In September 1812, hard on the heels of Comet, her first rival Elizabeth was announced. The following intimation was published in the Glasgow Herald of 25th September.

“We are glad to have it in our power to inform the public that a gentleman of this city is at present erecting a flat-bottomed Steam-Boat at Port Glasgow, of 12 horse-power, under the superintendence of an able engineer, upon a much improved principle, both with respect to the quickness of sailing and the accommodation of passengers. It is to be so constructed so that neither wind nor tide will prevent its sailing at a certain hour–a circumstance which will be most beneficial to the public. The boat, we understand, will be ready to start in about three or four weeks.”

The Elizabeth, was launched in November, 1812, and she began sailing on the Greenock station on 9th March 1813, again from the yard of John Wood, for a Mr. Hutchinson, a brewer in Glasgow, and began to run with passengers between Glasgow and Greenock in March of the following year. John Thomson constructed her engine and provided a description of the vessel and her fittings in an advertisement.

“The Elizabeth was started for passengers on the 9th of March, 1813, and has continued to run from Glasgow to Greenock daily, leaving Glasgow in the morning, and returning the same evening. The passage, which is twenty-seven miles, has been made with a hundred, passengers on board, in something less than four hours, and in favourable circumstances in two hours and three-quarters. The Elizabeth has sailed eighty-one miles in one day at an average of nine miles an hour.

“The Elizabeth measures aloft fifty-eight feet; the best cabin is twenty-one feet long, eleven feet three at midships, and nine feet four inches aft, seated all round and covered with handsome carpeting; a sofa, clothed with marone, is placed at one end of the cabin and gives the whole a warm and cheerful appearance. There are twelve small windows, each finished with marone curtains, with tassels, fringes, and velvet cornices, ornamented with gilt ornaments, having altogether a very rich effect. Above the sofa there is a large mirror suspended, and at each side book-shelves are placed, containing a collection of the best authors, for the amusement and edification of those who may avail themselves of them during the passage—other amusements are likewise to be had on board.

“The engine stands amidships, and requires a considerable space in length, and all the breadth of the vessel. The forecastle, which is rather small, is about eleven feet six by nine feet six inches, not quite so comfortable as the after one, but well calculated for a cold day, and by no means disagreeable in a warm one; all the windows in both the cabins are made in such a way as to shift up and down like those of a coach, admitting a very free circulation of fresh air. From the height of the roofs of both cabins, which are about seven feet four inches, they will be extremely pleasant and healthful in the summer months for those who may favour the boat in parties of pleasure.

Already the public advantages of this mode of conveyance have been generally acknowledged; indeed, it may without exaggeration be said, that the intercourse, through the medium of the steamboats, between Glasgow and Greenock, has, comparatively speaking, brought these places ten or twelve miles nearer to each other. In most cases the passages are made in the same time as by the coaches; and they have been, in numerous instances, done with greater rapidity. In comparing the comfortableness of these conveyances, the preference will be given decidedly to the steamboat. Besides all this, a great saving, in point of expense, is produced; the fare in the best cabin being only four shillings, and in the inferior one two shillings and sixpence; whereas the inside of coach costs not less than twelve shillings, and the outside eight shillings.”

The Elizabeth was larger and more powerful than Comet and offered a daily service to Greenock starting at eight in the morning. While the new arrival initially charged five shillings for the first cabin, a shilling more than the fare for the Comet with its plain deal furnishings, the second cabin at two shillings was a shilling cheaper. In February, another steamboat, Clyde, was launched from Wood’s yard for Mr. Robertson who also provided the machinery. An advertisement for the Clyde in the Glasgow Herald of July 1813 states:

“The Clyde being by far the largest boat of the kind in the river, has excellent accommodation for Passengers. The fire and machinery being completely enclosed, the passengers are neither incommoded with the heat of the Fire, or the noise of the Engine, and in this respect the Clyde is superior to any other Boat of the kind in Scotland.”

Wood-cut of the Clyde Steamboat

Also in the Glasgow Herald on the 12th July there was an article decrying the competition between the steam-boats.

“We are sorry to learn that the competition among the steam-boats plying betwixt Glasgow and Greenock is carried to a height which is extremely dangerous to passengers…if there be any sense among the proprietors of these vessels, they must see the immediate necessity of satisfying the public, that no danger is to be incurred by those who favour them with their custom.”

