Every now and then, as we are taking our saunter by the shore after breakfast, we perceive, well out in the Frith, a steamer, decked with as many flags as can possibly be displayed about her rigging.  The strains of a band of music come by starts upon the breeze; a big drum is heard beating away when we can hear nothing else; and a sound of howling springs up at intervals.  Do not fancy that these yells imply that anything is wrong; t/tat is merely the way in which working folk enjoy themselves in this country.  That steamer has been hired for the day by some wealthy manufacturer, who is giving his ‘hands’ a day’s pleasure-sailing.  They left Glasgow at seven or eight o’clock:  they will be taken probably to Arran, and there feasted to a moderate extent; and at dusk they will be landed at the Broomielaw again.  We lament to say that very many Scotch people of the working class seem incapable of enjoying a holiday without getting drunk and uproarious.  We do not speak from hearsay, but from what we have ourselves seen.  Once or twice we found ourselves on board a steamer crowded with a most disagreeable mob of intoxicated persons, among whom, we grieve to say, we saw many women.  The authorities of the vessel appeared entirely to lack both the power and the will to save respectable passengers from the insolence of the ‘roughs.’  The Highland fling may be a very picturesque and national dance, but when executed on a crowded deck by a maniacal individual, with puffy face and blood-shot eyes, swearing, yelling, dashing up against peaceable people, and mortally drunk, we should think it should be matter less of assthetical than of police consideration.  Unless the owners of the Clyde steamers wish to drive all decent persons from their boats, they must take vigorous steps to repress such scandalous goings-on as we have witnessed more than once or twice.  And we also take the liberty to suggest that the infusion of a little civility into the manner and conversation of some of the steam-boat officials on the quay at Greenock, would be very agreeable to passengers, and could not seriously injure those individuals themselves.

What sort of men are the Glasgow merchants?  Why, courteous reader, there are great diversities among them.  Almost all we have met give us an impression of shrewdness and strong sense; some, of extraordinary tact and cleverness—­though these last are by no means among the richest men.  In some cases we found extremely unaffected and pleasing address, great information upon general topics—­in short, all the characteristics of the cultivated gentleman.  In others there certainly was a good deal of boorishness; and in one or two instances, a tendency to the use of oaths which in this country have long been unknown in good society.  The reputed wealth of some Glasgow men is enormous, though we think it not unlikely that there is a great deal of exaggeration as to that subject.  We did, however, hear it said that one firm of iron merchants realized for some time profits to the extent of nearly four hundred thousand a year.  We were told of an individual who died worth a million, all the produce of his own industry and skill; and one hears incidentally of such things as five-hundred-pound bracelets, thousand-guinea necklaces, and other appliances of extreme luxury, as not unknown among the fair dames of Glasgow.