March 12, I860.] NEW HARBOUR ON THE N.E. COAST OF AUSTRALIA. 79 



interior of Australia, in a nortli-westcrly direction from Speucer Gulf, a large 

 extent of well-watered country. 



With regard to the rounded hillocks which Mr. Stuart discovered, he 

 believed they were of volcanic origin, an offshoot of the great volcanic band 

 which ran through the whole of the Indian Archipelago. Then, as to the 

 existence of gold, he had much confidence that that would turn out to be a 

 solid discovery. There was certainly gold in South Australia, as well as in 

 Victoria. He brought home some specimens in 1841, and, reasoning from 

 analogy, he thought it likely gold would be found stretching across the 

 Australian continent to the Indian Archipelago, just as it had been discovered 

 stretching along the whole length of the American continent. Therefore, he 

 saw every reason to think well of the prospects of that portion of Austraha, 

 and he hoped it would not be long before telegraphic communication was esta- 

 blished between the south-eastern colonies and the mother country by the line 

 of the north-western coast, Java and Singapore. 



The second Paper read was — 



2. Discovery of a New Harhour on the North-East Coast of Australia, 



Communicated by Sir G. F. Bowen, f-R.g.s., Governor of Queensland, through 

 the Duke of Newcastle, f.r.g.s. 



A NEW and capacious harbour is stated to have been discovered in 

 the new colony of Queensland, North-Eastern Australia, to the 

 north of the FitzEoy. The party who made the discovery con- 

 sisted of Captain Sinclair (the master of a little schooner of nine 

 tons), accompanied by one seaman and two passengers. His ex- 

 ploratory cruise was planned mainly in the hope that a reward 

 would be given for the discovery of a secure harbour north of Port 

 Curtis. 



Captain Sinclair started from Eockhampton in September, 1859, 

 and followed the shore, anchoring each night and being continually 

 pestered by the natives. On October 14th he had arrived at Glos- 

 ter Island ; the next day he sailed close up to Mount Edgcumbe, and 

 anchored for the night in a sheltered bay. The subsequent night 

 he anchored inside an island, and when the morning broke found, 

 to his astonishment, that the schooner was lying in a fine capacious 

 harbour, sheltered from all winds. Within a cable-length of shore 

 there is from 3 to 4 fathoms ; in the middle of the bay, from 7 to 

 10. There is plenty of fresh water. The harbour is formed partly 

 by islands anu partly by sand-banks. One of the islands was 

 between 5 and 6 miles in circumference. Beyond these facts no 

 data of any sort have yet reached this Society. The harbour was 

 named Port Denison. 



The Chairman said he saw present an old friend of his, Mr. J. Beete Jukes, 

 a distinguished geologist and traveller. Mr. Jukes took part in the survey 

 made during some years by one of Her Majesty's ships round the coasts 

 of Australia, and particularly examined the coral islands stretching away from 



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