Robert Fitzroy is remembered mainly as the captain of H.M.S. Beagle who had Charles Darwin on board as naturalist from 1832 to 1836. Certainly what he observed during the voyage led Darwin to far-reaching conclusions which changed man's ideas on his origins: he is justly famous all over the world. But, as the excellent biography by Mellersh makes clear, Fitzroy was an interesting man too, whose humanitarian efforts have been overshadowed by those of his more distinguished shipmate.