On 15th of September 1835 HMS Beagle reached the Galapagos Islands. It had taken a voyage of four years since the ship left Plymouth, England. On board was a young Charles Darwin as part of the research team.

The visit to the Galapagos would prove the starting point from which Darwin would develop his theories on evolution and secure his enduring fame. Like many visitors to the Islands before him, Darwin considered them bleak and ugly. Darwin had 34 days to collect species and record observations around the Islands. Voyage of the Beagle

HMS Beagle had a library of over 400 books and this is where Darwin lived and worked on board. The website Darwin Online contains fascinating material about the library and the drawings that were done to record the many animals and plants found on the Islands by Darwin and the other researchers.