Introduction
The circumnavigation of HMS Beagle between 1831 and
1836 under the command of Robert FitzRoy is remembered today because Charles Darwin sailed
aboard her as expedition naturalist. He published his account of the voyage as Volume III
of the Narrative in 1839. It has been reprinted in many editions since that time under the
title The Voyage of the Beagle and a version
of his text is still available in paperback form. I have long intended to sail round the
world, and Darwin's book has had the effect upon my mind of converting a diffuse intention
into a definite project. My plan is to repeat the voyage of the Beagle
in a sailing yacht and to compare what I find with the accounts of Darwin and FitzRoy. I
shall write what I hope will turn out to be a well-informed book about my experiences.
The most accessible general account of Darwin's voyage aboard the Beagle
is by Alan Moorehead.