Jan. 1830. LAURA BASIN—GEOLOGICAL REMARKS. 375 
look at the opening, and found a passage, in which were good 
soundings, leading into a very snug basin, perfectly sheltered 
from wind and sea, in which the bottom was composed of sand 
and clay, and the depth of water from five to fifteen fathoms. 
As soon as I returned we weighed and worked up to the en- 
trance of the basin; then anchored, warped into it, and moored 
with half a cable each way. 
“This was the most secure and sheltered cove I had yet 
seen. It was called Laura Basin; and the bay we had crossed 
was named Euston Bay. I was very glad to discover so safe a 
place, because it enabled me to ascertain the position of Cape 
Gloucester and the neighbouring land, with the correctness 
which so prominent a place required, and because I hoped that 
it would prove useful as a harbour for vessels. From the top of 
a high ridge surrounding the basin, I thought Cape Gloucester 
seemed to be about seven miles off, and seeing a valley lead 
some distance in the desired direction, determined to go to it 
overland. I was so much pleased with the bay and the basin, 
that I did not hesitate to spend some time in the examination 
of their vicinity. The mountains hitherto examined between 
Cape Pillar and these (the Grafton) islands, consist of green- 
stone, slate, or sandstone (excepting those near Deep-water 
Sound, which are of very coarse-grained whitish granite) ; and 
from the continual action of such heavy seas as break on those 
shores, the sandstone and slate rocks wear away, and by their 
detritus not only the bottoms of harbours are covered, but a 
bank is formed which extends into the offing. A moderate 
depth of water and good anchorages were found near slaty or 
sandstone hills, but exactly the reverse in the vicinity of gra- 
nite.(g) 
“4th. Early this morning I sent Mr. Murray in a whale- 
boat to examine and. plan some openings I had noticed on the 
north side of Euston Bay ; and Mr. Stokes to make a plan of 
the harbour, and the basin in which we were lying. The master 
carried six days’ provisions with him, in case he should be 
detained, as on a former occasion, by bad weather. No place 
(@) See second volume for further remarks on this subject.—R. F. 
