LANARKSHIRE. 



513 



.- ' ' 



I . i--. 



above Gla'io'.v for small vessels antl ste.*m-boats, and 

 to that city for such do not exceed 170 or 180 

 ton*. The improvement of this navigation has been 

 always considered by the inhabitants of Glasgow as an 

 object of preat importance ; and from an enrly period, 

 much attention has been paid to it, particularly of late 

 years, by which the trade of the river has greatly 

 increased ; and vessels drawing 9 feet 6 inches, can 

 now navigate the Clyde up to the city. This in- 

 crease will appear from the following .-hort statement, 

 fur which the writer of this article is indebted to the 

 polit ' sines Spreul, Esq. city-chamberlain and 



tuperinteixlnnt of the operations upon the ri IT. 



On the 8th January 1813, the number of vessels at 

 the Broomielnr was 



OB tfkh Mj iM.i 

 Oafi'h M.i 1-17 

 On 1 6th Ja 



118 amounting to 5191 Ton:. 



... 6058 

 157 .... 9103 

 179 ... 10,907 



more frequent and lasting than in the country betwixt Lanark- 

 Hamilton ami Lanark, or even somewhat farther south; stme- 



but this rear.irds only the level districts, for in the hilly ,TT~" 

 , - , . ' Climate. 



part ot the county bordering on Dumfries- shire, they are 



more frequent than in the central parts of the county. 

 Owing to the attraction of the numerous mountains in 

 that quarter, the heats of summer and cold of winter, 

 are aUo greater in these divisions than nearer the 

 mouth of the Clyde. The wind blows in this county 

 from the south- west, at an average, for more than two- 

 thirds of the year, and from this cause the trees almost 

 universally incline in the opposite direction. The 

 north-east and east wind, often continue for a consider- 

 able time during the spring months, and even some- 

 times in May and June. 



The following Table shews the quantity of rain 

 which has fallen in two different situations of the coun- 

 ty, from 1807 to 1817, a* indicated by two excellent 

 rain gauges : 



Of this last number there were 



30 of 40 tow. 



48 at from to 60 loot. 



64 of from 60 to 90 do. 



29 from 60 to 100 ton, and 

 8 of 100 tons nod upward*. 



The revenue of the river, from 8th July, 1 8 1 fi, till 

 Ith July 1817, amounted to 7028 : : 7 Sterlii- 



The tide flows up the river about three miles above 



Glasgow, and in spring tides even farther ; the flow 



net at an average about 4- hour* and 20 minutes; 



and at that city the neap tides rise 3 feet 6 inches, and 



the spring tide* 2 feet higher. 



Th< very subject to inundations. The most 



remarkable on record took place in the yean 1712 and 

 1788. In the former of these yean, the water rose 18 

 feet 6 inches higher than the level of the tide, and in 

 the latter year, on the 12th of Murcb, from 12 to 24 

 feet, according to the expansion or contraction of the 

 banks in different places. The principal tributary 

 streams of the Clyde are the Datrr. the Coulter, the 

 Metbvens. the Douglas the Mouse, the Nethan, the 

 Avon. C'aldrrs, North and South, Rotten Calder, Kcl- 



Cart, and I .even. 



Theprincip.il mineral springs are VValston Well, in 

 the parish of t.mt name ; Monk land Well, near Airdrie ; 

 * spring in the parish of Blantyre, and another on the 

 banks of the Clyde, near Hutherglen Bridge. Thete 

 springs were formerly in much more repute than at pre- 

 sent, for their medicinal qualities; particularly thoaeof 

 and Illantyre, which, alxiut'iO years ago, 

 I by t In- gay and fashionable from all quartern 

 The mot ' .>nidcrablelake is the Bishop's Loch, be- 

 twixt the parishes of Cadder and Old MonkUnd : it i- 

 one mil* in length, and about a quarter of that extent in 

 breadth. The Black l.o<-h, in New MonkUnd pan 

 three quarter* of a mile in length, and half a mile in 

 soeeeul a number of othrro, a- ' 

 ch, both in the* parish of Cadder ; and 

 'rankfield Lochs in the barony pa- 

 'I he mot extensive sheet of water, 

 Lilly formed. i* the Hill-end reser- 

 '!. and Clyde canal ; it is in 

 r Monkland, and covers an extent of 

 "|'ply to that navigation of 

 water. 



hia county, like that of the island, U 

 I >iit from the situation of its seve- 

 ral districts, and other local circumstances there is a 

 sWsWturv. to reerUin degree, ev< n in this respect. In 

 the north- wester n, or low diitrict of the county, near 

 the mcn.tl-. yde, the rains are reckoned to be 



VOL. XII. PART II. 



breadth. To thr-< 

 Ix>ch, ,li>hnton L 



mb of Gla'gow. 



however, 



the parish of fit 

 517 aere*, contai 

 kfulls 



in ifdi* r.il v ri i ' / 



The greatest degree of heat observed in the upper 

 part of the county for many years, was, on the '28th 

 June 1785, when the mercury in the thermometer stood 

 at 85^, and at the same time, in the middle division 

 at 84. Last sum mi r, 1817. the heat for some days was 

 also very considerable, the mercury at Glasgow, in the 

 shade, standing at 85. In the level district of the 

 county in 1740, during the winter, the cold was so se- 

 vere, that the mercury stood 23 below the freezing 

 and in January 1 7<J8, it was S4 below it. On the 

 Hth January 1780, it stood +6 below the freezing 

 point, and on the 22d January 1814, at 8 below zero. 



The mountainous district in the southern parts of the Mineralo- 

 county bordering on Dumfries-shire, appears to be of By- 

 primary formation. It consists chiefly of argillaceous 

 rock, or schistus, in a position nearly vertical, ranging 

 east and west, and contains frequent veins of heavy 

 and calcareous spar, indicating the presence of metallic 

 ore*. This rock is covered occasionally by amygdaloid, 

 or loadstone, called there Copper Craig, and by basalt, 

 or whinstone, which, in many situations, obtrudes it- 

 self into day. 



Towards the north-west, a considerable difference 

 takes place in the geological structure of some of the 

 mountains. Tinto, and its adjoining hills, which sepa- 

 rate the mountainous district from the low country, is 

 .mlary formation, and may be described as a fleet* 

 mountain, superincumbent on grey wacke, and of thia 

 rock the great mass of the hills in the neighbourhood of 

 Tinto seem to be composed. The substance which lies 

 immediately over it in the body 1 of the mountain, is a 

 conglomerate, with a Iwsis of clay, over which claystone, 

 greenstone, and greenstone passing into clinkstone, and 

 porphyry slate, cuccessively appear till we arrive at the 

 Mimmit "of the mountain, which consists of compact fel- 

 spar, and felspar porphyry, with crystals of quartz, mica, 

 feUpar, and hornblende. Some miles to the west- 

 ward of Tinto, limestone occurs, and beds of sand- 

 utone. Indeed the last rock, called by the Werne- 

 rians the old red sandstone, appears to compose the 

 whole interior districts -of I<anarkshire, though, in 

 many places, it is broken in upon by rocks of a very dif 



