ave jointly
been engaged in promoting emigration to the older colonies. Pagan owned
a ship called _Hector_, which was engaged in carrying passengers across
the Atlantic. In 1770 she landed Scottish emigrants in Boston. In order
to carry out the original obligations of the grant, the proprietors
offered liberal inducements for the settlement of it. An agent, named
John Ross, was employed, with whom it was agreed that each settler
should have a free passage from Scotland, a farm, and a year's free
provisions. Ross sailed for Scotland on board the Hector, and on his
arrival proceeded to the Highlands, where he painted in glowing colors a
picture of the land and the advantages offered. The Highlanders knew
nothing of the difficulties awaiting them in a land covered over with a
dense unbroken forest, and, tempted by the prospect of owning splendid
farms, they were imposed upon, and many agreed to cast their lot on the
western side of the Atlantic. The Hector was the vessel that should
convey them, with John Spears as master, James Orr being first mate, and
John Anderson second. The vessel called first at Greenock, where three
families and five young men were taken on board. From there she sailed
for Lochbroom, in Rossshire, where she received thirty-three families
and twenty-five single men, having all told about two hundred souls.

On July 1, 1773, this band bade adieu to friends, home, and country and
started for a land they knew naught of. But few had ever crossed the
ocean. Just as the ship was starting a piper named John McKay came on
board who had not paid his passage; the captain ordered him ashore, but
the strains of the national instrument so affected those on board that
they interceded to have him allowed to accompany them, and offered to
share their own rations with him, in exchange for his music, during the
passage. Their request was granted, and his performance aided in no
small degree to cheer the pilgrims in their long voyage of eleven weeks,
in a miserable hulk, across the Atlantic. The band of emigrants kept up
their spirits, as best they could, by song, pipe music, dancing,
wrestling, and other amusements, during the long and painful voyage. The
Hector was an old Dutch ship, and a slow sailer. It was so rotten that
the passengers could pick the wood out of the sides with their fingers.
They met with a severe gale off the Newfoundland coast, and were driven
back so far that it required two weeks to recover th