1835: The Voyage of the Beagle

December 21, 2021

By AHNZ

Today in history, 21 December, 1835, the voyage of the HMS Beagle brought her to New Zealand. Captain Robert FitzRoy is famous to us as our second Governor.
‘The Voyage of the Beagle’ was written about the ship’s scientific expedition and the text launched the renown of Charles Darwin.

The previous captain of the Beagle had shot himself which is how FitzRoy got the job in the first place. After failing in politics, he fell back on being captain of the Beagle but was afraid of suffering the same fate.

“He was conscious of the stressful loneliness of command. He knew of the suicides both of Captain Stokes and of his uncle Viscount Castlereagh, who had cut his own throat in 1822 while in government office.” – wiki

“About 20 years after being Boss of New Zealand, the Admiral was living in London working for the State weather department. Broke and in failing health, a great melancholy (depression) had set upon the once great man.” – 1865: New Zealand Governor Commits Suicide

That’s one Aristotelian cause as to why FitzRoy took Darwin along: To keep him company, to keep him sane against a propensity for men in the family and the role to off themselves. Unfortunately, in this case, it only prolonged that outcome for Captain Fitz.

From memory, Darwin was unimpressed with New Zealand.

FitzRoy, however, was sufficiently impressed to come back to be its political boss. If the timing had worked out better then there would have been a formidable family dynasty either side of the Tasman since his brother, Charles Fitzroy, was made governor of New South Wales. By then, Robert had already left New Zealand in ignominy.

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Image ref. Fitz and Charles; Two straight men whose characters are not writen in their faces; Research Gate

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