Besides supplying the city of Glasgow with coats, and the adjacent country with manure.—from the canal being in the midst of abundance of coals, with convenient com munication both with the East and West Seas, its banks are considered favourable fur manufactures ; and from the eastern termination at the Calder, extensions may be made to the whole of the upper parts of L markshire, and even into the counties of Peebles, Selkirk, Roxburgh, and Berwick, as has been shown by the survey made by Mr. Telford for the Glasgow and Berwick railways.
The river Clyde, as has already been observed, be coming shallow a few miles above Greenock, it is only vessels about 9 feet water which can reach Glasgow or dinary spring tidcs. This shallowness arises from the deposition of sand and mud by a great river, where it meets the influence of the tides. The estuary being here very wide, it will he difficult, probably impracticable, to remedy this defect. These circumstances, and the great change of direction near Greenock, subjecting vessels to frequent detention, combined with the increasing impor tance of the mines and manufactures in and near Paisley and Johnstone, and in all the valley which connects the counties of Renfew and Ayr, have led to the construction of a canal through the beforc-mentioned valley to thc harbour of Ardrossan, which is situated at the northern extremity of the Bay of Ayr, in the general run of the tides has a sufficient depth of water, and aided by the vicinity of the excellent roadstead at Lamlash.
The canal commences at Glasgow, on the southern bank of the river Clyde, from whence it proceeds upon one level through a part of the town of Paisley, and three miles farther to the village of Johnstone, in all a distance of about 10 miles. Thus far has been executed, and affords great facility of intercourse to this industrious district. At Johnstone the line is to ascend 64 feet. and afterwards proceed upon onc level along the before men tioned valley, and past the towns of Lochwinnoch, Belch, Dalry, and Kilwinning, to near Saltcoats, where it de scends 110 feet to the harbour of Ardrossan, in all a dis tance of 30 miles from Glasgow. The canal is for 70 feet boats of 7 feet beam.
The harbour of Ardrossan is on a scale to accommo date West Indiamen, and of course all vessels of small er dimensions; and from it vessels may arrive and de part at all times, a circumstance of no small importance to commercial and manufacturing districts and connec tions. This canal and harbour have been planned and carried on under the direction of Thomas Telford.
Returning to the east coast, and from the Frith of Forth proceeding northwards, we find the cstuaty of the liver Tay affording navigation to the industt loos and populous town of Dundee, and also 20 miles farther to the w,...rfs at the town of Perth. Beyond the Tay the Grampian mountains extend their rugged skirts to the sea-s, ore, without leaving any considerable valley, until at Aber deen the valleys of the rivers Dce and Don diveree west wards to a great distance. In thc valley uf the Don there is a considerable extent of arable land, and much p.pe. lation. The industtious town of Aberdeen is tlw poi t or this district, and from it a canal has been carried Is miles up the valley of the Don to In% erary. The rise is 169 feet by 17 locks, 15 of which are adjacent to the city-. These locks are each 57 fret long. and 9 feet wide, hav ing with full water about 4 feet. To complete the pro ject, the canal should be extended about 12 miles upon a level. The chief trade is coal and lime, imported from Sunderland, which are carried far back into (he country. The canal was opened in 1805. This canal was planned by Captain George Taylor.
At the north-eastern extremity of Aberdeenshire com mences one of the most extraotdinary valleys in this, or perhaps any other country ; the eastern portion of it, for about 80 miles, from Kinnaird's Head to where it con tracts, at Fort George, is denominated the ',Murray Firth, and for about 12 miles to Inverness is also tideway. From thence, across the island to Fort William on the shote of Loch Eil, (an arm of the Western Ocean,) a distance of 60 utiles, the valley, is formed by two paral lel ranges ()livery high mountains, whose sides are steep, and these general ridges seldom intersected by collate ral valleys; the bottom is occupied partly by rivers, but chiefly by lakes, in one direct line, from sea to sea. Again, entering the tideway at Fort-William, the valley is continued still in a direct line, with lofty mountains on cach side, about 50 miles further, opposite to the eastern end of the sound of Mull ; and by passing along the eastern side of the island of Jura, a distinct valley is con tinued between it and the main land of Cantyre, making another distance of 50 miles ; the western extremity be ing only fairly opened to the ocean near the northern base of Ireland, a distance from Fraserburgh on the cast of about 250 miles, or about one half only of the present track by the Orkneys and Cape \Vrath.