553 



G REENOCK G KKEXWICH. 



add, which no place in the United Kingdom now possesses 

 in the same eminent degree. 



" To form an immense artificial lake, in the bosom of the 

 neighbouring alpine regions, and lead its liquid treasure 

 along the mountain summits, at an elevation of more than 

 000 feet above the let el of the sea, till, in the immediate 

 vicinity of the town, it should be made to pour down a re- 

 sistless torrent, in successive falls, for the impelling of 

 machinery to a vast extent this, in a few words, was the 

 magnificent conception of Mr Thorn ; and never, probably, 

 did the first trial of so novel and extensive an undertaking 

 demonstrate its capability and entire adaptation to its pur- 

 pone, to excite such unalloyed and universal gratification. 



" By the activity of Mr James Thorn, the engineer to the 

 Shaws Water Company, all the preparations were com- 

 pleted, to admit of the water flowing from the great reser- 

 voir the whole length of the aqueduct, a distance of six 



am etc, sq., wo mmeatey tereater entere 

 boat prepared for the purpose, gaily decorated with flags, 

 and was floated along on the first tide of the stream in its 

 new and artificial channel. The spectacle of a vessel 

 skirting the mountain's brow, and tracking the sinuosities 

 of the alpine chain at so great an elevation, seemed the 

 realization of a dream of the wildest fancy ; and the course 

 of the boat was followed by crowds of delighted spectators. 

 It arrived atEverton, in the vicinity of the town, exactly at 

 a quarter to three, where it was received with cheers and 

 a salute of cannon. The water was then allowed to flow 

 into the regulating basin for three quarters of an hour. It 

 is at this point that the stream takes its descendingcourse; 

 and a nutiicit-ncy of water having been poured into the 

 basin, at half-past three the sluice was opened by Sir 

 Michael Shaw Stewart, and the torrent bounded downeach 

 successive fall, and rolled along the alternate levels, with 

 fearful activity. It was at this juncture that the scene be- 

 came one of the most interesting and animated description. 

 The spectators, who amounted to several thousands, but 

 who had previously been scattered irregularly over a con- 

 siderable extent of the aqueduct line, now became more 

 condensed, and moved onwards as if in procession, follow- 

 ing the march of the stream. In the appearance of the 

 aqueduct a complete change had now taken place : what, a 

 few minutes before, was a dry and unmeaning channel, 

 exhibited now an impetuous torrent; by turns a cascade 

 sending up clouds of spray, and a swift rolling current 

 seeking its unquiet course towards the Clyde, whose am- 

 ple waters lay far beneath. Arriving at length at one of 

 the lowest falls, on which tbe new Flour Mills belonging 

 to the Society of Bakers have been erected, the Shaws 

 Water no longer disported itself idly and in vain. The 

 dizzying wheel was set in motion, with the fine machinery 

 of the mills, and added new life to the scene. A discharge 

 of cannon announced this event also. The mills and gran- 

 ary are on an extensive scale, and the former are driven 

 by a water power equal to twenty-eight horses. The 

 machinery, which has been constructed by Mr John Wood, 

 engineer, is remarkably fine, and by competent judges is 

 pronounced inferior to nothing of the kind in Scotland. At 

 half-past four, the Shaws Water, which for ages had dis- 

 charged itself into the Clyde at Innerkip, now terminated 

 its easterly course in the river above this town. 



" In conclusion, we cannot help remarking, as a most 

 singular circumstance, that the birth-place of Watt should 

 have become the theatre for exhibiting the earliest prac- 

 tical demonstrations, on an extensive scale, of a great 

 mechanical power, rivalling the utility of his own ; and 

 been the means of adding another name to the bright record 

 of ingenious men, who have proved at once the benefactors 

 of their country and of mankind." 



The government of the town, up to the year 1751, 

 was, like other burghs of barony, entirely in the 

 hands of the baron himself; but in that year Sir 

 John Shaw bestowed a charter on the fetiars and 

 sub-feuars of the town, empowering them to elect a 

 regular magistracy, consisting of two bailies, a trea- 

 surer, and six councillors. Greenock, thus, long 

 before the passing of the Scotch burgh reform bill, 

 enjoyed in some measure the privilege of electing its 

 own rulers, and much of the prosperity of the place 

 may be ascribed to the fostering care with which 

 its magistracy has ever watched over the interests of 

 the community. 



