CLYDE (called (Hotta by Taeitus, connected with OIr. Clued, name of a river, Gk. xVrew, klyzein, to wash ont, Lat. clucre, to purify, Goth. hlatrs, AS. hiallor, Ger. tauter, pure). The third in size, commercially the most important, river in Scotland, widely celebrated for the ro mantic beauty of its scenery (Map: Scotland, D 4). It is formed by several large streams of the semicircular range of the Lead, Lowther, and Moffat hills, and drains the counties of Lanark, Renfrew, and Dumbarton, flowing past Lana rK, Hamilton, Glasgow, Renfrew, and Dumbarton, near which town it opens into the Firth of Clyde. In this course it receives a number of streams, and flows through a fertile, wooded valley, often extending into level plains, and often having bold, wooded banks. From two miles above to four miles below Lanark are the cele brated Falls of the Clyde—a series of cascades and rapids, the largest in Scotland; the total de scent in the course of six miles being 230 feet, over Old fled Sandstone rocks, amid very pictur esque scenery. Corra Linn, the grandest fall, forms three distinct leaps—in all S4 feet high. Below Glasgow the Clyde expands into an estuary, navi gable by the largest vessels, and at Greenock it attains a breadth of about four miles. Opposite
this point it communicates with the Gareloeh,aud a little below, with Loch Long on the north, and turning, expands into the Firth of Clyde, which extends between Argyle, on the west, and Ren frew and Ayrshire, on the east, until it becomes identified with the North Channel at the island of Ailsa where its breadth is about 30 miles. In the Firth of Clyde are the islands Ar ran, Bute, Great Cumbrae, and Little Cumbrae. In the north a narrow arm, called Loch Fyne, ex tends far into Argyllshire. The llyde from its source to Glasgow is, by its windings, 75 miles long, and from Glasgow- to the south end of the peninsula of Cantyre the distance is about 00 miles. The basin of the Clyde occupies 1500 square miles. Floods sometimes rai,Fe its waters 20 feet. Clydesdale, or the Valley of the Clyde, is noted for its coal and iron mines, orchards, and horses. Bell, in 1812, launched on the Clyde the first boat in Europe successfully propelled by steam. The Clyde forms the centre of the ship in Scotland. Consult Millar, The Clyde from Its Swore to the Rea (London, 1838).