The Beagle’s pups: small-boat surveying expeditions in South America*

ABSTRACT HMS Beagle is remembered primarily in connection with Charles Darwin, though maritime historians have always focused attention on the ship’s commander, Captain Robert Fitzroy. Even they, however, have overlooked the contribution of the ship’s boats in carrying out the role of completing the survey of the coast of South America. The Beagle carried seven open boats of varying types, which were employed in surveys of waters which the ship could not reach. They worked in challenging waters and often undertook expeditions lasting weeks or even months. Besides the inherent drama of these voyages, they are important for what they reveal about the skills and human qualities of officers and men of the Royal Navy in this period. There is evidence too that Darwin’s participation in some of these small-boat expeditions and the wider surveying role of the Beagle contributed to his formulation of the theory of natural selection.