. The earth and its inhabitants ... ow. In1653 the merchants of Glasgow, despairing of ever being able to convert theClyde into a navigable river, determined to establish their port at Dumbarton ;but the citizens of that old town declined the offer, for fear that the bustleof commerce and industry might interfere with their traditional customs.*Glasgow thus seemed to be condemned to remain an inland citv, but itdetermined at least to have an outport of its own, and with that view, in 1662,excavated docks, and erected the warehouses at Port Glasgow, on the southernbank of the Clyde. At the same
. The earth and its inhabitants ... ow. In1653 the merchants of Glasgow, despairing of ever being able to convert theClyde into a navigable river, determined to establish their port at Dumbarton ;but the citizens of that old town declined the offer, for fear that the bustleof commerce and industry might interfere with their traditional customs.*Glasgow thus seemed to be condemned to remain an inland citv, but itdetermined at least to have an outport of its own, and with that view, in 1662,excavated docks, and erected the warehouses at Port Glasgow, on the southernbank of the Clyde. At the same time the works for deepening the Clyde were continued, and in1718 the first vessel of 60 tons burden left Glasgow for North America. Greenock,more favourably situated, likewise traded with America, and during thewhole of the eighteenth century it was a question which of the two townswould prevail in the end. But owing to the labours of Smeaton, Watt, and• Geo. Dodd, The Land we Live In; Ch. Dupin, Voyage dans la Grande EENFEEWSHIRE. 319 other engineers the city more distant from the sea gained the victory, andbecame the great emporium of the Clyde. By 1875 the Lower Clyde hadbeen completely embanked, and its depth at low water was nowhere less than8 feet. Since that time the persevering work of powerful dredging machineshas almost trebled the depth, and vessels of 1,000 tons can at all times lieat the side of the quays of Broomielaw. The Clyde was the first riverregularly navigated by steam-vessels. This happened in 1812, and six yearslater a line of steamers had been established between Greenock and the present time Glasgow communicates with every part of the world,and the Clyde ports only yield in activity to those of the Thames, theMersey, and the Tyne. It has been noticed that gulls have become morenumerous in the valley of the Clyde since Glasgow has grown into a greatmaritime port, and it is evident that these birds follow in the wake ofvessels. G
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectgeography, bookyear18
