Chapter 21 Summary and Analysis

On the return trip to England, the Beagle stops at Mauritius, a large island off the eastern coast of Africa, known at the time as the Isle of France. The scenery strikes Darwin as elegant and harmonious. He walks around Port Louis. The towns strikes Darwin as being more French than Paris, although many of the people are from India. He explores the coast north of town and describes it as being halfway between the harsh Galapagos and the pleasant Tahitian coastlines.

Captain Lloyd invites Darwin to stay at his country house with a beautiful view at 800 feet above sea level. The captain takes Darwin to a ravine that has interesting rocks. Along the way Darwin rides an elephant for the first time.

Sailing to St. Helens Island, Darwin takes lodging close to Napoleon's tomb. He finds several unique animal forms...