Ayr, Irvine, and Saltcoats, were, till very lately, Commerce. the only harbours much frequented, and- at these places there has long been 'a little trade with Ireland, America, and the Baltic, and a considerable trade coastwise. In 1807, the port of Ayr had 54 vessels, of which the burden was from 4000 to 5000 tons, and 82 vessels belonged to Irvine and Saltcoats, which carried 6795 tons. Coal is the staple article of export, and corn the most' considerable of its ports ; the ports on the Clyde having hitherto been the grand emporium of the west of Scotland.
This county exhibits instances of public spirit in its great land proprietors beyond any other in Scot land, or probably in the British empire. The har bour, and other works carrying on at Ardrossan, un der the auspices of the Earl of Eglinton, and the harbour of Troon, and the railway from thence to Kilanarnock, formed almost entirely at the expence of the Duke of Portland, are worthy monuments, no less of the enlightened judgment and energy, than of the wealth of these two patriotic noblemen ; and the distant prospect of remuneration, which it is much, to be wished should be realized, can detract but little from the merit of such grand and princely un dertakings.
The harbour of Ardrossan will, when completed, Ardroossa be one of the safest, most capacious, and most Harbeer• cessible on the west coast of Britain ; possessing many advantages over the harbours in the Frith of Clyde, situate in a narrow channel, which can be naviated only when the wind blows from particular points, and which, for upwards of 20 miles below Glasgow, is both shallow and dangerous. A circular pier of 900 yards was finished in 1811, and everything was then ready to begin the wet-dock, which, according to Mr Telford's plan, was to con tain from 70 to 100 vessels in water 16 feet deep. The works have rather languished of late, and are not likely to be completed soon without public aid. It was part of the Earl of s plan to raise a neat regular built town at Ar in which some pro ,ffas has been made ; and be has constructed excel lent baths, which draw to it a number of visitors at the proper season.
The harbour at Ardrossan was only a part of the general plan, and that from which, viewed by itself, the smallest advantages perhaps were to be expected. The leading idea was to open up a direct communi cation between Glasgow, Paisley, and other large towns in the vicinity, and the west coast, instead of the present circuitous passage by the Frith of Clyde.
A canal was therefore to be cut from Glasgow to Ardrossan, about 31* miles, at the estimated ex pence of L.125,000. Of this only a third has been yet executed, that is, from Glasgow to Johnstone, and this part -has cost about L.90,000.
. The harbour at Troon, connected as it now is with Kilmarnock, by means of an excellent rail way, seems to possess almost all the advantages of that of Ardrossan, and promises to become, in a much shorter period, of vast utility both to the po pulous country around it, and to the noble under taker. The pier is now carried into the sea more than 200 yards, and it is proposed to extend it 100 yards farther. At the present extremity, there is a depth of 17 feet at low water. One graving dock was finished about three years ago, which is much resorted to for the repair of coasting vessels ; and another, 37 feet wide at the gite, is nearly complet ed, which will admit vessels of almost any burthen. Extensive warehouses have been erected; and a yard has been opened for building weasels, which is to be well employed.
The railway from Troon to Kilmarnock, a di stance of 10 miles, is now completed, and answers all the purposes for which it was originally intended. There are upwards of 3000 acres of coal fields in its course, which must in time indemnify the Duke of Portland for his outlay both on this and the harbour. Coals have been hitherto the principal article of conveyance towards the Troon, at the rate of 100 tons daily ; and from thence timber, iron, grain, &c. are transported to Kilmarnock and the country ad jacent. One horse draws with ease five tons down wards to the Troop, and three tons upwards to Kil marnock. But locomotive engines, upon the prin ciple of Mr Stephenson of Newcastle, promise eoon to render horses unnecessary. The machine weighs 3i tons, and can carry along with it 25 tons, at the rate of four miles an hour upon an average. This railway has cost the Duke upwards of L. 50,000, and the harbour is estimated at about the same sum.
The comparative population of Ayrshire, as taken under the acts 1800 and 1811, will be seen from the following abstract :