects of conversation.
Necessaries of all sorts are extremely dear; as the distance from the town
to the port is eighteen leagues, and the land carriage very expensive. A
fowl costs five or six shillings; meat is nearly as dear as in England;
firewood, or rather sticks, are brought on donkeys from a distance of two
and three days' journey within the Cordillera; and pasturage for animals
is a shilling a day: all this for South America is wonderfully exorbitant.
(22.6. 1835)
Literature:
● DARWIN, CH. (1876): Geological observations
on the volcanic islands and parts of South America visited during the voyage
of H.M.S. Beagle.
link:
Texto completo (Literature org.)
●
Domeyko, I. (1903): Jeología. – Tomo Quinto, edición
oficial; Santiago de Chile (Imprenta Cervantes).
● Rojas Carrasco, Guillermo (1929): El Liceo de Hombres
de Copiapó, su Historia. - 158 páginas, Imprenta Nascimiento - Santiago
de Chile.
Bibliografía
The original texts were digitized, converted to ASCII and edited by Dr. Wolfgang Griem. Sketches and drawings are digitally cleaned.
en grande: Casona derrumbada
en Copiapó
History
of Atacama
Virtual Atacama
Content Copiapó
La Plaza (town square)
Hitos turísticos
Museo Mineralógico y
Regional
La UDA
Estación ferrocarril
Cronología de Copiapó
Textos históricos de Copiapó
►
Darwin in Copiapó (1835)
I. Domeyko y Copiapó (1840)
Treutler
in Copiapó (1853)
Treutler - Copiapó (1853)
Philippi en Copiapó (1853)
Pérez Rosales Copiapó (1859)
Tornero Copiapó (1872)
Hugo Kunz and Copiapó (1890)
Enrique Espinoza - Copiapó
Ramírez, Copiapó 1932
Terremotos:
Burmeister: Terremoto (1859)
Imágenes del pasado: Copiapó
Copiapó hoy y Ayer
Hoteles -
Donde Comer
Mapas
Cifras y estadísticas
Charles Darwin
Darwin
in Copiapó
Darwin
and the Copiapo river
Visitantes de Atacama
Listado de Visitantes
R.A. Philippi en Atacama
Paul Treutler en Atacama
Charles Darwin, Atacama (1835)
Ignacio Domeyko y Copiapó
Kunz en Copiapó
Hugo Kunz en Chañarcillo
Gilliss Mineros en Chañarcillo
Información adicional
Cronología histórica de la Región
Minería de Atacama
El Ferrocarril en Atacama
Cartas y Mapas de Atacama
Cartas históricas de Atacama
Listado de personajes de Atacama
El sector Copiapó
Viaje al valle interior
Paso San Francisco
Ruta a - Diego de Almagro
La Panamericana
más rutas de Atacama
See profile
of Wolfgang Griem
