On the Firth of Clyde the Caledonian Railway Co. are interested in the handsome steamers of the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. These vessels carry a cream coloured funnel, and sail from Ardrossan to Gourock and Wemyss Bay. All the watering places on the Firth are served by the respective fleets of the various railway companies. The Glasgow and South Western Railway Company owns, and works from Prince’s Pier, Gourock, a fleet of swift steamers distinguished by their slate coloured hulls, with red funnels and black tops. The fleet includes the GLEN ROSA, GLEN SANNOX, JUNO, JUPITER, MARS, MERCURY, MINERVA, NEPTUNE, and others. The North British Railway Company is the premier Railway Company of Scotland; its mileage amounts to 1,303 miles. In conjunction with the Great Northern and North Eastern Railway Companies it forms the “East Coast Route” from England to Scotland, and the fastest booked “Railway run” in the Kingdom is on this route. As an important adjunct to its railway system, the North British Railway Co. employ on the Firth of Clyde (making Craigendoran the headquarters), the well-known paddle passenger steamers LADY CLARE, LADY ROWENA, LUCY ASHTON, RED GAUNTLET, TALISMAN, WAVERLEY, and others; and between Silloth and Liverpool the screw cargo steamers ALBATROSS and KITTIWAKE. [Illustration: LUCY ASHTON. North British Ry. Co.] No Railway-owned steamers ply on the east coast of Scotland, but from Grimsby the Great Central Railway Co. have a large fleet of passenger and cargo steamers sailing regularly to various continental ports. In July, 1865, this Company (then known as the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Co.) purchased the Anglo-French Steamship Co.’s fleet of boats, and started running steamers from Grimsby to Hamburg. The following April the Railway Company commenced a service of steamers between Grimsby and Rotterdam, and in August, 1867, the service was extended to Antwerp. At the present time the Great Central Railway Co. possesses a fleet of fourteen powerful steamers trading regularly between Grimsby and the continental ports named. The railway company remaining to be mentioned as a steamship owning company is the Great Eastern Railway Company—the Royal British Mail Route to Holland. The steamers of this Company have been especially built for the Continental service. The Royal Mail steamers AMSTERDAM, BERLIN, CHELMSFORD, DRESDEN, and the VIENNA, run on the Harwich-Hook of Holland route. They are powerful twin-screw ocean-going ships of 5,000 indicated horse-power, capable of steaming 18 knots an hour, each with two distinct sets of engines, so that in case of accident to one set the vessel can proceed with the other.