Charles Darwin and His Voyage

Charles Darwin was born February 12, 1809 and died April 19, 1882. Within these years he had accomplished more than he expected. As a young child Charles was always interested in nature. This hobby of his was the origin of his soon to be career as a naturalist that he had yet to even know.

Charles grew up in a good home. He had gone to Cambridge with out a career in mind. His father was a doctor and instead of following in the family footsteps in medicine he took a whole other route. His father was not too happy at first with his decision but he learned to appreciate it. Charles entered into the clergy world at this point. Barely knowing anything about being a naturalist, Charles at the age of twenty-two, received an unexpected letter from a captain Robert Fitzroy. The letter invited him to come aboard the H.M.S Beagle to accompany him as his naturalist.

Charles saw this as a great opportunity and immediately asked his father if he could go. His father was very skeptical and would not allow him to go. He said, "find me one man of common sense" that would give him the consent of going and he would let him. Charles figured he would not find anyone but sure enough he did. His uncle Josiah saw the trip as a great opportunity for Charles. Josiah and Charles went to his father the next day and Josiah had a talk with Charles' father. When Josiah finished explaining to him all the possibilities in the trip Dr. Darwin turned to Charles and said " I told you yesterday that if you could find any man of common sense who would advise you to go I would give my consent. There is no man I admire more than you Uncle Jos. You have my permission." (Stone PG 69-70)

A couple of day's later Mr. Wood, nephew of lord Londonderry, had bad news for Charles. Mr. Wood had sent Captain Fitzroy a letter about Charles. He had told him how Charles was a Whig, just in case they ever argued about the Reform bill Mr. Wood would not get in trouble for not pre warning him about Charles being a Whig. Captain Fitzroy was a torries and did not agree with the reform bill as the Whigs did. Fitzroy replied with a letter of rejection to having Charles on board the ship. He said he wanted the naturalist to be his friend, to dine with him and so on. No one else on board had those special privileges. He then continued on to say that he had offered the job to his long time friend by the name of Mr. Chester.

Charles was distraught and felt the same as he did when his fathered denied him going on the trip. He thought how politics could have any thing to do with being on board as a naturalist. A few days later he went to London because he heard that Captain Fitzroy was going to be there. Charles went and he had a talk with him. Once he walked into the room Fitzroy was pleased to see him and said he came just in time. He explained how his friend could not come because he did not want to leave his work behind. Charles was ecstatic to hear that once again he would be able to go.

Those next couple of weeks Charles spent with Fitzroy. He showed him the ship and Professor Henslow gave him a crash course of how to preserve the specimens he finds that way he can send them back to preserved and examined further.

On January 27th 1832 the HMS Beagle set sail towards their destination. Their prime objectives were to complete the survey of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, to survey the shores of Chile, Peru and some of the islands in the Pacific and to carry a chain of chronometrical measurements around the world. The trip was originally supposed to only last for about two years; instead it ended up being almost a five-year journey. Charles stay the first couple of days was rough for him. He became seasick and could not handle the conditions at first.

They first reached the island of Teneriffe. Once they arrived a guard immediately stopped them and they were asked why they were there. Fitzroy had told them that they are there to observe, that they were from England and they were being expected. The guards would not let anyone get off the boat and they could not land. They were told that cholera had spread in England and they did not want it to spread in their island. The captain reassured them that none of the crewmembers had cholera and if they wanted they could come aboard to observe them and that they could also check their medical records. They refused their offer and they had no choice but to leave. Charles was disappointed. He had been talking about observing Teneriffe with Henslow for months and now they could not land. Fitzroy told him there would be other islands; he had nothing to worry about.

They instead, in mid January 1832, landed in Porto Praya in St. Jago. They stayed for about three weeks. Here, Charles had a collected all types of specimen. He had a collection of rocks, plants, and marine life. St. Jago to Charles had a "rich harvest" of specimen and enjoyed staying there despite the hot weather. Having crossed the Atlantic after being in St. Jago they reached St. Paul. Charles observed many types of things here. When he first reached the island he had seen a cluster of rocks that he thought to be made of volcanic materials or of coral. He then observed some of the animals that were there. He had only observed two types of birds though.

The 20th of February they reached a small island named Fernando de Noronha but only stayed for a few days. Here he figured the island was made of all volcanic material. A few days later they reached Brazil and stayed for a couple of days. He had made a collection of insects at his stay here. He also had the chance to see first hand slavery. He had never been exposed to it before and could not understand how the African Americans could stand doing that, and how the Brazilians favored it. One day at dinner they were all having a discussion about the revolting slavery issue and Fitzroy was saying how the slaves were better in a white mans civilization and that some of them did not want to be free. Charles held his tongue for a while to say anything until he started to remember how his father and his uncle Jos were both against slavery and he thought he would be a coward if he did not say something so he did. Captain Fitzroy was outraged by what he said and told him that he could no longer dine with him. Charles was angry with himself for starting something so soon, he felt now that he must no longer be aboard the ship. Later on that day the captain apologized and everything went back to normal.

They then started to head towards Rio de Janeiro. It was March 18th 1832, this was the day