a sea-port town of Scotland, and one of the ports of the city of Glasgow. It is distant 22 miles from that city. The frith of Clyde here expands into a fine basin four miles wide, and is landlocked on all sides.

Greenock is divided into what are called the old and new parishes. Certain lands were disjoined from Innerkip and Houston, in the year 1636, by virtue of a petition from the proprietors to the lords of commission for plantation of kirks, &c. which received the name of Greenock when erected into a parish. There are different opinions entertained respecting the origin of the name, but the most probable opinion is, that it is derived from the Gaelic Grianeg, which signifies the bay of the sun. It lies in the north-west part of the county of Renfrew, in the presbytery of Paisley, and synod of Glasgow and Ayr, with the frith of Clyde on the north.

The parish of Greenock is hilly, with the exception of a small strip of level ground of various breadths, stretching along the shore. It abounds with peat for fuel to the inhabitants, vast quantities of which they can afford to dispose of to the neighbouring towns and villages.

The soil upon the shore is full of gravel, light and sandy, which needs much rain to produce even a tolerable crop. It produces, however, large quantities of excellent potatoes, and by the affluence of sea ware, much good barley and oats.

As far as is yet known, the parish of Greenock produces no minerals which are in the least remarkable. Freestone is the most common to be met with, while limestone, which has been but lately discovered, has been found in very small quantities. No traces of coal have yet been met with, and the hills contain no metallic substances, except iron-stone of a poor quality, and a little copper, which is rarely found in freestone.

In descending from the hills, there are some rivulets which form beautiful cascades, and appear like wreaths of snow, when seen from the shore. The chief of them bears the name of Wallace, the celebrated champion of the liberties of Scotland.

On the west side of the bay of Greenock and Crawfordside, formerly denominated the bay of St Lawrence, from a chapel in the vicinity consecrated to that saint, lies the new town of Greenock. In the beginning of the 18th century it consisted only of one row of houses covered with thatch, and had no vestige of a harbour for vessels; but at present it extends along the Clyde rather more than an English mile, but not more than a furlong in breadth. Before the year 1745, a new parish was erected in Greenock, by the permission of Sir John Shaw, who gave up to the heritors and elders the right of patronage.

Both the parishes did not contain more than 4000 persons about the year 1745, and in 10 years after, they had suffered a diminution of 142 persons, as appears from the return transmitted to Dr Webster. The increase of population has been rapid since that time, being now estimated at upwards of 15,000 souls.

People of opulence in Greenock, and even those whose circumstances are much more circumscribed, have the valuable character of being uncommonly generous and liberal, which dispositions it is said, have been more tried than those of almost any other class of people in Scotland. The annual amount of charitable donations for the relief of the poor is not less than 1200l. sterling. The Merchants House Society was erected in 1787, for admission into which every member pays 5l. 5s.; and 5s. a year afterwards. The funds are not to be touched till they amount to 1000l. at which time the interest may be distributed among decayed members. There are in Greenock a chapel of ease, a Gaelic chapel, The town of Greenock is governed by a council of nine elders, of whom two are bailies. It is a burgh of barony, erected by Sir John Shaw in the year 1757, who was at that time superior. The inhabitants of Greenock petitioned the Scotch parliament in 1700, for a fund to build a harbour, which was absolutely and unaccountably refused. This made them enter into a contract with Sir John Shaw, paying a voluntary assessment of fifteen pence on each pack of malt brewed into ale within the limits of the town. In the year 1740 the whole debt was extinguished, and a surplus remained of £27,000.

In Greenock there are several dock manufactories, three soap and candle works, one saddle and shoe manufacture, and two sugar-houses, all carried on for exportation to a great extent.

In the year 1784, after peace with America, 436 vessels British and foreign, including outward and homeward bound, carrying 14,911 tons, were entered at the port of Greenock; and in 1791, there were 1962 vessels, the tonnage of which amounted to 31,704. From January 1790 to 1791, there were imported of grain, 87,395 quarters, 81,674 cwt. of sugar, 1,757,524 lbs. of cotton, 221,649 gallons of rum, and 744 tons of different wines.