There was a reply from the owners of the Elizabeth, published in the Glasgow Courier the next day.

“The proprietors having observed a paragraph in the Glasgow Herald of yesterday, mentioning that the present competition among the Steam Boats was attended with danger to the Passengers—the Proprietors beg leave to assure the Public, that there has nothing happened to the Elizabeth, since she began to ply regularly on the river, that was in the smallest way dangerous; and they are determined for the future to use their utmost endeavours to prevent anything unpleasant to those who may favour them with their company.”

By June, the Elizabeth had extended her sailings to the popular watering place of Gourock three days a week and when the Clyde commenced service in July 1813, the two newer steamers cooperated to avoid headlong competition, each making a double journey daily between Glasgow and Greenock, alternating the extended service to Gourock. The Comet could not compete and in May was to be found Bo’ness on the Forth where she eventually found better employment opening up service on that river.

A description of the Clyde by her builders appeared in the September, 1813 issue of the Glasgow Monthly Repository.

“The extreme length of the Clyde is seventy-five feet, the breadth fourteen feet and the height of her cabin from floor to ceiling six feet six inches. She is built very flat, and draws only from thirty-three to thirty-six inches of water. Her after cabin is twenty feet long, and entered from the stern. Between this and the engine-room is a space of about fifteen feet, allowed for goods. The engine, of twelve horse-power, takes up fifteen feet of the length, forward of which is the fore-cabin, sixteen feet long, and entered from the side. The paddle-wheels are nine feet in diameter and four feet in breadth, and each carries eight floats made of hammered iron, with a dip of fifteen inches light, or eighteen inches loaded. Along the outer edge of the wheels runs a platform with a rail, which extends right round the vessel, and is supported by timbers reaching down the vessel’s side. Her funnel is twenty-five feet high and can carry a square sail twenty-two feet broad. The joiner and carpenter work on the hull cost £650, and the engine, boiler, etc., £700. The vessel can carry some 250 passengers, and is worked by a crew of five men. Her daily consumpt is about 12 cwt. of coal, and her speed in calm weather from four to four and a half miles an hour, but against a considerable head breeze three miles is the utmost she can manage.”

Towards the end of 1813, the Glasgow was launched, again from Wood’s yard. She was well built and was intended to carry both goods and passengers. She was seventy-two feet long by fifteen feet in the beam, and her paddle wheels were placed much closer to the bow than in Elizabeth and Clyde. But it was her machinery, designed by Henry Bell to be more powerful than that of her contemporaries that proved problematic. The builders, Anderson & Campbell of Greenock, were inexperienced in producing steam engines and when Glasgow entered service in April 1814 she was not a success. The Glasgow received new machinery from James Cook of Glasgow during the summer and her subsequent performance in terms of steering and speed was superior to the other craft on the river. Her master was a well-liked figure, Captain Cook. However, her passenger accommodation was inferior, and her draught of water at four feet greater than some others. One notable feature was her library to entertain the passengers on their journey.

Glasgow at Custom House, Greenock by Robert Salmon (Reproduced with permission, Watt Institution, Greenock)

Comet was laid up for the season, adding to Bell’s difficulties. She had continued until the previous summer, but her lack of power and too great draught in the water, meant she could not compete with the newer boats.

Two Glasgow men, Messrs Cochrane and M‘Taggart, employed in the tanning trade were next to venture into steamboat ownership. Trusty came from the yard of Archibald MacLauchlan in Dumbarton. MacLauchlan was a timber merchant from Luss who had entered the shipbuilding trade in partnership with John Denny building wooden sailing vessels. This was his first steamboat. George Dobie of Tradeston supplied the machinery, and when she entered service in April she proved herself to be a useful and reliable craft, sailing three times a week to and from Greenock. Although she could undertake the single journey in a time as short as 2 hours and 48 minutes, her owners had an eye to the market in transporting goods. Accordingly, she carried goods on deck and would tow lighters that slowed her progress considerably. On these encumbered trips, the cabin fare was reduced to just 3/-. A second steamboat of the same type, Industry, was ordered from William Fyfe of Fairlie and again George Dobie supplied the machinery. She began sailing in the middle of the year and also concentrated on the luggage traffic.

