IMMIGRANTS FROM NOVA SCOTIA
IN 1852.
To the Editor.
Sir - On April 12, 1852, the barque Mar- garet, Captain Matson, arrived at Port Adelaide from St. Ann's, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia November 1, 1851 (calling at St. Jago), and Cape of Good Hope Feb- ruary 19, 1852. She carried no cargo from Nova Scotia, but a little coffee and tobacco from the Cape. The cabin passengers were the Rev. Norman McLeod and family, Rothrie Ross and family, Mrs. Matson and family, Kenneth Dingle, Mr. and Mrs. McGregor, and McDonald Finlayson. In the second class - J. McLoy and family, Roderick McCoy, jun., and family, John Frazer and family, John McLeod and family, Donald McGregor and family, John McGregor and family, Donald McLeod and family, Rendall Ross and family, Hector Sutherland and family, Donald Campbell and family, John, Hugh, and Donald Mc- Guiness, John McCoy, George McLeod and wife. On October 6, 1852, arrived at Port Adelaide the brig Highland Lassie, 179 tons, Captain McKenzie, from Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, May 1, 1852, with the following 92 passengers:- Of the name of McKenzie 37 persons, McKay 17, McLen- nan 7, McLean 9, Finlay 6, Chisholm 8, and Stewart 8. As my father was subse- quently master of the Highland Lassie, I often heard how these Gaelic Scottish
Highlanders had built ships for themselves in Nova Scotia and had sailed them to Ade- laide. The Highland Lassie sailed round Australia for about 20 years, and was even- tually wrecked. Other Nova Scotians must have come by other vessels, but I have not been able to trace them. Many old Por- tonians will remember the McGuiness fisherman family, Gaelic-speaking Scots- men. Big Hector, who for years was a lumper: another brother who once fell into the railway cattle pit at the Rosewater crossing and had his fingers on the metals
when the engine passed and cut the fingers
off. Are any of these Scottish Highlanders alive? If so, I would be glad to hear of them or of their children, for the Nova Scotian Jubilee Reunion Committee of Waipu, New Zealand, is anxious to hear from them. A monument, the national symbolic design, is being erected in New Zealand, and Robert R. McKay, Box 12, Post-office, Waipu, New Zealand, is the secretary. This irruption of Gaelic High- landers into South Australia is most curi- ous. It differs from the two German immigrations as so far as I can learn, neither religious nor political persecution impelled these emigrants. In his "Captains Courageous" Kipling tells of Gaelic settle- ments in Nova Scotia, where there are many Gaelic-speaking African negroes, who were born and bred among the High- landers, and learned, and used in common intercourse, their Gaelic language. In the fifties there was a Port Adelaide schooner, the Clipper, Captain Matson, who perchance was the master of the Mar- garet, from Nova Scotia. Perhaps George Matson, late of Port Adelaide, now of Fremantle, a minor poet, and his brother, "Tom" Matson, the Semaphore racing man, are descendants of Captain Matson.
I am, &c., T. SAUNDERS.
Gheibhear e an seo:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article ... rchLimits=
A-nis an robh sin dìreach mac-meanmna an ughdar no am biodh susbainte sam bith air a bhith dheth?Kipling tells of Gaelic settle- ments in Nova Scotia, where there are many Gaelic-speaking African negroes, who were born and bred among the Highanders, and learned, and used in common intercourse, their Gaelic languag
