What is The Voyage of the Beagle?
{{Italic title}} [[Image:HMS Beagle by Conrad Martens.jpg|thumb|300px|right|A watercolour by [[HMS Beagle|HMS ''Beagle'']]'s [[technical drawing|draughtsman]], [[Conrad Martens]]. Painted during the survey of [[Tierra del Fuego]], it depicts the ''Beagle'' being hailed by native Fuegians.]] '''''The Voyage of the Beagle''''' is the usual title of the book written by [[Charles Darwin]]. He first published it in 1839 as his '''''Journal and Remarks'''''. The title refers to the second survey expedition of the ship [[HMS Beagle|HMS ''Beagle'']]. The ship set sail from [[Plymouth Sound]] on 27 December 1831 under the command of Captain [[Robert FitzRoy]] [[Royal Navy|R.N.]] The expedition was originally planned to last two years, but it lasted almost five. The ''Beagle'' did not return until 2 October 1836. Darwin spent most of this time exploring on land (three years and three months on land; 18 months at sea). The ship dropped him off at various places and picked him up later. The book is a vivid and exciting travel memoir as well as a detailed scientific field journal. It includes [[biology]], geology, and [[anthropology]]. Darwin's observations were written at a time when [[Western world|Western Europeans]] were exploring and charting the whole world. Although Darwin revisited some areas during the expedition, for clarity the chapters of the book are ordered by places and locations rather than by date. Darwin's notes made during the voyage include comments illustrating his thinking. Looking at the plants, animals, rocks and fossils, he ran across questions which he could not answer at the time.<ref name=Janet>Browne, E. Janet 1995. ''Charles Darwin: vol. 1 Voyaging''. London: Jonathan Cape, p339. {{ISBN|1-84413-314-1}}</ref> On his way back, ideas began in his mind which he developed later as his theory of [[evolution]] by [[natural selection]]. The second edition of 1845 includes some suggestion of this. Later, he realised he had made a big mistake in not noting which islands some specimens from the [[Gala