One of the prevailing problems for steamboat operation was the shallowness of the river. When the tide was low, groundings were not uncommon and the state of the river prevented regular schedules. The problems were addressed by the construction of the Prince of Orange and the Princess Charlotte by James Munn of Greenock. The provision of machinery had attracted the attention of Boulton and Watt and a compact design where the boiler served two engines acting on a crank at right angles to one another resulted in a better distribution of weight and shallower draught.

Engraving of an early Clyde steamboat, possibly Glasgow

The engine arrangements of above steamboat. Note the oblique paddle floats

Although the consequence was that the two steamboats were underpowered they were able to complete the voyage between Glasgow and Greenock within fifteen minutes of the most powerful vessel, Argyle, which was also completed that year. A novel design was introduced to accommodate the difference of draught of the water between the light vessel, and when fully laden. Since generally the centre of the paddle-wheels remained at the same point in the vessel; the wheels, of course, work much deeper in the water when the vessel was laden than when light. To remedy this, the gearing for the paddle wheels contained an adjustment so that they could be raised or lowered for optimal performance. The paddle wheels were nine feet in diameter and two feet eleven inches wide with ten paddles. In service the machinery drove them at 30 revolutions per minute. The steam engine was placed near the middle of the length of the vessel, and the smoke was carried up in a plate-iron tube, which also served as a mast on which a sail was used when the wind was favourable. The second cabin was in front of the engine and the principal cabin abaft. The passenger accommodation was heated by means of a pump that forced a current of air (heated by passing over a part of the chimney) into the cabin and was superior to the other steamers of the day.

Princess Charlotte

Plan of Princess Charlotte showing flat bottom

Two other steamboats joined the fleet in June of 1814. The larger and more powerful of the pair was the Argyle from the yard of Martin of Greenock and the other, the Margery, from MacLauchlan’s yard at Dumbarton. James Cook provided machinery for both.

Argyle was one the largest and fastest boats on the river but was difficult to steer. She had eight paddles but the common wisdom was that seven would be more effectual as there was a loss of power when the floats entered broken water. The paddle-wheels were eight feet ten inches diameter and four feet wide, and were calculated to move the circumference at thirteen miles an hour when the engine makes forty-five strokes per minute. The principal cabin of steamboat of the Argyle was heated by means of a pipe filled with steam, which was placed under the seats.

Argyle

Plan of Argyle

The Margery was a smaller and less powerful model and would carry both passengers and their luggage. However, she was destined to sail on the Clyde only until November when she was sold to a consortium in London and made her way there down the East Coast. Her paddle wheels were removed to allow her to pass through the Forth and Clyde Canal.

The Elizabeth also did not last long on the Clyde. Although she had been very successful for a time, and very productive to her proprietor, she had been superseded on the Clyde, by vessels of greater speed and less draught of water. At the end of the year, she went through the Forth and Clyde Canal and began to ply on the river Forth. A consortium of Liverpool businessmen purchased her in May of the following year for service on the Mersey.

“Price of Steamboat

“We the undersign’d received of Mr. W. C. Hargrave as the price of the Elizabeth steamboat free of all charges, the sum of one thousand and two hundred pounds sterling. This Saturday, sixth day of May, eighteen hundred and fifteen. Signed, John Hutcheson, Thos Russell.”

Two days later, the steamboat was collected at Grangemouth and was brought back through the Forth and Clyde Canal to Port Glasgow for repairs. Once these were effected she made her way to the Mersey by Lamlash, Port Patrick and Ramsay, partly in sail with her paddle wheels shipped, arriving on the 28th of June.

At the end of 1814, there were six steamboats plying on the river; two of which carried goods as well as passengers. These boats were all neatly fitted up, and some of them were elegantly decorated. On board all the boats were newspapers, pamphlets, books, &c. for the amusement of the passengers, and such refreshments as are desirable on so short a voyage. The voyage between Glasgow and Greenock, including stoppages at intermediate places, was commonly made in three or four hours. The vessels took advantage of the tide as far as circumstances would permit, but, as they start at different hours from the same place, they were sometimes obliged to go part or nearly the whole of their voyage against the tide. The voyage had been accomplished in as short a period as two and a quarter hours with the tide, but against a moderate breeze.

