2 R. LOFTHOUSE : THE RIVER TEES. 



from Tod Point to Saltburn, a distance of seven or eight miles, and 

 firm enough for horses and vehicular traffic. These sands are thus 

 referred to in the Cottonian MS., as quoted in Graves' ' History of 

 Cleveland,' p. 399 : — ' From the passage of the sands, by Reason of the 

 Fyrmenesse and Smoothnesse frequented by such as delight in Swifte 

 Horses, you next come to Redcarre, a poor fysher Towne.' The 

 Tees Conservancy Commissioners have erected a magnificent break- 

 water at Tod Point, on the south side of the river, and are now 

 erecting another on the north side. This, when complete, will leave 

 the entrance to the river about 700 yards wide. From this break- 

 water to Middlesbrough there is an area of between 5,000 and 6,000 

 acres, between the high-water embankments of the Tees Com- 

 missioners, which is covered at high tide only, except the channel ; 

 the greatest extent of mud-flat is on the north side, and called Seal 

 Sand ; that on the south side is called Bran Sand. Geologically, the 

 basin of the Tees may be said to consist principally of Boulder Clay, 

 with detached patches of an estuarine deposit of sand and gravel in 

 places — the old part of the town of Middlesbrough being built on one of 

 these. Under the Boulder Clay is found the New Red Sandstone ; 

 and below this again, at depths varying from 1,000 feet to 1,500 feet, 

 has been found a bed of rock salt, about 100 feet in thickness, and 

 underlying the town of Middlesbrough and adjacent district. It will 

 probably be found to form a kind of basin, and to cover no very 

 extensive area; yet, taking into consideration its great thickness and 

 its quality, it may reasonably be expected to give a great impetus to 

 the town and trade of Middlesbrough and district, with the develop- 

 ment of the chemical trades connected with it. It is now being 

 pumped up in the form of soluble brine in one or two places on the 

 north side of the river, and has been reached at boreholes on the 

 south side of the river at Middlesbrough and Eston. The method 

 of raising the salt is thus described in a paper on ' The Iron Trade 

 of Cleveland and the Industries of Middlesbrough,' by Sir Isaac 

 Lowthian Bell, Bart., pubhshed in a handbook of Middlesbrough and 

 district : — 'A tube, 16 inches diameter, is carried from the surface to 

 the bottom of the bed of salt — the portion which traverses the salt 

 being pierced with holes. Inside this a second tube is placed, open 

 at the lower end. Water is run down the annulus formed by these 

 two tubes, and, becoming saturated with salt, rises in the internal 

 tube until it is balanced by the outer column of fresh water. The 

 proportional weight of fresh water and brine is as 1,000 is to 1,200, 

 so that the inner column stands considerably below the outer. 

 A pump is placed at the top of the inner column, and by this means 

 the brine is raised to the surface.' 



Naturalist, 



