Where did it all begin? What was the factor that started the ball rolling, and gave it the momentum to keep lurching ahead? "As a distraction from his sister's regime, Charles played solitary games in the vast family home. His father had become interested in the fashionable study of natural history and there were rooms full of exotic collections, stuffed animals and old bones. A massive greenhouse attached to the side of the house was a veritable jungle to a young boy and it was in this environment of learned eccentricity and an unforce

The real work began for Darwin when he returned to England. Darwin spent many more years nurturing his theories. With the help of his loving wife and their many children Darwin survivied. The reason why I mention this as being a unique thing is because of the harmful plague that Darwin had to endure for the rest of his life after returning from the tropics. What was this plague, this illness that annoyed both Darwin and his family for so many years. " The first symptoms where stomach cramps and headaches, but during the following years Darwin experienced skin disorders, bouts of eczema, rheumatoid pains, insomnia, odd body swellings, and heart palpatations." (D 108) The thought was that this was psychosomatic in nature stemming from his mother's death at such a young age, or rather caused by some horrid tropical pathogen, however, a theory stands which I certainly attribute the causle of his malady to. "Another strongly argued theory is that Darwin's health problems stemmed from the internal conflict over his secret work throughout the late 1830's and 1840's . This matter did undoubtedly create huge stress for him." (D 109) The stress created by the work he secretly feared would wipe him off the face of the Earth, is in this students mind the most uneffable reason for his symptoms. Surely there may have been some medical basis in the tropical disease that he fell victem to in Chile, however it may be unlikely that he would have suffered as greatly had he not been harbouring such a vast secret for so long.

space and time, we seem to be brought somewhat near to that great fact,

On page 55 of the book Darwin: a life in science their relationship was described as thus: "The two men had views representing the polar opposites of the time. On the one hand, Darwin, sometimes described as a mutaphiliac because of his ability to embrace change, and on the other, FitzRoy, the mutaphobe, a man who wished to maintain the status quo, a fundamentalist christian and a believer in the natural superiority if whites over all other races. Living together in such a close proximity on board the same tiny vessel, arguments were inevitable." How could it be said any better? FitzRoy and the High Tories of that time enraged the sensible Darwin and in his own words from The Voyage of the Beagle states what he thinks of the whole concept of slavery "'It makes one's blood boil, yet heart tremble to think that we Englishmen and our American descendants, with their boastful cry of liberty, have been and are so guilty.'" (D 57) Clearly such thoughts enraged both Darwin at their lack of liberty, and FitzRoy at their seeming foolishness. Darwin got a taste of what it means to have to stand up for a belief while aboard the Beagle. The development of Darwin as an orator was clearly halted at this point in his life, for FitzRoy was too harsh a man to competently argue with for his stone cold heart and lack of faith in humanity prevented him from accepting alternate views of society and nature.

Darwin had the best of contact when he was aboard the Beagle, for without the help of John Steven's Henslow, to be the receptor of all the items that Darwin collected and cataloged on his trip. Henslow who had been Darwin's mentor at Cambridge was the person who orginally saw to making Darwin a renowned and famous naturalist

Some common words found in the essay are:
England Darwin, Charles Darwin, HIGHLY RECOMMEND, Beagle FitzRoy, Shrewsbury Charles, Huxley Huxley, Englishmen American, Robert Grant, Erasmus Edinburgh, Society England, charles darwin, voyage beagle, natural history, aboard beagle, fateful voyage beagle, love natural, darwin experienced, robert grant, life returning, natural selection, fateful voyage,
Approximate Word count = 2232
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)