Greenock is at present divided into five parishes, 

 called the west, the mid, the east, the north, and 

 south parishes, all of which were originally em- 

 braced under the parish of Innerkip. The west 

 parish, which still retains the name of the old parish, 

 comprehends the western part of the town, and 



the greater part of the country district. The church 

 stands in the midst of an extensive burying ground, 

 close by the shore. In 1798, the stipend of this 

 parish was only 96 in money, and a glebe of 

 six acres, worth 30 yearly. The stipend was 

 afterwards augmented to fill in money, with thir- 

 ty-two bolls of meal ; and, by an act of parliament 

 in 1801, authorizing feu grants of the glebe for 

 building, at an average rent of 100 per acre, the 

 value of the glebe has been raised to 600 a year ; 

 and the whole revenue of the clergyman is about 

 .800, with thirty-two bolls of meal yearly, consti- 

 tuting it one of the best livings in the church 01 

 Scotland. The mid parish is confined entirely to the 

 town. Its church, with steeple attached, an elegant 

 building, was erected in 1759, and stands in the 

 middle of the square, fronting the mid quay. The 

 stipend of this parish is 295. The east parish 

 church, a plain building, was originally a chapel of 

 ease, but converted into a parish church in 1809. 

 The stipend attached to it is 200 annually. Be- 

 sides these, there are several dissenting churches. 



Greenock is beautifully situated. Immediately 

 behind it rises a picturesque range of hills, about 

 eight hundred feet in height, and before it spreads 

 the beautiful firth of Clyde, bounded by the wild and 

 sublime scenery of the Highlands. The town con- 

 tains several elegant streets, though the older dis- 

 tricts of it are crowded and irregular. Of its public 

 structures, the Custom House is the most beautiful, 

 being a fine specimen of Grecian architecture. It 

 stands on the front of the harbour, and was erected 

 in 1819, at an expense of 30,000. The Tontine, 

 situated in Cathcart street, is an elegant hotel, 

 erected in 1801, at an expense of 10,000. Nearly 

 opposite it are the Exchange Buildings, completed 

 in 1814, at an expense of 7000, and which contain 

 two spacious assembly rooms and a coffee room. 

 The Greenock Bank, instituted in 1785, occupies a 

 part of this building, and near it stands a small 

 theatre, built by Stephen Kemble. The Town Hall 

 and public offices are situated in Hamilton Street, 

 and were erected in 1766, after a plan by the cele- 

 brated James Watt, who was a native of this town. 

 Greenock also possesses an infirmary, erected in 

 1809 ; a jail and bridewell, erected in 1810 ; a new 

 coffee room, erected in 1820; and a gas work, 

 erected in 1828. 



The population of Greenock in 1757 was 4000 in- 

 habitants; in 1811, 19,000; in 1821, 22,088; in 1831. 

 27,571; and in 1841, 36,936, exclusive of 1,935 

 persons, mostly seamen, absent. By the reform 

 bill, Greenock returns one member to the Britisn 

 parliament. Its constituency amounts to 978. See 

 Weir's History of Greenock, 1829, 8vo. 



GREENWICH ; a borough town in Kent, on the 

 southern bank of the Thames, about five miles from 

 London, formerly the seat of a palace in which the 

 kings of England occasionally resided. It was built 

 by Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, and called Pla- 

 centia. Henry VII. enlarged it, and his son, Henry 

 VIII., finished it. Queen Elizabeth and " bloody " 

 queen Mary were born within its walls, and Edward 

 VI. died here. King Charles II. took the greater 

 part down, and commenced a new palace on its site, 

 a part of which forms one wing of the present hos- 

 pital. This consists, at present, of four extensive 

 piles of building or wings, entirely detached from 

 each other, but so connected by the conformity of 

 their dimensions, their figures, and the general ar- 

 rangement of their decorations, as to form a complete 

 whole. The principal front, which is nearly all of 

 Portland stone, faces the Thames on the north. The 

 two northern wings are separated by a square of 270 

 feet wide ; the two southern are connected by two 