On the 17th of November 1814, there was a very strong gale from the southwest. One steam-boat made the return passage, although there was a heavy sea in the lower part of the river, and a strong current in the upper part. Another of the steam-boats carrying sail, was dismasted, and could not proceed on her voyage as the mast served the double purpose of carrying sail, and acting as a smoke-chimney to the steam engine. The first-mentioned boat was stopped a considerable time, in order to take on board the passengers of the second. Notwithstanding this interruption, and the resistance from the river in flood, she accomplished the voyage up-river, in three hours.

The advent of the steam-boats had a marked effect on the time which was allowed to the mail coach to go between Glasgow and Greenock. It had formerly been three and a half hours but some of the coaches had cut this to about two and a half hours. As confidence in the safety and reliability of the steam-boats had improved, the number of passengers had increased, superseding passage by land. Indeed, the cheapness and facility of the steam-boats had greatly increased the number of passengers able to travel. Where before there might have been fifty travellers in common passage boats, generally of the lower classes of the people, and perhaps twenty-four by coach, in fine weather, was not uncommon for 500 or 600 passengers to go and come in the same day. One of the boats alone, had been known to carry 247 at one time. Particularly in the summer, the pleasure of the voyage, and the beauty of the scenery, attracted multitudes. The bathing places below Greenock were, in consequence, crowded, and steam-boats occasionally extended their voyages to Gourock. With her new machinery, the Glasgow was able to offer excursions as far as Largs.

Although the owners competed against each other, there was collusion on certain matters as the following advert from the Glasgow Herald reveals.

“Glasgow and Greenock Steamboats

“The Proprietors of the Clyde, the Princess Charlotte, the Margery, the Argyle, the Glasgow and the Prince of Orange Steam Passage Boats, plying between Glasgow and Greenock, &c., hereby notify to the Public, that as said Boats are fitted up for the conveyance of Passengers only (in attending to whose comfort and the working of the Vessels, the Boats Crews are engaged) they will not be accountable for the loss or damage of any Goods, Luggage, Bundle, Package or Parcel of any description, put on board of or sent by any of the said Boats. Glasgow, 1st September 1814.

In a dense fog in November, the Clyde struck on the Lang-Dyke a little below Dunglass. The majority of the passengers remained on-board rather than take to the two boats belonging to the steam-boat but when Clyde began to sink by the stern with the receding tide, they got off to safety in boats belonging to a brig that was lying in the river.

Clyde

The first steam-boat of 1815 was the Britannia. Launched in January, she was constructed by John Hunter of Port Glasgow for John Bryce and others including Archibald M‘Taggart, the owner of a distillery in Campbeltown. Her machinery was produced by Duncan M‘Arthur of Camlachie and was much more powerful than any tried previously on the Clyde with a two-cylinder beam engine spur-geared to the paddle shaft. The positioning of the paddle wheels and the arrangement of the paddle floats was still very much in the experimental stage. In some, the floats were placed at right angles to the plane of their sides, in others, they were placed obliquely and in others, they were curved. This latter arrangement was tried on Britannia.

Close on the heels of Britannia, the Dumbarton Castle was produced from MacLachlan’s yard at Dumbarton for a group of owners including J. Wilson, John Wilkie and Dugald McMillan. She was more powerful still with two cylinders also supplied by Duncan M‘Arthur. With their greater size and power, Britannia and Dumbarton Castle led the way in extending the steam-boat services beyond the confines of the river and onto the open Firth. The Dumbarton Castle was the first to reach Rothesay where her master, Captain Johnston, was presented with a punch bowl to celebrate the occasion.

Steamboat in 1815, possibly Dumbarton Castle.  A painting of Dumbarton Castle by John Wilson is held by the National Maritime Museum 

Two further powerful steamboats appeared in the spring of 1815. The Caledonia came from the yard of John Wood and machinery to the pattern of Boulton and Watt with separate cylinders for each paddle wheel constructed by Greenhead Foundry. Mechanically, she was found wanting and eventually was purchased by Boulton and Watt and supplied with a better pair of engines. Duncan M‘Arthur produced a two-cylinder engine to go into the hull of the Greenock completed by MacLachlan.

In May, the Argyle was sold to the Thames and renamed after that river. Her eventful journey down the west coast was carried out by George Dodd and described in detail by Isaac Weld who joined the steamboat at Dublin and continued to London. From him we learn that the chimney served as a foremast and carried a large square sail. She had a triangular sail at the bowsprit and a third sail at the main mast. She set sail in foul weather and reached Dublin on May 25th, crossing St George’s Channel the following week where she lost one of her paddle floats. Limehouse was reached on the 12th of June.

