One-hundred and fifty- seventy-seven years ago today, on 24th August, 1831, the 22-year-old Charles Darwin received news that Captain Fitzroy was looking for a naturalist and companion for his forthcoming voyage to survey the southern extremity of America.

For more on this subject, see my post from two years ago entitled Henslow’s letter.

Darwin later described the Voyage of the Beagle as ‘by far the most important event in my life’. It’s wonderful to think that, some day in the not-too-distant future, young scientists will once again set sail on a new Beagle.

Postscript: Oops!