543 OF THF. FIRTH OF CLYDE. 



rage of the hit and preceding . The date on 



this fr.i .iiuiquity is 1055, contcquently it 



hath Hood in its place above 730 years, and if is to be 

 wi: .1 ority of the inhabitants will unite in 



1 1 roved bv pei Ions who have 



tii.ii purpofe. In 1557, the 



236 pounds Scots ; uponGlaf- 



gowonly 202. In 1771, Air was afleiVed ,it i5s. fieri, 

 and Glafgow at iSl. ics. In 1751, the pickled hen : 



624 barrels , fince the year 



1777, none. TluTc revolutions appear the more ex- 

 tra . , \shen \ve confider the very advantageous 



;ation of Air, both by land and water; the ferti- 



. of the country j the riches of the lea ; its conti- 

 guity to thewefre.rn fifheries, on one fide, and to Glaf- 

 gow, on the other; the large returns for cattle, grain, 

 and coal ; tin* ample revenues of the town ; and par- 

 ticularly the conveniency of its harbour for fifhing 

 vefiels of every conilru&ion. It may however, bepre- 

 fumed, that a fober, intelligent people, ftrongly dif- 

 pofed to induitry, will avail themfelves of the pro- 

 pofed regulations to unfetter the filheries, annihilate 

 c ultom-houfe impofitions, and facilitate the home 



;kets. Completing the great canal, will alfo 

 facilitate the revival of a commercial fpirit on 

 this coaft ; while on the weft, a fhort and fafe paffage 

 to the Hebrides will not only open new enterprifes 

 in the herring and white filheries, but alio enable the 

 in habitants of Airfhire to fupply the poor Highlanders 

 with grain, meal, ;:nd coal, of which the former 

 ha\ undancy, thereby opening new fources of 



traffic, to the mutual benefit'of the rich as well as the 

 untry. 



Twelve miles due north lies Irvine, a neat fmall port, 

 which formerly had feveralbufTes in the herring fifhi 



prelent that branch is given up, but the inhabitants 

 ftili employ a number of brigs in the coal trade to Ire- 

 land Some years ago, it >lved to pull down 

 the old church of this parifl), and ere (ft another on its 



, when the workmen dillovered n cemetery con- 

 taining 



