What type of vessel was HMS Beagle when it was built?

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HMS Beagle on the Strait of Magellan, South America, originally published in an 1890 edition of Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches into the Geology and Natural History of the Various Countries Visited by H.M.S. Beagle. — Beagle HMS *Beagle* on the Strait of Magellan, South America, originally published in an 1890 edition of Charles Darwin's *Journal of Researches into the Geology and Natural History of the Various Countries Visited by H.M.S. Beagle*.

When HMS Beagle was launched on May 11, 1820, it was designed as a flush-decked, 10-gun brig. This type of vessel was intended for scouting, courier duty, and other light assignments. In 1825, the Beagle was converted to a bark by the addition of a mizzenmast.1