HMS Beagle sailed on a five-year Royal Navy surveying voyage under Robert FitzRoy. Charles Darwin travelled as a self-funded naturalist, spending long periods ashore collecting specimens and recording the geology, plants, animals, and societies he encountered.
Sources and further reading
Voyage of HMS Beagle, Darwin Correspondence Project, University of Cambridge. Voyage purpose, Darwin’s role, FitzRoy’s command, correspondence, dates, and scientific context.
HMS Beagle, Royal Museums Greenwich. Ship history, survey role, dimensions, equipment, FitzRoy’s command, and global voyage overview.