was one of them. Q But Fitz-Roy is now known to us, 

 not for his maps which have passed into the mutual 

 w^ealth of the world, but because he took on his trip, 

 merely as an afterthought, a volunteer naturalist. 

 Before the "Beagle" sailed. Captain Fitz-Roy and 

 young Mr. Darwin w^ent down to Portsmouth, and the 

 Captain sho"wed him the ship. The Captain took pains 

 to explain the worst. It was to be at least tw^o years of 

 close, unremitting toil. It was no pleasure excursion — 

 there w^ere no amusements provided, no cards, no 

 wine on the table — the fare was to be simple in the 

 extreme J- J- 



This way of putting the matter w^as most attractive to 

 Darwin — Fitz-Roy became a hero in his eyes at once. 

 The Captain's manner inspired confidence — he was a 

 man who did not have to be amused or cajoled. " You 

 w^ill be left alone to do your work," said Fitz-Roy to 

 Darwin, **and I must have the cabin to myself when I 

 ask for it." 

 And that settled it. 



Life aboard ship is like life in jail. It means freedom, 

 freedom from interruption — you have your evenings 

 to yourself, and the days as well. 



Darwin admired every man on board the ship, and 

 most of all, the man w^ho selected them, and so wrote 

 home to his sisters. He admired the men because each 

 w^as intent on doing his work, and each one seemed to 

 assume that his own particular work was the most 

 important. 



Second Officer Wickham was entrusted to see that the 



169 



LITTLE 

 JOURNEYS 