Dodd’s Steamboat built on the Tyne but looking remarkably similar to Argyle that became the Thames.  Note how colourfully it is decorated

A second steam-boat named Argyle was constructed by John Wood for George Brown and Thomas Buchanan. Greenhead Foundry supplied the machinery.

In June the Battle of Waterloo was fought signaling an end to the Napoleonic Campaigns. The initial euphoria was tempered by economic distress as soldiers, discharged from the army, returned home. Within months, the economy slumped and did not really recover until the 1820s. Steam-boat development on the Clyde, however, continued apace, and so did the variety of excursions that were offered.

“Glasgow, July 7, 1815.

“We started from the Broomielaw, in the Dumbarton Castle steamboat, at 6 a.m., on Saturday (1st July), and from Port-Glasgow at 9, Greenock at 10, Gourock at 11, Rothesay at 2, Otter Ferry at half-past 8, and were landed at Inverary at 12 o’clock at night, having sailed 107 miles or more. It was very pleasant, being fine weather, and all the way so near land, and the scenery so beautiful, that although it was a long day’s sail, the attention was always kept alive with something new, either from the novelty of the high mountains and rugged rocks we were continually passing, or the terror and flight of the highland fishermen in their boats when we came near them or attempted to hail them when we passed. They took us for some King’s vessel come out to impress men for the Navy; they took the windows for gun ports; and then the great numbers on deck made them conclude we were most certainly on that service. No steamboat had ever gone farther than Rothesay until that day, and I suppose the Glasgow also arrived at Ayr that evening. There was a terrible scramble for beds at Inverary, there being only one inn; about 40 or 50 had to be accommodated. I slept with a gentleman as big as myself in a room with four beds, three and two in each bed, and a few remained in the boat. On Sunday, we all went through the Duke of Argyll’s Castle, and saw all the apartments, furniture, pictures, &c., and also had full liberty to walk through the whole of the pleasure grounds and gardens. It was delightful. We left Inverary on Monday morning, at half-past four a.m., arriving at Rothesay at half-past one. The boat stopped only for half-an-hour and went for Glasgow, where she arrived that night, but I and several others waited at Rothesay to return by the same boat on Thursday, as she was to be back again on Wednesday night. She came, and sailed again for Largs at half-past five, and after touching at all the ports on our way back we arrived in Glasgow before three, in time for dinner. We had breakfast and tea in the boat, as also ham and cheese for dinner. Upon the whole we were well pleased. The passage is cheap—21s back and forward. Our other expenses were high enough.”

It would appear the sailing to Inveraray had become very fashionable. On September 19th, the owners of the Greenock inserted an advertisement for an excursion to the Lochfyneside town in the Glasgow Courier.

“…the scenery of the Clyde, the Kyles of Bute and Lochfine, are excelled by none in Europe. It is particularly grand at this time of year, and the beauties and grandeurs of Inveraray Castle, the Pleasure Grounds and Deer Park exceed description, and all respectable visitors are allowed to see the whole. Refreshments can be obtained on board, and accommodation at Inveraray for three hundred people.”

The trip did not go quite as planned as can be determined from the September 28th edition of the same paper. There might be some comfort taken that the public could appreciate that she survived the experience.

The Greenock Steam Packet, which sailed from Glasgow on Friday last for Inveraray did not, owing to the late boisterous weather, return to the Broomielaw until yesterday afternoon. Off Otter Ferry she encountered a dreadful storm, and at Tarbet she was drove from her anchors, which were, next day, recovered; but by her powerful machinery she was soon carried into Tarbet Harbour. Two naval officers, who were passengers, are of the opinion that scarcely a cutter in his Majesty’s service, could have rode out such a gale as the Greenock encountered.

In the summer of 1815 sixteen Dumbarton gentlemen formed themselves into a joint stock Company, to own and control a steamboat that would sail regularly between Dumbarton and Glasgow. Their names were:— James Lang, merchant; William Latta; William Rankin; Finlay McMartin, vintner; William Spencer, vintner; Peter McNicol, innkeeper; John Glen, tanner; William McKinlay, carrier; Peter McKinlay, carrier; Walter Lennox, spirit merchant; James Davidson, tanner; Alexander Lang, merchant; William Lindsay, wright; John Dixon, of Levengrove; Jacob Dixon, of Rockbank; (all of Dumbarton.)

