Porto Praya, Cape Verde Islands. HMS Beagle arrived at the Cape Verde Islands on 16 January 1832 and anchored at Porto Praya, on the island of Santiago. 'The neighbourhood of Porto Praya, viewed from the sea, wears a desolate aspect. The volcanic fires of a past age, and the scorching heat of a tropical sun, have in most places rendered the soil unfit for vegetation.' Darwin and the Beagle by Alan Moorhead, page 44. *** Local Caption ***