Storm at sea
 Log by Alexander Burns Usborne (edited by J.U.):		                               
In the mail of June 16th FitzRoy learned that H.M.S. Challenger had been wrecked along the coast of Chile and the crew was stranded on shore. He left the Beagle two days later and went with H.M.S. Blonde to Talcahuano Harbor. On June 21 Alexander and a few other crew members accompanied Fitzroy, with five horses and provisions. The next day the horses were loaded onto a barge and crossed the Biobio river to the south. They rode into the hills past Point Coronel to Playa Negra and on to Villagran.
On July 7th 1835 Alexander wrote up the log book of the hired schooner Carmen. She was charged with the job of searching the coast for the wreck. On June 22nd the schooner was ready for sea. On board were: William Thayer, Master; George Biddlecombe, second master; Alexander B.Usborne, assistant surveyor; James Bennet, gunner, James Lutcher, boatswain's mate; John MacIntosh & John Mitchell; able seamen. In addition the ship had "ten men hired at Talcahuano, who were of very little, indeed no use as seamen"  
Fitzroy, who had just been promoted to full Captain was to accompany them in HMS Blonde.

A schooner  
Friday June 26th: The wind freshened from north-north-west, with heavy squalls of wind and rain. At 6.30pm observed a fire at Tucapel point. Burnt a blue light, supposing it might be part of Challenger's crew; but finding no signal continued our course.
Saturday June 27th: Made all possible sail and stood in for the point on which the Challenger was lost. Saw nothing of the wreck; bore up and stood along the land one or two miles off shore in search of the river Lebu. At 5 pm, not seeing anything of the Challenger, hauled off and hove-to. At 6pm fired a rocket; no answer of any description being made, stood off.
Sunday June 28th: Strong winds from north-west with heavy rain; shortened sail to foresail and headed to westward. 10.30. saw the island of Mocha, south ten miles distant and carried all possible sail to get out of the bight.
Monday June 29th: At 2.30 while four men were aloft bending the fore topsail, which had been split the previous night, the vessel gave a very heavy pitch, which sprung the fore mast, a little below the cross-trees; and on her recovering herself, the head of the mast snapped short off, a foot below the fore-yard, bringing with it all above and also the four seamen who were aloft. The main-mast, having no support left from the tryatic stay, and the deck-stay being aft, ready for tacking, the great weight of the main-boom added to the pressure of the wind on the main-sail, brought the main-mast by the board, fore and aft the deck, striking the taff-rail in its fall which again carried it away, leaving the head of the mast hanging by its rigging over the stern, striking heavily against the rudder and the middle-piece in midships on the deck. Fortunately, none of the seamen was seriously injured, as they resolutely kept their hold of the topsail-yard, and were carried with it into the sea, out of which they soon escaped by means of the rigging that was hanging over the side.
Every effort was immediately used to clear the wreck, and get the temporary rigging up, to secure the stump of the mainmast which had carried away the wedges in the partners, and had about three inches play in the step, from the heel of the mast being decayed, nearly the whole of the standing rigging was lost. It was necessary to get the wreck clear of the vessel lest it should carry away the rudder, and otherwise damage the hull of the vessel.
Not having an axe, or anything but a cooper's draw-knife, that would cut the rigging in the eyes, 		 which had hide on them that had been placed there several years before, we were obliged to haul it up taut
and cut on the rail, thereby rendering it useless for anything but junk.
There were scarcely any nails on board the vessel; and it was with the greatest difficulty we succeeded, by shifting two cleats up a slippery mast, in getting a tackle each side of the shrouds, and a hawser for a stay.
At about midnight we set the jib, peak of foresail, and Beagle's boat sail for a main-sail. During all this time it was blowing fresh from the north-west, with heavy rain and a cross sea, which caused the vessel to roll her gunwale under each time. Everyone was quite exhausted, particularly those men who had been hanging on the mast, getting the tackles secured, the watch was therefore set until daylight.
Tuesday June 30th:  Employed getting the foremast better secured, by raising sheers with fore-yard and jib-boom, and placing a pair of shrouds, about 20 feet from the deck, and an extra stay to set a stay-sail on, the whole kept up by a few spikes drawn out of the beams. At 10am saw the north-west extreme of Mocha three miles distant; wore to the north-east to give more time to get more sail on the vessel, intending to weather the island if possible. Noon; wore strong winds and squally with a heavy sea. At 2pm set foresail and double reefed. At 3pm, when the north-west extreme bore north-east, the wind changed suddenly to south-west, bringing the rocks off the south west of the island about four points on the lee-bow. But the wind increasing and giving the vessel more way, enabled her to pass about three-quarters of a mile to windward of the outer breaker, on which the sea was breaking furiously. The island itself was only visible at intervals, owing to the thickness of the weather and constant heavy rain.
Friday July 3rd: Repaired the Beagle's boat, which had been badly stove by the fall of the masts. Fitted gummets for sweeps in case of a calm and being drifted near the land.
Sunday July 5th. Light winds from the north-west, and fine, clear weather; employed repairing sails, chafes etc. At 1pm observed the island of Mocha about twenty miles away.
Monday July 6th. Strong breezes from south-south-east. At 11am saw HMS Blonde coming down to us. At 1.pm we were taken in tow and carried into Talcahuano Harbour, at the south west corner of the Bay of Conception. At midnight we anchored.
Post Script:  Now read how the Challenger was finally located and the crew rescued.         

Of Charles Darwin, Alexander wrote:  "He was a dreadful sufferer from sea-sickness. At times, when I have been officer of the watch, I have reduced the sails, making the ship more easy, and thus relieving him.  He would then resume his microscopic observations in the poop cabin. I have been pronounced by him to be 'a good officer'."