ch. ii.] VOYAGE. 27 



offer, but my father strongly objected, adding the words, 

 fortunate for me, " If you can find any man of common- 

 sense who advises you to go I will give my consent." So I 

 wrote that evening and refused the offer. On the next 

 morning I went to Maer to be ready for September 1st, 

 and whilst out shooting, my uncle * sent for me, offering 

 to drive me over to Shrewsbury and talk with my father, as 

 my uncle thought it would be wise in me to accept the 

 offer. My father always maintained that [my uncle] was 

 one of the most sensible men in the world, and he at once 

 consented in the kindest manner. I had been rather ex- 

 travagant at Cambridge, and to console my father, said, 

 " that I should be deuced clever to spend more than my 

 allowance whilst on board the Beagle;" but he answered 

 with a smile, " But they tell me you are very clever." 



Next day I started for Cambridge to see Henslow, and 

 thence to London to see Fitz-Roy, and all was soon ar- 

 ranged. Afterwards, on becoming very intimate with Fitz- 

 Roy, I heard that I had run a very narrow risk of being 

 rejected on account of the shape of my nose ! He was an 

 ardent disciple of Lavater, and was convinced that he could 

 judge of a man's character by the outline of his features ; 

 and he doubted whether any one with my nose could 

 possess sufficient energy and determination for the voyage. 

 But I think he was afterwards well satisfied that my nose 

 had spoken falsely. 



Fitz-Roy's character was a singular one, with very many 

 noble features : he was devoted to his duty, generous to a 

 fault, bold, determined, and indomitably energetic, and an 

 ardent friend to all under his sway. He would undertake 

 any sort of trouble to assist those whom he thought deserved 

 assistance. He was a handsome man, strikingly like a 

 gentleman, with highly-courteous manners, which resembled 

 those of his maternal uncle, the famous Lord Castlereagh, as 

 I was told by the Minister at Rio. Nevertheless he must 

 have inherited much in his appearance from Charles II., for 

 Dr. Wallich gave me a collection of photographs which he 

 had made, and I was struck with the resemblance of one to 

 Fitz-Roy ; and on looking at the name, I found it Ch. E. 

 Sobieski Stuart, Count d'Albanie,f a descendant of the same 

 monarch. 



* Josiah Wedgwood. 



+ The Count d'Albanie's claim to Royal descent has been shown to be 



