aptained by Robert FitzRoy. It was originally supposed to be a three-year voyage but eventually lasted five years. It was on this trip that Darwin's ideas and theories about evolution were formulated. The course was set to go around South America to Australia and then back. Darwin was to study the life in these tropical areas. The ship set sail from Plymouth in December of 1831. The first few weeks were rough for Darwin. He suffered badly from seasickness and the captain doubted that he would complete the voyage. But soon he became used to the constant rocking of the ship.
             In February of 1832, the Beagle reached Brazil and Darwin's work truly began. He spent two months in Rio de Janeiro observing sea life, plants, animals, and the geology of the area. He saw that there were many species of the same kind of animal. For example, he once collected 68 different species of beetle in one day. He studied fossils found on the coast of South America and noticed that in the same area of rock, there had been many types of animals. He preserved and labeled all his findings. For the next three years, the boat sailed around South America, and Darwin continued to study the specimens he found and sent many home to his colleagues and friends.
             Then came what many consider to be the most important and influential part of his trip. This was the landing
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