Gazetteer of Scotland

CAN
feme veins were cut through, con-
taining caivk, or the fulpate of barytes,
with fome beautiful calcareous cryftais,
and fome cryftais of the fluat of lime,
which, by experienced miners, is laid
to be the regular attendant of lead
mines : indeed, it is very probable,
thatthefe ftratified mountains, fo much
difturbed in the difpohtion of their
ftrata, abound with numerous fiffures,
containing metallic fubftances. The
higheft ridge of Campfie Fells is ele-
vated 1 200 feet from its bafe, the
elevation of which is about 300 feet
above the level of the fea, making the
height in all 1500 feet.
Canal (Forth and Clyde); that
navigable cut or canal, which forms
a communication between the eaftern
and weftern feas, by the two rivers
Forth and Clyde. Scotland is almoft
divided into two parts by thefe two
rivers, the Forth falling into the eaft-
ern fea below Leith, and the Clyde
falling into the Atlantic Ocean below
Greenock. This circumftance early
fuggefted the idea of forming a com-
munication acrofs the kingdom, by di-
viding the narrow neck of land be-
tween thefe rivers, and thereby faving
the long and dangerous navigation
round the Land's End, or the more
dangerous paffage of the Pentland
Fiith. So early as the reign of Charles
II. this idea was indulged ; but the fi-
nances of the kingdom were at that
time fo low, that it could not be car-
ried into execution. It was after-
wards revived in 1733 ; again in 1761;
and, the year after, a furvey was made
by Mr. Smeaton, who was convinced
of the pciTibility of the defign, but
his eftimate of the expence (8o,oool.)
was deemed too great for the trade
which was likely to pafs through it.
In 1766, feveral refpef table merchants
in Glafgow fet on foot a fubfeription
for making one 4 feet deep, and 24 in
width, the eftimate of which was
30,000!. ; but parliament refufed af-
fent to the bill, on account of the fmall -
nefs of the fcale ; and a new fubferip-
tion was begun for one 7 feet deep,
eftimated at 150,000!. The fubferip-
tion was foon filled up, and received
the fanclion of parliament. On the
10th of July, 1768, the company be-
gan to break ground, under the direc-
tion of Mr. Smeatcn, and, after having
pact with many and alrnofc unfur-
CAN
mountable difficulties, in 1775 it was
rendered navigable as far as Stocking-
field, the point from which the Fide
branch to Glafgow goes off. The ca-
nal remained in this ftate till 1784,
when the company having received
50,0001. from the annexed forfeited
eftate, profecuted the plan with great
vigour and attention ; and, on the
28th of July, 1790, the navigation was
opened between fea and fea. Thus
was one of the moil arduous under-
takings accomplifhed. The whole
length of the canal is 35 miles, begin-
ning at Carron-mouth, and ending at
Dalmure burnfoot, on the Clyde, 6
miles below Glafgow, rifing and fall-
ing 160 feet by means of 39 locks. Iu
its courfe it paffes over rocks, preci-
pices, and quickfands ; in fome places
it paffes through a deep mofs ; in o-
thers, it is banked 20 feet high; it
crofies many fmall rivulets, as well as
2 considerable rivers, the Kelvin and
Luggie, over which are large aqueduct
bridges ; that over the former is 420
feet long, and 6s high. To fupply
this canal with water was a laborious
undertaking of itfelf. There is one
refervoir of 50 acres, 22 feet deep, and
another 70 acres, 24 feet deep, which
are fuppofed to contain fufneient wa-
ter for that purpofe. Veffels of 39
feet beam, drawing 8 feet of water,
and not exceeding 73 feet in keel, can
pafs with great eafe. The fharts in
the company are now felling at up-
wards of 25 per cent, above par*
CANISBAY; the molt northern
parilh in the ifland of Great Britain,
being fituated in the latitude of 5 8 e
45' N. and about s Q 4' W. longitude
from London. It is fituated in the
county of Caithnefs, and is fomewhat
of a triangular figure, each of the fides
being nearly 8 miles in length. The
furface is rather level than hilly ; only
one eminence, the Warth, deferring
the name of a hill. The E. coaft is
every where exceeding bold ; and the
wild and varied magnificence of the
rocks are peculiarly ftriking to the eye
of a ftranger ; Dungijbay-head, the N.E.
promontory of the diftrict, prefentmg
one continued precipice to the fea.
W. from Dangijbay-he-ad the ccaft b§-
conies level, having fields of the raoft
fertile foil, and luxuriant verdures i ;
proaching to the very beach. "
is here corapoied of ihells, and iheU-