REN 



fairs take place on the third TuefdaT in May and July, 

 the 29th of September, and the iiril Friday in December. 

 A general poll-office is eftabliflied at Renfreiv. The reve- 

 nue of the corporation exceeds 500/. per annum, arifing from 

 the rents of lands, cultoms, a falmon iilhery on the Clyde, 

 and the profits of a public ferry over that river. This ferry 

 is perhaps the objeiit moll worthy of notice of any con- 

 nefted with the town. There is a ferry-houfc on each fide 

 of the river, the property of the corporation ; and a ferry- 

 boat conllrufted in fo convenient a manner, that a carriage, 

 with a pair of horfes harnelTcd, can be ferried over and de- 

 livered by one man in five minutes. This is accomplilhed 

 by fi.xing, on both banks of the river, a rope which runs 

 upon rollers at each end of the boat, and being pulled by 

 the boatman puts it in motion. Renfrew, as the fhire town, 

 is the place where all county meetings are ailcmblcd, and 

 where the county quarter feflions of the peace are held. 



Renfrew parifh extends betwec'n three and four miles in 

 every direftion. The whole is level, iiiclofed, and in a high 

 ftate of cultivation. The foil is a rich loam, and the climate 

 is peculiarly healthy, though fubjed to occafional heavy 

 rains. The burgh lands confiil of about a hundred acres. 

 This parifh is interfefted by the great road between Glafgow 

 and Grjcnock. Ecclefiallically confidered, it is within the 

 prefbytery of Paifley, and the fynod of Glafgow and Ayr. 

 According to the parliamentary returns of 181 1, the number 

 of its houfes is eflimated at 344, and its inhabitants amount 

 to 2305. Beauties of Scotland, 8vo. vol. iii. Carlide's 

 Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, 4to. 18 1 3. 



RENFREWSHIRE, a county in the fouth-weftern 

 divifion of the kingdom of Scetland, is bounded on the eall 

 by Lanarkfliirc, on the weft, north, and north-eall by the 

 river Clyde, and on the fouth-well by tlie hills of Ayrfhire. 

 This county is of fmall extent, and of irregular iliape ; and 

 contains, according to the parliamentary returns of 181 1, 

 8409 houfes, and a population of 92,596 perfons. In ge- 

 neral, and efpecially along the northern parts of it, the 

 iurface of the ground is level ; but there are neverthelefs 

 feveral ridges of hills within its boundaries, fome of which, 

 upon the borders of Ayrdiire, are of confiderable elevation. 

 The hills of Balagich and of Dunware rife to the height of 

 1000 feet above the level of the fea ; and the ifolated hill, 

 called the Craig of Neilllon, to 820. This lad is covered 

 with fine grafs to its very fummit. Thofe adjoining to Ayr- 

 iliire, however, are bleak and barren, but command very 

 fine views. On the fouth and weft fides, the fertile vale of 

 Cunningham, which feems at a diftance to be wholly covered 

 with wood, ftretches itfelf to the fhore of the Clyde; while 

 on the north and north-eail are beheld th.e level parts of 

 Renfrew and the city of Glafgow, with the lofty Ben- 

 Lomond towering above the clouds, in the back ground. 



The rivers and lakes of this county are not of very con- 

 fiderable confcquence in relation to themfelves, but by the 

 induftry of the inhabitants on their banks, they have been 

 rendered of great importance and utility to fociety. Un- 

 like the romantic waters of Ayrfhire, adorned with wood 

 and exciting interell by the veltigts of ancient magnificence 

 which they every where difplay, the llreams of this diftritl 

 are made fubfcrvient to the purpofes of human indullry. 

 If they defcend from a height, it is not to add to the charms 

 of the furrounding fcenery, but to give motion to extenfive 

 machinery, inclofed within immcnfe piles of building, where 

 hundreds of mortals toil in the fervice of luxury, or form 

 the materials which are to furnilh clothing to diftant nations. 

 Here, if a ftrcam fpreads abroad its waters, it is not to 

 embelhfh a park, but to afford convenience to a bleach-field, 

 -or to ferve a rcfervoir for the mills in cafe of drought. In 



It E N 



proportion as Glafgow is approached, every thing afTumcs 

 an afpeft of aftivity, of entM-prife, of arts, and of induilry. 

