Evolution and Wonder: Understanding Charles Darwin

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This elevation map of a coral reef island is a hand-drawn water-color sketch by Charles Darwin, date unknown.

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Hand-drawn, Watercolor Map by Charles Darwin
Although Darwin is better known for his line sketches made in the margins of his field notebooks, he also drew more artistic renditions of large-scale geological formations. This stratigraphical long section map details the geographical composition of the South American coast eastwards from Copiapo to Tierra Amarilla.
(Reprinted with permission of Syndics of Cambridge University Library, DAR 44:19)

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From Charles Darwin's Beagle Diary:

Yuche Island, north of Tres Montes
December 31, 1834

After breakfast the next morning, a party ascended one of the highest viz. 2400 ft. elevation.— The scenery was remarkable; the chief part of the range is composed of grand solid abrupt masses of the world.— The granite is capped with slaty gneiss, & this in the lapse of ages of time has been worn into strange finger-shaped points. These two formations, thus differing in their outlines, agree in being almost destitute of vegetation; and this barrenness had to our eyes a more strange appearance, from being accustomed to the sight of an almost universal forest of dark green trees. I took much delight in examining the structure of these mountains.— The complicated & lofty ranges bore a noble aspect of durability—equally profitless however to man & to all other animals. Granite to the Geologist is a classic ground: from its wide-spread limits, its beautiful & compact texture, few rocks have been more anciently recognized. Granite has given rise perhaps to more discussion concerning its origin than any other formation.— We see it generally the fundamental rock, & however formed, we know it to be the deepest layer in the crust of this globe to which man is able to penetrate.— The limit of mans knowledge in every subject possesses a high interest, which is perhaps increased by its close neighbourhood to the realms of imagination.