Agamemnon, Tycho,
I have not read the book, but I'm not sure that the 'loneliness of command' would have been that much of a factor in whether a captain would have committed suicide. It may have had some impact, but there are usually other things going on aboard a ship, tensions amongst a ship's officers or company, dislikes, their own personal make-up, etc. which ultimately pushed them over the edge.
The 'loc' factor has always been present in a captain in command of a ship probably from the year dot, it goes with the territory, so it is not entirely unexpected. I can think of Columbus, Drake, and of course Nelson, as just a few examples of men who have come up against this, but they learnt to deal with it. In the RN the captain has traditionally been isolated to some extent as the man in ultimate command. He was and is also, I believe, only on invitation to the wardroom at the sufferance of the other officers. I was on a sail training ship once, commanded by an ex RN Lieut. Commander, who took all his meals solitarily in his cabin. This was not, however, because he was aloof from the ship or her crew, far from it, but because it was what he was used to.
Fitzroy and Darwin didn't get on particularly well during the 'Beagle' voyage, but although Darwin went on to receive general world fame Fitroy had recognition in his own sphere. He was particularly interested in meteorology and was, as has been mentioned, instrumental in helping to set up the Meteorological Office, invented a type of barometer, was an advocate in using the newly introduced electric telegraph as a means of giving storm warnings and instigated a system of weather recording at sea. Besides that he was also later a member of Parliament (often fighting for improvement of life at sea) and Secretary of the Lifeboat Institution, so he had quite a busy life.
We do not know of course what actually made Fitzroy commit suicide, but apparently it was said (presumably at the time) that he did so because of an incorrect forecast!
Kester
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