220 NOTE ON THE SOUTH DTJBHAM SALT BOEINGS. 



VII. — Note on the South Durham Salt Borings, with remarks 

 on the Fossils found in the Magnesian-Limestone Cores, and the 

 Geological position of the Salt. By B. Howse. 



The chief thing I have in view in this note is to express an 

 opinion on the geological position of the Bock Salt found in the 

 South of Durham, and to make a few remarks on the Fossils 

 found in the Magnesian-liniestone cores ; but especially to prove 

 the identity of the Upper Limestone in the Salt-borings in South 

 Durham with the Brotherton beds in South Yorkshire, and the 

 identity of both these with the Plattendolomit of Germany, and 

 the Permian position of the lowest deposit of Bock Salt.- 



Many years ago (1854), the late John Williamson, of South 

 Shields, said, in the course of conversation: — "Why do not Geo- 

 logists shew us where we may find Salt in this neighbourhood ? 

 In reply to this it was stated that if ever it should be found in 

 Durham it would be on the banks of the Tees, in the South of 

 the county. This reply was explanatory and not prophetic, for 

 it was well known to the older geologists that the New Bed 

 Sandstone, as it was then called, existed under the thick covering 

 of drift in the South-East of this county, as was shewn by the 

 sections at Seaton Carew, Preston, and Coatham Stobs, and at 

 Barwick, on the Yorkshire side, where extensive quarries were 

 worked in the Sandstone and the Cockfield dyke. 



Also the short account given by "Winch in the "Trans. Geol. 

 Soc," 1814, on the Bed Marl and Sandstone, with the interest- 

 ing sections of the strata passed through in the borings near 

 Dinsdale in search of coal, pointed out the nature of the strata 

 on the banks of the Tees near Darlington, and shewed their re- 

 lationship to the New Bed Sandstone or Trias deposits of the 

 Midland counties. Dr. Young, of Whitby, had also recorded 

 the existence of deposits of Gypsum near Bedcar, so that it was 

 generally recognised by geologists that these beds belonged to 

 the Salt-bearing series of rocks. But the discovery of Salt was 

 not made by science but by blind chance, and the desire to 

 obtain fresh water led to the discovery of Bock Salt. 



