The Voyage of the Beagle · Character

Captain Fitz Roy

The Beagle's exacting commander, he sails to survey Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego while carrying chronometers, Fuegian passengers, and Darwin's restless curiosity.

major

Also known as Fitz Roy

First appearance: I: St. Jago—Cape de Verd Islands

As a major figure in The Voyage of the Beagle, Captain Fitz Roy is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Commander of the Beagle, responsible for the voyage and the mission to survey South American coasts.

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Fitz Roy commands the ten-gun brig whose five-year mission frames the entire voyage, from Devonport's gales to the Cape de Verd islands and beyond. His obsessive precision—chronometrics, coastlines, souls—collides with the wildness of the places he surveys and the people he has brought back to England. Without his ship and his stubborn sense of duty, Darwin's observations would have no deck to stand on.

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See Captain Fitz Roy in I: St. Jago—Cape de Verd Islands

Character Web

24 connections

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Relationship types

Professional
Social

Character groups

Protagonist
Fuegian repatriation and mission
Scholars and explorers referenced

+19 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional and psychological peak occurs as Darwin confronts the raw, relentless power of nature—the "detes…

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Relationships

Fuegia Basket
professional · ambivalent
Captain Fitz Roy oversees Fuegia as part of his mission to educate and civilize the… How this plays out →
Jemmy Button
professional · ambivalent
Queen Pomarre
social · positive
Mr. Bachman
professional · positive
R. Matthews
professional · ambivalent
Falconer
professional · positive

Fuegia Basket
Captain Fitz Roy oversees Fuegia as part of his mission to educate and civilize the Fuegian natives aboard the Beagle.
Jemmy Button
Captain Fitz Roy acts as a mentor and commander to Jemmy, guiding his adaptation to English customs.
Queen Pomarre
Captain Fitz Roy meets Queen Pomarre as a diplomatic acquaintance during the Beagle's visit to Tahiti.
Mr. Bachman
Captain Fitz Roy and Mr. Bachman have a professional relationship as commander and crew member.
R. Matthews
Captain Fitz Roy coordinates with missionary R. Matthews for the Fuegian settlement project.
Falconer
Captain Fitz Roy and Falconer have a brief professional encounter, likely related to navigation or exploration.

Relationship notes

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See Captain Fitz Roy in I: St. Jago—Cape de Verd Islands

In the story

Captain Fitz Roy appears across 19 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Voyage of the Beagle
Commander of the Beagle, responsible for the voyage and the mission to survey South American coasts.
I: St. Jago—Cape de Verd Islands
Commander of the Beagle; the ship sailed under his command from Devonport.
II: Rio de Janeiro
Mentioned as captain of the Beagle, though not directly active in this chapter.
Bahia Blanca
Darwin mentions that with Captain Fitz Roy's consent, he was left behind at Bahia Blanca to travel overland to Buenos Aires.
Bahia Blanca to Buenos Aires
Fitz Roy's calculation of the height of Sierra Ventana (3,340 feet) is cited.
Buenos Aires and St. Fe
Darwin refers to Captain Fitz Roy's observations on the revolution.
VIII: Banda Oriental and Patagonia
Commanded the Beagle during the voyage.
Santa Cruz, Patagonia, and the Falkland Islands
Leads the expedition up the Santa Cruz River and organizes the tracking system.
X: Tierra del Fuego
Commands the Beagle, decides to settle the Fuegians in Ponsonby Sound, and leads the boat expedition through the Beagle Channel.
Strait of Magellan.—Climate of the Southern Coasts
Captain Fitz Roy determined to leave the Strait of Magellan by the Magdalen Channel and offered to take three Patagonians on board.
Central Chile
Mentioned in the context of the voyage and the narrative of the Beagle's travels.
Chiloe and Chonos Islands
Attempted to ascend San Pedro with a party.
Chiloe and Concepcion: Great Earthquake
Was in the town of Valdivia during the earthquake and witnessed the shaking of wooden houses.
Passage of the Cordillera
Hails an American whaler near Concepcion to anchor safely.
Northern Chile and Peru
Offered to pick up Darwin at Copiapó in the Beagle.
Galapagos Archipelago
Commanded the Beagle during the visit to the Galapagos Archipelago.
Tahiti and New Zealand
Commander of the Beagle during the voyage to Tahiti and New Zealand.
Australia
Darwin accompanies Captain Fitz Roy to Bald Head at King George's Sound.
Keeling Island: Coral Formations
Accompanied Darwin to the settlement on Sunday, April 3rd.

Chapter companion notes

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See Captain Fitz Roy in I: St. Jago—Cape de Verd Islands

See Captain Fitz Roy in The Voyage of the Beagle