For the steam-boat, Duke of Wellington, they went to Archibald MacLachlan for the hull and Duncan M‘Arthur for machinery. Although sailings from Dumbarton were hampered by the shallowness of the River Leven and the sand bar at its mouth, provisions were made at low tide for passengers to disembark at Dumbarton Castle into small boats by which they were conveyed to Dumbarton Quay.

The boat carried both passengers and cargo, and the charges were:—

The charges for journeys to intermediate places were in proportion. The Dumbarton Steamboat Company shrewdly advertised the availability of coaches and carts to transport tourists to the beauties of Loch Lomond.

The season of 1815 could boast eleven steam-boats for passengers and two others carrying goods. Ten of these are highlighted in the Greenock Directory for that year. A pattern of sailing connecting the farthest extremities of the Firth had evolved.

There were, however, problems. On October 28th the directors of the Dumbarton Steamboat Company began an action against the owners of the Prince of Orange for running foul of the Duke of Wellington on her passage downstream.

It would seem that about this time, there began a discussion of the relative merits of transporting goods by luggage boat, like Industry and Trusty, and employing a more powerful tug to tow lighters. A broad base of subscribers among the merchants of Glasgow and Greenock was sought to explore the latter idea and the resulting Clyde Shipping Co. was founded within a few years.

Some notable steamers were built in the following year that also saw the beginning attempts of groups of owners to control the trade. The Waterloo was a small wooden steamer built by J. Hunter of Port Glasgow and provided with an engine of 20 hp by James Cook of Tradeston. Among her owners were Lewis MacLellan and A. MacTaggart of Glasgow and she had an initial spell on the Greenock trade. She was closely associated with the Britannia. Her master was Captain Muirhead and her cabin was decorated with scenes of the famous battle, of course featuring some of the Scottish regiments in the line. The Neptune was a product of John and Charles Wood’s yard and was equipped with an engine by D. M‘Arthur. Her owners were T. Kirkwood, Lorimer Corbett, and J. Miller and early on, she developed good trade sailing to Greenock and Helensburgh. Her master was Captain Leitch and had a crowned and cloaked figurehead of the deity on the prow. She seems to have been the superior craft and in 1820 was sailing to Rothesay in addition to Helensburgh. The next two additions also came from Wood’s yard. Lord Nelson was engined by Greenhead Foundry and owned by J. Wilson. Albion was provided with machinery by James Cook. Some details of the costs incurred in the construction of the latter steamer are recorded.

The Albion had two boilers, one on either side of a two-cylinder engine of the side-lever type, that fed into a common flue. She was also equipped with gearing that adjusted the height of the paddle wheels to compensate for loading. Her master was Captain Kay and she had a figure-head of a lion with a very ragged mane. (The Wotherspoon Collection in Glasgow’s Mitchell Library has a ring of the Albion that can be viewed in the SCRAN website)

The last two steam-boats of 1816 were constructed by Archibald MacLachlan of Dumbarton. The Rothsay Castle was provided by a powerful set of machinery by D. M‘Arthur and was associated with some of the owners of the Dumbarton Castle so that they worked in close association. The other craft entered service much later in the year. The Marion, was much smaller and was equipped with machinery by David Napier who was also her owner.

Marion

The first serious accident involving one of the steamboats occurred in the early part of 1816 when the new steam-packet Rothesay Castle was entering the harbour at Tarbert on her return voyage from Inveraray, and struck a reef. All of her passengers and their luggage were rescued by fishing boats and a boat was dispatched to request the Master of the Argyle (which was to leave Inveraray four hours later than Rothesay Castle) to call at Tarbert. This was done and the shipwrecked passengers were taken on to Rothesay and Greenock the same evening. The steamer was subsequently got off the rocks and taken to Port Glasgow for repairs.

At nine in the morning on April 19^th, the Greenock sailed from Campbeltown to Belfast, arriving at eight in the evening. She remained at Belfast for a month, running trips to Bangor, and in May she sailed to the Mersey by way of the Isle of Man where her name was changed to Countess of Bridgewater. In July, Caledonia left to sail down the west coast to the Thames.

