Glasgow and the locks at Sheepford, "and farmed to a Company for four years", implying that the Canal Company contracted out the operation. A Boat starts from the Basin at the head of the Town [Glasgow], every lawful day, at four o'clock, P.M. (except when impeded by ice,) and arrives at Sheepford at half past six o'clock. Cabin fare, 1s. 6d.; Steerage, 1s. A Boat starts from Sheepford Locks at half-past seven o'clock in the morning, and arrives at the Townhead Basin at ten o'clock. The Boat, which leaves Glasgow at four o'clock, P.M. ... and arrives at Sheepford, , half-past six, fare 1s.6d. To perform the passage in the above time, it is necessary for the Passengers to walk about a quarter of a mile [400 m] at Blackhill Locks, where another Boat is provided. Cleland informs readers that "Sheepford is within of Airdrie. Although not regularly, the Boats go occasionally to Faskine, about further on, and arrive at seven o'clock, P.M." The number of passengers which went by these boats was 11,470 in 1814, and 12,773 in 1815, bringing a revenue of £556 19s 1d and £648 13s 10d respectively. This service seems to have continued for some time: in 1837 "upwards of 50,000 passengers were conveyed between Airdrie and Glasgow". Hutton shows a photograph of a boat moored at McSporran's stable at Easterhouse; he says that it "is believed to be one used for Sunday school outings", and another photograph of a very crowded boat, "Jenny", taking a works outing on a pleasure trip. Blackhill locks and incline At first transfer by boxes or wagons on an inclined plane When the canal was extended from Gartcraig to Townhead, an incline was constructed at Blackhill—nineteenth-century picture postcards refer to the location as "Riddrie"—to enable the transfer of goods between the two levels of the canal. It is not clear what the mechanical arrangements for this incline were. Leslie, writing much later, says: An inclined plane for railway wagons at Blackhill connected the two reaches of the canal. The coals were unloaded from the boats in the upper reach into the wagons, run down the inclined plane, and again loaded into boats in the lower reach, which was a tedious operation, and hurtful to the coals. Leslie's comments are not unimpeachable. The reference to an "inclined plane" in original sources has led him and some modern writers to assume