Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

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, (^r) " 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 fgj See second volume for further remarks on this subject. — R. F.