raised considerably,* which afterwards proved to be of the
greatest advantage to her as a sea boat, besides adding so materially
to the comfort of all on board. While in dock, a sheathing
of two-inch fir plank was nailed on the vessel’s bottom, over
which was a coating of felt, and then new copper. This sheathing
added about fifteen tons to her displacement, and nearly
seven to her actual measurement. Therefore, instead of 235
tons, she might be considered about 242 tons burthen. The rudder
was fitted according to the plan of Captain Lihou : a patent
windlass supplied the place of a capstan : one of Frazer’s
stoves, with an oven attached, was taken instead of a common
‘ galley’ fire-place ; and the lightning-conductors, invented by
Mr. Harris, were fixed in all the masts, the bowsprit, and even
in the flying jib-boom. The arrangements made in the fittings,
both inside and outside, by the officers of the Dock-yard, left
nothing to be desired. Our ropes, sails, and spars, were the
best that could be procured; and to complete our excellent
outfit, six superior boats-f- (two of them private property)
were built expressly for us, and so contrived and stowed that
they could all be carried in any weather.
Considering the limited disposable space in so very small a
ship, we contrived to carry more instruments and books than
one would readily suppose could be stowed away in dry and
secure places; and in a part of my own cabin twenty-two
chronometers were carefully placed.
Anxious that no opportunity of collecting useful information,
during the voyage, should be lo st; I proposed to the
Hydrographer that some well-educated and scientific person
should be sought for who would willingly share such accommodations
as I had to offer, in order to profit by the opportunity
of visiting distant countries yet little known. Captain
Beaufort approved of the suggestion, and wrote to Professor
Peacock, of Cambridge, who consulted with a friend. Professor
Henslow, and he named Mr. Charles Darwin, grandson
of Dr. Darwin the poet, as a young man of promising ability,
* Eight inches abaft and twelve forward.
t Besides a dinghy carried astern.
extremely fond of geology, and indeed all branches of natural
history. In consequence an offer was made to Mr. Darwin to
be my guest on board, which he accepted conditionally ; permission
was obtained for his embarkation, and an order given
by the Admiralty that he should be borne on the ship’s books
for provisions. The conditions asked by Mr. Daiwin were, that
he should be at liberty to leave the Beagle and retire from the
Fxpedition when he thought proper, and that he should pay a
fair share of the expenses of my table.
Knowing well that no one actively engaged in the surveying
duties on which we were going to be employed, would have
time—even if he had ability—to make much use of the pencil,
I engaged an artist, Mr. Augustus Earle, to go out in a private
capacity; though not without the sanction of the Admiralty,
who authorized him also to he victualled. And in order to
secure the constant, yet to a certain degree mechanical attendance
required by a large number of chronometers, and to be
enabled to repair our instruments and keep them in order, I engaged
the services of Mr. George James Stebbing, eldest son of
the mathematical instrument-maker at Portsmouth, as a private
assistant.
The established complement of officers and men (including
marines and boys) was sixty-five: but, with the supernumeraries
I have mentioned, we had on board, when the Beagle
sailed from England, seventy-four persons, namely :__
Robert F itz -R o y .............................. Commander and Surveyor.
John Clements Wickham................. Lieutenant.
Bartholomew James Sulivan ........ Lieutenant.
Edward Main Chaffers..................... Master.
Robert Mac-Cormick ..................... Surgeon.
George Rowlett .............................. Purser.
Alexander Derbishire ..................... Mate.
Peter Benson S tew a rt..................... Mate.
John Lort Stokes.............................. MateandAssistantSurveyor.
Benjamin Bynoe .............................. Assistant Surgeon.
Arthur Mellersh .............................. Midshipman.
Philip Gidley K in g .......................... Midshipman.
c 2