\"VOYAGEOFTHE’BEAGLE’FROMDECEMBER27，1831，TOOCTOBER2，1836。\"
OnreturninghomefrommyshortgeologicaltourinNorthWales，IfoundaletterfromHenslow，informingmethatCaptainFitz—RoywaswillingtogiveuppartofhisowncabintoanyyoungmanwhowouldvolunteertogowithhimwithoutpayasnaturalisttotheVoyageofthe\"Beagle\"。Ihavegiven，asIbelieve，inmyMS。Journalanaccountofallthecircumstanceswhichthenoccurred;IwillhereonlysaythatIwasinstantlyeagertoaccepttheoffer，butmyfatherstronglyobjected，addingthewords，fortunateforme，\"IfyoucanfindanymanofcommonsensewhoadvisesyoutogoIwillgivemyconsent。\"SoIwrotethateveningandrefusedtheoffer。OnthenextmorningIwenttoMaertobereadyforSeptember1st，and，whilstoutshooting，myuncle（JosiahWedgwood。）sentforme，offeringtodrivemeovertoShrewsburyandtalkwithmyfather，asmyunclethoughtitwouldbewiseinmetoaccepttheoffer。Myfatheralwaysmaintainedthathewasoneofthemostsensiblemenintheworld，andheatonceconsentedinthekindestmanner。IhadbeenratherextravagantatCambridge，andtoconsolemyfather，said，\"thatIshouldbedeucedclevertospendmorethanmyallowancewhilstonboardthe’Beagle’;\"butheansweredwithasmile，\"Buttheytellmeyouareveryclever。\"
NextdayIstartedforCambridgetoseeHenslow，andthencetoLondontoseeFitz—Roy，andallwassoonarranged。Afterwards，onbecomingveryintimatewithFitz—Roy，IheardthatIhadrunaverynarrowriskofbeingrejected，onaccountoftheshapeofmynose！HewasanardentdiscipleofLavater，andwasconvincedthathecouldjudgeofaman’scharacterbytheoutlineofhisfeatures;andhedoubtedwhetheranyonewithmynosecouldpossesssufficientenergyanddeterminationforthevoyage。ButIthinkhewasafterwardswellsatisfiedthatmynosehadspokenfalsely。
Fitz—Roy’scharacterwasasingularone，withverymanynoblefeatures:hewasdevotedtohisduty，generoustoafault，bold，determined，andindomitablyenergetic，andanardentfriendtoallunderhissway。Hewouldundertakeanysortoftroubletoassistthosewhomhethoughtdeservedassistance。Hewasahandsomeman，strikinglylikeagentleman，withhighlycourteousmanners，whichresembledthoseofhismaternaluncle，thefamousLordCastlereagh，asIwastoldbytheMinisteratRio。
NeverthelesshemusthaveinheritedmuchinhisappearancefromCharlesII。，forDr。Wallichgavemeacollectionofphotographswhichhehadmade，andIwasstruckwiththeresemblanceofonetoFitz—Roy;andonlookingatthename，IfounditCh。E。SobieskiStuart，Countd’Albanie，adescendantofthesamemonarch。