Caledonia after many modifications as the Danish Royal Yacht

Belfast, April 23, 1816—It was formerly mentioned that a steamboat called the Greenock was to sail from Glasgow on Friday morning for this port, to call at Rothesay and Campbeltown on her way. She left Campbeltown yesterday morning between 9 and 10 o’clock, and in seven hours was off Bangor, and reached the quay of Belfast at eight o’clock at night. In the course of her passage she had five hours of the tide against her, and the wind at N.W.; carried sail part of the way, but from entering Belfast Lough had no sail hoisted; went at the rate of six to eight knots an hour without sails. We understand that for some time she was intended to ply between Belfast, Bangor, and Carrickfergus. The novelty of the sight attracted an immense crowd of spectators to the quay, who hailed her arrival with loud cheers. There were a number of passengers on board. — Glasgow Courier.

In May 1816, the steamboats Britannia and Waterloo were advertised to sail between Glasgow and all the watering places on the Clyde. Families wishing to agree for the season may know particulars by applying to Mr. Lewis MacLellan, Gallowgate, Mr. Wm. Smith, Broomielaw, and the Masters on board. The steamer Albion sailed on the same terms, and on 9th of July, the agents of nine steam-packets sailing from Glasgow, gave notice that the issue of season tickets was discontinued for the remainder of the season.

On June 4.—The Rothesay Castle left Inverary on Monday about 5 o’clock in the morning, touched at the different ports in her passage, stopped at Greenock an hour and a half, and arrived at the Broomielaw before 7 o’clock evening.

On June 17.—There are now plying on the Clyde sixteen steamboats, all of which with the exception of two are solely employed in the conveyance of passengers, the cost and outfit of which could not be less than £50,000.

The Rothesay Castle steamboat, Captain Johnston, will sail on Tuesday for Rothesay and call at the Largs. Will sail on Wednesday early in the morning. She leaves Rothesay, goes through the Kyles of Bute, round the west side of Arran, lands passengers on the Rock of Ailsa, and returns in the evening to Rothesay.

On June 27.—The steamboat Albion will sail on Saturday morning at 5 o’clock for Greenock, Gourock, Largs, Millport, and Ardrossan, and return early on Monday morning. The superior sailing and accommodation of this Boat are now so well known and ascertained as to render any further commendation on the subject superfluous. The Proprietors have strictly enjoined their master not to run races with any other vessel, but steadily to hold on his course at his accustomed rate, and they trust the public will not wish or expect they should also ask him to shorten sail merely for the purpose of keeping duller sailors in countenance.

We understand the Prince of Orange steamboat arrived at the quay of Paisley upon the evening of Tuesday last, and sailed next morning with passengers for Greenock and Gourock. This having been the first steamboat that had sailed up the Cart, a vast crowd assembled to witness her arrival at Paisley.

On July 11.—The Prince of Orange steamboat sails on Saturday next at 6 o’clock morning, from the Broomielaw for Greenock, Gourock, Kilmunn, Ardentinny, and Lochgoylehead (which last is within a few miles of Inverary), and from Lochgoylehead to Arroquhar, stay all night, and return so as to sail from Greenock to Glasgow on Monday forenoon. In this voyage the boat is exposed to no sea, which renders it safe and agreeable; the places of call below Gourock have long been resorted to as highly interesting, and the scenery delightful. The boat will stop to give the company an opportunity of seeing the several places. The Steward will have refreshments on board.

During a trip to Rothesay in the Dumbarton Castle, the engineer in charge related to James Watt how the engines had gone into reverse with the flood of the tide when the steam-boat had been aground the previous evening. Watt realized the significance of the observation and was able to demonstrate how to reverse the engines intentionally, greatly increasing maneuverability. Up until that time, the engines had to be stopped some distance from the quay and the steam-boat allowed to drift until the point at which it could be moored, a difficult operation dependent on both wind and tide.

Dumbarton Castle (Captain Thomson) was advertised to take passengers for a trip from Glasgow round Ailsa Craig on 7th August, 1816.

List of Steamers plying in 1816

At this time, although the river had been deepened, it had a very narrow and restricted channel to encourage the scouring action of the river flow and the Magistrates of Glasgow drew up a series of rules and regulations to govern their movement on the river.

James Cleland made good use of the information provided by the new regulations in composing his list of steamboats. His first list appeared in November 1816 and the second edition, with Defiance added in April 1817. From this we learn that the Princess Charlotte was laid up in 1816 and 1817.

Cleland’s List of Steamboats