 The principal llreams are the White-Cast, the Black-Cart, 

 and tke Grif, which fall into the Clyde below Inchinnan 

 bridge. The White-Cart, which generally receives, by way 

 of eminence, the Cart, runs in a diicdion from fouth-ead to 

 north-welt, nearly parallel with the Clyde. It takes its 

 rife in the moors of Eall Kilbride, Lanarkfliire, and is par- 

 ticularly celebrated in ancient record for its fine large pearls. 

 Thefe, however, have long difappeared ; but the river is 

 become a fource of more certain aiid beneficial wealth by its 

 utility to the manufafturing iiiterefts of the couiitv. Above 

 Paifley, whick ftands upon its banks, it winds its way 

 through a variety of fmall hill^i capable of cultivation to 

 their fummits ; fometimes difappcaring altogether, and again 

 fpreading its waters abroad into the plain. Below the town 

 it is navigable for fmall vcflels, and is thus beneficial to 

 commerce and trade by facilitating the conveyance of goods. 

 The Black-Cart rifes out of Caille-Semp'le loch, in the 

 parirti of Lochwinnoch. From that beautiful lake it de- 

 fcends northward, and receives in its courfe the waters of 

 the Grif. This lafl ftream has its fource in the elevated 

 territory above Largs, which looks down upon the angle 

 formed by the frith of Clyde. After its union with the 

 Black-Cart, thefe conjoined rivers flow into the White-Cart 

 at Inchinnan bridge. The lakes in the county, befides that 

 of CalUc-Seraple above mentioned, are Queenfide loch, in 

 Lochwinnoch parilh, two lochs in Neilllon parifh, and 

 various other fmaller ones, all of them appropriated to ufeful 

 purpofes. 



The mineralogy of this county, though not fo important 

 as that of lome others in Scotland, is neverthelefs deferving 

 of attention. In the pariflies of Eaglefham and Kilbarchaa, 

 the mineral called the ofmund Hone is frequently found. 

 This remarkable ftone is of various colours, and when newly 

 quarried, is fo foft that it may be cut with a chiflel ; but 

 afterwards becomes much harder. It breaks in all direc- 

 tions with unequal and harfli furfaces, readily abforbs water, 

 and if recently heated, the abforption is attended with a 

 hiffing noife. Acids do not aflFeft it, nor is it rent or melted 

 by a itrong heat. Hence it is much ufed for paving ovens, 

 furnaces, &c. When burnt, it aflunres a darkifli colour, 

 and lofes three ^fr cent, of its weight, but afterwards regains 

 it by abforption. Some of it is confiderably porous, and 

 almoft femivitrified, in which cafe, when llruck, it emits a 

 clear and ftrong found. It is found in large mafles in the 

 form of rocks, having the intervening fpaces filled with 

 filiceous or calcareous fpar, and occafionally with zeolite, 

 fl:eatitcs, and barytes. This laft mentioned fubilance is 

 touad in abundance at Balagich hill m the parilh of Eagle- 

 (hara, where are likewife two very noted mineral fprings. 

 But the chief field of minerals in Renfrewfliire is that in the 

 vicinity of Paifley, which extends on the one fide into the 

 parifli of Kilbarchan, and on the other towards Glafgow. 

 That part of it which is molt fingular is the coal at Quarrel. 

 town, which is undoubtedly one of the moft extraordinary 

 mafles of that mineral hitherto dilcovered in the Britifh 

 dsminions. Its thicknefs, meafured at right angles, is fifty 

 feet ; and it confifts of five layers or ilrata in contaft with 

 each other. In confequence of its enormous depth, it is 

 wrought in different floors, in the mode praftifed in great 

 open quarries. It is diflScult to form a jufl conception of 

 the manner in which this fingular mafs of coal lies. In a 

 field of fifteen acres, it is found to dip in various direftions. 

 At lealt, conceiving a nearly circular area of thefe contents, 

 the coal, from the north, the caft, and fouth quarters of 

 that circl?, dips pretty uniformly towards the centre. This, 

 4 R 2 however. 



