In 1801 Charles Waterton completed his schooling at Stonyhurst College where his interest in natural history had been encouraged by the Jesuit teachers. Three years later, when he was just 22 years old, he set-off for a six week sea voyage from Portsmouth, across the Atlantic Ocean to British Guiana (now called Guyana) on the northern coast of South America. He went there to help manage sugar plantations
that belonged to his family. This duty ended in 1812, but by then he had
decided to explore more of this tropical country. In April he set out on
a journey that took over four months from Georgetown on the coast to the
Brazilian border at Fort St. Joachim, which was situated on a river that
led down ultimately to the Amazon. 
Back to Our Heritage
Home Page