Beagle

But I have too deeply enjoyed the voyage, not to recommend any naturalist, although he must not expect to be so fortunate in his companions as I have been, to take all chances, and to start, on travels by land if possible, if otherwise, on a long voyage. He may feel assured, he will meet with no difficulties or dangers, excepting in rare cases, nearly so bad as he beforehand anticipates. In a moral point of view, the effect ought to be, to reach his good-humoured patience, freedom from selfishness, the habit of acting for himself, and of making the best of every occurrence. In short, he ought to partake of the characteristic qualities of the most sailors. Travelling ought also to teach him distrust; but at the same time he will discover, how many truly kind-hearted people there are, with whom he never before had, or ever again will have any further communications, who yet are ready to offer him the most disinterested assistance. Page 449

THE MAKING OF A GEOLOGIST

By the time Darwin boarded the Beagle four years later, evolution had sunk away from his thoughts altogether. Only after he had returned from his voyage would it rise back again, and in a radically different from.

The voyage started badly, Darwin arrived in Plymouth in October 1831, but it wasn’t until December 7, after weeks of repairs and delays and false starts, that Beagle set sail. And as soon as Darwin left shore, he became horribly seasick, spewing his meals over the rails. Although Darwin would sail for five years on the Beagle, he never managed to get his sea legs. ~ Page 16 Excerpt: Evolution ~ The Triumph Of An Idea" ~ Carl Zimmer (author)