It's October 17, 1835, off the coast of the Galapagos Islands.

Balancing in a tipping rowboat, 26-year-old Charles Darwin grabs for a rope ladder hanging down the side of the HMS Beagle.

He grips it tightly and starts climbing toward the deck.

As he gets to the top, a hand reaches out to pull Darwin over the rail.

It's Robert Fitzroy, the captain of the beagle.

He welcomes Darwin back on board as the crew begins unloading the rowboat.

It's filled with specimens

Darwin has gathered on the islands today. The bodies of rare birds, as well as boxes of plants and

rocks. Darwin can't wait to start analyzing them. But he wenses as one of the crates lands heavily on the

deck. He has no official role on the vessel and has known simply as the

gentleman companion. But after four years on the beagle, the ship's crew has grown to respect

Darwin. They don't always understand why these birds, beetles, and stones are so important to him,

but the sailors still offer a quick apology and make sure they're more careful with the next box.

In the four years that the beagle has been at sea, Darwin has already stuffed the ships

hold with specimens and drafted entire volumes of records and notes of his discoveries.

But the variety of species on the Galapagos has astonished him.

Each island boasts unique breeds with the animals perfectly adapted to their environments.

Darwin knows that his shipmates would say that this is just proof of God's hand in creation,

but quietly though, Darwin wonders if some other force might be at work.

He can't explain exactly what that might be yet, but he's determined to find out.

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