HEADHUNTING the ‘FitzWinian’ WAY

Captain Francis Beaufort (1774-1857), Hydrographer of the Admiralty, Royal Navy, and a very small cabal of like-minded associates, including Captain Robert FitzRoy (1805-1865), had at the time a revolutionary view of marine surveying. Their vision of surveying was one of a broad sense of scientific investigation and the search for knowledge. This vision produced a methodology, which I have termed ‘The FitzWinian Formula’. FitzWinian to honor the key factor in the inclusion of Charles Darwin (1809-1882), then an obscure and unknown student at Cambridge, in the voyage of HMS Beagle (1831-1836).

In this our third ‘HEADHUNTER’ expedition to West New Britain and the Southern Bismarck Sea, we celebrate the epic voyage and achievements of HMS Beagle and the stellar members of her crew, most notably Captain Robert FitzRoy and Naturalist Charles Darwin. We, the OE Team, will adopt the ‘FitzWinian Formula’ and apply it to our voyage’s of discovery, and coupled with new cutting edge technology, will go forth and explore just as the men of the FitzWinian era some 175 years ago.

Beaufort’s view of hydrography was not just a matter of charting coastlines, and the norm, but included natural history of land and sea, geography and ethnography. To accomplish this goal he believed survey ships should carry naturalists to make observations and collections to further knowledge of the exotically mysterious regions they would encounter while conducting surveys for the crown. He believed that discovery and exploration should be at the core of marine surveys. This is the FitzWinian Formula defined, ‘Discovery through Exploration, and the use of applied technology to further man’s knowledge of our world’.
Charles Darwin at the time was studying at Christ’s College, Cambridge in pursuit of a degree in theology on the path of becoming a country clergyman. Charles had already failed at business and medical grooming which his father had required him to pursue. His father told Charles to his great mortification, ‘You care for nothing but shooting, dogs, and rat-catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family’.

Darwin came to be included in the historic voyage of the Beagle due to the following ‘very British’ chain of events set in motion by the request of a friend for someone who could fill a dual role as naturalist and gentleman-companion. Beaufort was key to this chain, which resulted in the inclusion of Darwin who later became the most celebrated member of Beagle’s crew. It was through Beaufort’s contacts (via Peacock) that Darwin was introduced to FitzRoy. FitzRoy had originally written to Beaufort to seek assistance in finding him a naturalist for the voyage. Beaufort contacted George Peacock, Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, who in turn wrote to Henslow for help fulfilling FitzRoy’s request.

While at Cambridge Darwin caught the eye of Reverend John Henslow (1796-1861), professor of Botany, with his practical ability as a collector, and with the high quality and purposefulness of his enquiring mind.
Peacock wrote to Henslow the following in early August 1831:

‘Captain FitzRoy is going out to survey the southern coast of Terra Del Fuego, & afterwards to visit many of the South Sea Islands & to return by the Indian Archipelago: the vessel is fitted out expressly for scientific purposes, combined with the survey: it will furnish therefore a rare opportunity for a naturalist & would be a great misfortune that it should be lost:

An offer has been made to me to recommend a proper person to go out as a naturalist with this expedition: - he will be treated with every consideration; the Captain is a young man of very pleasing manners (a nephew of the Duke of Grafton), of great zeal in his profession & who is very highly spoken of; if Leonard Jenyns could go [Jenyns was Henslow’s brother-in-law], what treasures he might bring home with him, as the ship would be placed at his disposal, whenever his enquiries made it necessary or desirable; in the absence of so accomplished a naturalist, is there any person whom you could strongly recommend: he must be such a person as would do credit to our recommendation. Do think on this subject: it would be a serious loss to the cause of natural science, if this fine opportunity was lost. The ship sails about the end of September.’

Henslow wrote to Darwin ‘I have stated that I consider you to be the best-qualified person I know of who is likely to undertake such a situation. I state this not on the supposition of your being a finished Naturalist, but as amply qualified for collecting, observing, & noting anything worthy to be noted in Natural History. Captain FitzRoy wants a man (I understand) more as a companion than a mere collector & would not take any one however good a Naturalist who was not recommended to him likewise as a gentleman’

The request by FitzRoy to Beaufort as follows; ‘Anxious that no opportunity of collecting useful information, during the voyage, should be lost; I proposed to the Hydrographer (Beaufort) that some well-educated and scientific person should be sought for who would willingly share such accommodations as I had to offer, in order to profit by the opportunity of visiting distant countries yet little known. Captain Beaufort approved of the suggestion, and wrote to Professor George Peacock, of Cambridge (professor of mathematics), who consulted with a friend, Professor Henslow, and he named Mr. Charles Darwin, grandson of Dr. Darwin the poet, as a young man of promising ability, extremely fond of geology, and indeed all branches of natural history. In consequence an offer was made to Mr. Darwin to be my guest on board, which he accepted conditionally; permission was obtained for his embarkation, and an order given by the Admiralty that he should be borne on the ship’s books for provisions. The conditions asked by Mr. Darwin were, that he should be at liberty to leave the Beagle and retire from the expedition when he thought proper, and that he should pay a fair share of the expenses of my table’.

OE will apply this methodology during this and all subsequent expeditions. Although great men of vision established this template long ago during an amazing era of exploration and discovery, it still holds true. Some things are just RIGHT, and this process with the resultant insights are proof of the original genius of this concept developed by men of action in a time of incredible growth of the human state of understanding the world on which we live.

‘Hear Be Dragons’