#also captain FitzRoy was DEFINITELY in love with Darwin

[beaglefanblog]

Hey what’s your favorite historical domino effect because mine has gotta be that time the British navy promoted a mentally ill 23-year-old to command this tiny rickety little ship on a mapmaking mission in Tierra del Fuego and they were like *finger guns* haha you’re too young for this job and the previous guy killed himself about it, good luck!!

But he made it back to England in one piece and the navy was like “nice work kiddo do you wanna do that again” and he was like “sure but can we hire me a scientist friend so I don’t die of stress and loneliness like the previous captain of this ridiculous fucking ship”

So they ask around but nobody wants to go because Cape Horn is TERRIFYING, so finally, scraping the bottom of the barrel, they reach out to this random 22-year-old with a degree in theology who does naturalism AS A HOBBY and against all odds this guy actually DOES want to go AND THAT’S CHARLES DARWIN AND THAT’S WHY WE KNOW ABOUT EVOLUTION BY NATURAL SELECTION

[beaglefanblog]

Who wants to read some fic about Charles Darwin and the captain of HMS Beagle

Did you know that Darwin wasn't actually working for the Navy, nor was he even the ship's actual naturalist – he was officially Captain FitzRoy's "gentleman companion"? Did you know that he wasn't assigned to sleep in the captain's cabin but he did sometimes anyway? Did you know that before the voyage, FitzRoy received a letter from Darwin that began in a slightly apologetic tone, assumed Darwin was about to say he had a girlfriend, threw the letter in the bin, dug the letter out of the bin, and realised Darwin was actually just asking him to put in a good word for a friend's son who wanted to join the Navy? Did you know that FitzRoy named a mountain after Darwin for his 25th birthday? Did you know that Darwin wrote to his sister that FitzRoy made rooms seem larger and air easier to breathe? Did you know that when Darwin was away from the ship, FitzRoy wrote to him to say (paraphrased) "I think of you every time the ship pitches, please come back ASAP, here's two paragraphs of the imaginary conversation I'm having with you"? And also "est avis in navibus Carlos rarissima Darwin," which means "the rarest of birds in ships is Charles Darwin"? Did you know that FitzRoy called Darwin "Philos," short for "natural philosopher," which they definitely both knew just meant "love" because they'd both studied Greek? Did you know that Darwin got kinda mad about FitzRoy getting married when they returned to England, and didn't attend the wedding?

Haha that's so weird idk what it's all about tho. Anyway:

FitzRoy draws on Darwin’s arm. It’s 1833, and this is the most erotic thing either of them has ever done.