Charles Darwin's whole life was changed by one lucky chance. In 1831 ,before he went on the voyage of the Beagle, he was a very ordinary young man of twenty-two. No one in England — certainly not Darwin himself—had any idea of the future he had before him. He was not a very clever boy, but Charles was good at doing the things that interested him. He also took pleasure in carrying out. experiments. But he could not learn Latin and-Greek which in those days were an important part of education. He was a disappointment to his father, who was sure that he would bring nothing but shame to himself and his family. Then his father decided to send Charles to Cambridge University to study to become a priest. With hard work, he did quite well. And, in the countryside around Cambridge, he was able to shoot, fish and collect insects. He seemed likely to become a country priest like hundreds of others, sharing his time between his work and his interest in natural history and country life. He had a deep faith in God and a lasting interest in religion. At this time he did not doubt that every word of the Bible was true. Then a letter from Captain Robert FitzRoy changed his life. FitzRoy was planning to make a voyage around the world on a ship called the Beagle. He wanted a naturalist to join the ship, and Darwin was recommended. That voyage was the start of Charles Darwin's great life work. In those days a great many people believed that every word written in the Bible was true. Darwin hoped that the plants and animals that they found in the course of their voyage would prove the truth of the Bible story of the great Flood. He began to observe everything. When they got to Rio de Janeiro in South America, Charles was overcome with joy to see so many different creatures, so much life and colour. His notebooks were full of detailed observations. Then they reached dry land at Punta Alta. There Darwin discovered his first fossils. Why, he wondered, were there horse bones at Punta Alta, when there had been no horses in the New World until Cortez brought his from Spain? They came to Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America. It was a strange place, with terrible storms. Its people grew no food, and they slept on the wet ground. Darwin observed their looks and habits. 'How can people be so different, if all are descended from Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?' Charles wondered. What is the passage about?