Voyage of HMS Beagle in South America
The duty of the voyage of HMS Beagle under the
command of Captain Robert FitzRoy was to make a topographical
map of the coast of South America, and "carry a chain of
chronometrical measurements around the world" so as to
assist navigation of British vessels in these waters. FitzRoy
also desired the services of a naturalist, who would make
scientific observations, and also function as a "gentleman
companion." The young Charles Darwin was recommended by his
professor at Cambridge: he and Fitzroy hit it off immediately.
Fitzroy was a perfectionist who took his assigned duty very
seriously, and much of the voyage involved checking and
rechecking his charts. During these periods at sea, Darwin was
able to make extended inland excursions, where he made the
observations on geology, flora, and fauna that fill most of
his travel book, "The Voyage of the Beagle," and
contribute to his future work on the origin of species.
Map © Encyclopedia Britannica; Text © 2022 by Steven M. Carr