Two centuries of shipbuilding by the Scotts at Greenock

16 Early River Steamboats.
by its success in 1802 on the Forth and Clyde Canal 1 , removed
any remaining doubt; but it was not until 1812 that
Henry Bell, with his Comet, proved the commercial utility
of the steam system, although without profit to the
promoter." The building of steamships, evolved by experi-
ments by various workers in Britain — and in America
also — was readily adopted on the Clyde. Within four
years of the completion of the Comet, it was not unusual
for five hundred or six hundred passengers to enjoy in the
course of one day water excursions on the river. 3 The
fares were practically five times those prevailing to-day.
Among the earliest of the Clyde steamers were the Active,
of 59 tons, and Despatch, of 58 tons, built by the Scotts.
In calculating the tonnage in those early days, an average
allowance of one-third was deducted for the machinery.
In 1816 the firm built the Shannon, of a length between
perpendiculars of 77 ft. 7 in., of a beam of 15 ft. 3 in.,
and of a depth moulded of 9 ft. 1 in. She had fore-and-
aft cabins. Her engines were of 14 horse-power nominal.
She plied on the Shannon between Limerick and Kilrush.
By 1818 — six years after the completion of the Comet —
thirty-two steamers were running on the Clyde, and some
of these were sent ultimately for traffic on the coast and
on other rivers. 4 The largest of these was of 112 tons,
with engines of 40 nominal horse-power.
The Scotts had built many sailing craft for the Clyde
and Belfast trade, for the Glasgow and Liverpool service,
and for the Liverpool and Drogheda, and other coasting-
routes ; and it was natural when steam was introduced
that the same firm should supply the side-paddle boats.
1 Woodcraft's " Steam Navigation," page 54.
2 Deas' " Treatise on the Improvements and Progress of Trade on the
River Clyde" (1873), page 24.
3 Muirhead's " Life of Watt," pages 428 and 429.
4 Williamson's "Clyde Passenger Steamers," pages 348 to 351.