Cross-section of the Beagle, which was some 90 feet long with a beam of 25 feet, and carried a crew of 74. The ship carried 22 chronometers set to Greenwich time against which local noon could locate the ship's position in degrees of longitude west (or east). Although the voyage was expected to last some three years, in fact it lasted almost five full years owing to the painstaking survey measurements that FitzRoy insisted upon, often to the dismay of his officers. Darwin's cabin, which also served as laboratory and research space plus small library was located on the top deck and aft.
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