Evolution's Captain

Peter Nichols (author)

HarperCollins, USA: 2003; 322pp

ISBN: 0732274788

Genres: biography, history, science

This is a very interesting and thought-provoking piece of writing. Divided into four parts, it traces the sequence of events that led to Charles Darwin arriving at the Galapagos Islands, where he discovered the creatures that eventually led to his theory of evolution. The focus of the book, however, is shared between Darwin and the captain of the HMS Beagle, Robert FitzRoy.

An experienced seaman with a very strong interest in Science and the many discoveries that were enlightening his generation, FitzRoy was also independently wealthy. He invested much of his own money in his various voyages and did much to forward the science of meteorology. The five year voyage with Darwin was FitzRoy's second term as captain of the Beagle. As Nichols states at the beginning of the work, in the florid style of the period, this is ‘the True Story of the Theft of a Whaleboat and the Subsequent Abduction of Four Savages from Tierra del Fuego, whose Shocking Misbehaviour at the Walthmastow Infants School led to Charles Darwin's voyage aboard the Beagle, the Shattering of Man's Profoundest Beliefs, and the Most Ironic and Melancholy Fate of its Captain, Robert FitzRoy'.

Charles Darwin, who became famous for his Origin of Species and the theory that later became known as evolution, began life as the youngest son of a wealthy landowner. His life was privileged but his father was determined that he would not become one of the many spoilt aristocrats of the day, and encouraged him to study medicine. Unfortunately, Darwin found he did not have the stomach for profession, although he loved his early studies in botany. This last factor was what gave him the berth on the Beagle. FitzRoy wanted a companion for the voyage, someone to ease the loneliness that went with being captain. By offering the vessel as a floating laboratory for the new field of natural sciences, FitzRoy hoped to make both a vicarious contribution to the area, and to acquire a man of his own class and similar interests, with whom he could dine and converse without putting his authority over the crew in jeopardy.

At the start of the voyage both men, of similar backgrounds, believed firmly in Creation as portrayed in the Bible. By the time they returned home, Darwin was ready to embark on the development of a theory that would have profound influences on both scientific and religious thinking. FitzRoy's beliefs stood firm, however, and as Darwin's radical theory began to attract attention - and acceptance - he was horrified at what had come out of his simple need for companionship on a long journey. After several breakdowns and severe knocks to his career, FitzRoy eventually took his own life, dying without public recognition of his own significant contributions to naval mapping and weather forecasting.

In many ways, Nichols' book sets the record straight. Without in the least diminishing the significance of Darwin's work, it explores the equally interesting personality who made that work possible - Captain Robert FitzRoy.