276 SPARKS FROM A GEOLOGIST'S HAMMER. 



this was not Dr. Houghton's, but Mr. Hubbard's, idea. 

 Following Hubbard's suggestion, the basin-structure was 

 represented upon the geolqgical map of the Western States 

 contained in Professor James Hall's Report on the Fourth 

 District of New York, which appeared in 1844. 



In the second place, Dr. Houghton had an erroneous 

 conception of the mode of occurrence of the brine springs 

 of the peninsula. In his Report, dated January 22, 1838,* 

 after enumerating a large number of salt springs, he says: 

 " We can only hope to obtain a permanent supply of brine 

 of sufficient strength from the springs of our state by 

 sinking shafts through the rocky strata until the salt- 

 bearing rock be reached, be the distance more or less" 

 (p. 297). These shafts were to be sunk at "the points 

 enumerated." Here we see no indications of a salt basin 

 and an origination of salt springs by an overflow at the 

 margin. In his Report dated January 1, 1839,f concern- 

 ing the improvement of the State Salt Springs, he says: 

 " The brine springs of our state, like those of Ohio, Penn- 

 sylvania and Virginia, emanate from a rock which lies 

 deep, being covered with a mass of rock and earthy matter 

 which (in order to procure salt water that can be eco- 

 nomically used) it is necessary to penetrate " (p. 39). 

 Speaking of the situation in Virginia, Ohio and Pennsyl- 

 vania, he says: "The salt rock lies at considerable depth, 

 and is overlay ed by strata of sandstone, limestone, slate, 

 etc., and through fissures in these overlying rocks the 

 salt water, much diluted by influx of fresh water, origi- 

 nally rose to the surface (p. 40). 



Mr. Bela Hubbard, also, in his Report of 1840, retained 

 the same belief. He says: "By reference to a map of the 



* House Documents, 1838, 276-316. t House Documents, 1839. pp. 39-45. 



