There arc a considerable variety of manufactures in Durham, particularly in the northern part of the county. At Smalwell, anchors of all sizes are made, as well as other kinds of iron work for shipping. At Winlaton Mills, they manufacture files, edge-tools, cane bills for the West Indies, ac. At this place there is a slitting mill, a mill for grinding edge-tools, and a tilt-forge, which makes 480 strokes in a minute ;—these arc all driven by water. There are several founderies for iron and brass, at Gateshead, near Chester-lc-street, at Sun derland, Darlington, &c. On the banks of the Tyne, near Gateshead, and in the vicinity of Sunderland, great quantities of glass of all descriptions arc made. For merly salt works at South Shields were very numerous; but latterly their number has much decreased. There are in the county three works for the manufacture of cop peras, one on the Tyne, and two on the Wear. Cotton goods were made till within these few years at Durham; but the manufacture is now laid aside. Darlington is famous for huckaback, diapers, sheetings, &c. which employ 500 looms. Mills for spinning Ilax were invent ed here, There arc also mills for dressing chamois lea ther, and for grinding and polishing spectacle glasses. South Shields, Sunderland, and Stockton, are the prin cipal ports in the county ; the first has risen into great consequence and wealth within this last half century ; since only four ships belonged to it, amounting to 800 tons ; now there arc between 40,000 and 50,000 tons of shipping. The number of ships built here annually, on an average, amounts to upwards of 30. Sunderland has also greatly increased in size and commerce. The principal trade, both from this port and South Shields, besides coals, is to the Baltic, and, in time of peace, to Holland. Corn and lead are the principal exports from Stockton.
There arc some interesting natural curiosities in the county of Durham. About three miles from Darling ton arc cavities in the earth, called hall kettles, the ori gin of which is unknown. Sonic suppose them to be shafts of old coal works, but this is not likely, as their diameters run from 75 to 114 feet; the depth of the largest is only 19i feet; and that of the smallest 5 feet. Fr ni the probable derivation of the name ball, the an cient British for salt, and kiddie, a dam, some imagine them to have been salt pits. About five miles to the
north of Hartlepool, is a singular and romantic cluster of rocks, called the Blackballs; some run many yards beyond the light of day ; others are open, and supported by natural pillars, which in some places resemble the towers of a cathedral ; in other places, the rock is so perforated, as to resemble a fine pointed arch gateway. Marston rocks. between Shields and Sunderland, are much visited: it is an enormous craggy mass, detached from the coast by the violence of the sea : there is a large opening in the body of the ruck, through which boats sail. The quantity of manure left by the sea-fowl which frequent it, is so considerable, as at the expiration of every five or seven years to be generally sold for 100/.
Roman antiquities are not uncommon : near Lanches ter is one of the most perfect in the kingdom, the Gla nowrita of Antoninus' Itinerary; the form is oblong, and it measures 174 paces from north to south, and 160 from east to west, svit nin the vallum. At Binchester there is another station, the Vi..osium of Antoninus; but it is much less perfect than that at Lanchester.
At the p-triou of the invasion of the Romans, Durham was ihcIthh-d in the country of the Brigantes ; and on the conquest of Britain, it formed part of the division, Maxima Cxsariensis. In the time of the Saxons, it was part of the kingdom of Northumberland. From the cir cumstance of its not being mentioned in Domesday Book, it is supposed at this period to have been in possession of the Scots, or at least in such a disturbed state, as not to be safe for a survey. It is a county palatine, the pri vileges of which it is supposed to have obtained in the time of St Cuthbert. Many of the original very exten sive privileges of the Bishop are now taken away, but he is still in possession of great power. He either acts as lord-lieutenant of the county, or appoints one. The she riff is appointed by him; he is perpetual chancellor in his territories, all tenures of land originate from him, all estates to which no title can be made escheat to him, and the admiralty jurisdiction belongs to him. Durham sends 4 members to parliament, two for the county and two for the city ; but neither were represented till the reign of Charles II. By the returns of the population act in 1811, it appears that the