“Steamboat Traffic on the Clyde “Article VI “The concluding portion of Article V was devoted to a discussion of one or two of the innumerable improvements which have been made from time to time in the construction of Clyde steamers. One of the most remarkable of these inventions is due to Mr David Napier, and was made in a somewhat remarkable way. As the story is well authenticated, has never before been published, and is of some historical importance, we shall offer no apology for giving it in full. Some time in 1836, or between that and the end of 1838, Mr David Napier, when lying awake one night in his house at Lancefield, now occupied by Napier’s Dock, was suddenly struck with one of those happy ideas or flashes of inventive genius which only occur, and that at intervals, to certain minds. Starting from his bed in great haste, he rang the bell, and sent at once...

“Steamboat Traffic on the Clyde “Article V “In our last article, we reviewed very briefly the history and growth of what may be called the West Highland trade. In the present, we propose saying a word or two about the Largs and Millport traffic some thirty or forty years ago. At the time we speak of there were two lines of steamers contending for the Ayrshire trade, owned respectively by what were known as the “Young” and the “M‘Kellar” companies. Few Clyde skippers were better known than Captain M‘Kellar, of whom we have already spoken and of whom we should say in passing we are largely indebted and to Captain M‘Farlane, the able and energetic superintendent of marine constabulary, for much of the information here presented on this branch of our subject. Captain M‘Kellar was all through the Peninsular war, and fought at Waterloo before he came to settle in Glasgow in...

“Steamboat Traffic on the Clyde “Article IV “One of the great feats of early navigation was the journey from Glasgow to Belfast, the Giant’s Causeway, and back, all in four days—the distance being 267 miles. On account of the shallowness of the river, and the great size of the Liverpool steam-vessels, these ships could seldom get up the river, and a smaller boat, the Post Boy, was employed to convey passengers to the Liverpool packets from Glasgow every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. These packets were fitted up exclusively for the accommodation of passengers, and belonged to a joint-stock company, composed chiefly of Glasgow merchants. Of the vessels, the Majestic was the finest—at that time, indeed, the largest and most powerful—steamship belonging to the Clyde. It had three cabins—one for ladies exclusively—and performed the passage in 28 hours. This year of...

“Steamboat Traffic on the Clyde “Article III “For many years by far the larger portion of the coast passenger trade went on the Helensburgh and Largs lines. The Rothesay traffic was of slower and later development, Kirn and Innellan were not in existence, the latter now fashionable watering-place being then called “Inland” or “Innerland,” and represented by one house, the residence of Mr. M‘Pherson, road surveyor, which was carried away by a land slip. Nor was Dunoon much more advanced, being little better than a fishing hamlet. Largs and Millport were the great coast stations, and for years after the introduction even of steamboats the good folks of Paisley used to drive across the hills to the former town. Down to the year of the Reform Bill, bellmen were employed to go through both these places, to inform the lieges that the good ship Lady Brisbane, or whatever...