Transcribed by:
Seonaid McDonald, Archivist, Isle of Lewis, Scotland [with family connections to Kiltarlity area]

Mr James Forbes
McLennans Mountain
Care of Mr William Fraser
Points Pictou N. America

Glacknahain 8th June 1835

Dear Brother & Sister,
Late Saturday last I received your letter dated 20th Octr. 1834 which I understand was greatly disappointed owing to the space of time between the above two dates, however it gave us & friends & neighbours great Satisfaction & pleasure in hearing of your welfare in the meantime & especially that our Sister got free from the trouble she had in her thigh. Thanks be given to the Omnipotence this leaves us in the same condition of health as far as I know I had seen Donald Matheson about a month ago & was in good health with his wife & three children and doing very well. I drop[p]ed teaching Whitsunday 1834, last winter I was attending two or three hours a day at Eskadale house in lear[n]ing(?) a grand child of his or a son of C[a]pt[ain] Chisholm this was nearly for as much amusement as it occurred to me to be idle & waiting anoth[er] object which was three Schoolhouses that are built in this Strath 1st at Crask of Aigaish 2nd at Bridge of Cannich 3rd at Geusachan of which I had been promised to get one & so was for a long time in that hope but in all this I have been defeated for the Commissioners did not rightly agree about the mat[t]er so that there are two of them unoccupied as yet. the beginning of May last I went to Inverness & commenced to study Latin in Messrs Gair’s(?) Academy of which I can possibly have no progress much sooner than this time next year but one of the teachers said that he would make me capable of standing a trial in that Language in a Shorter time than that, as yet I cannot tell. That being if the case kept me from going there this season for in real truth James I had never been more anxious for my dinner when in good appetite than I was of going to that part of the globe this year. William Fraser did not offer me my passage free as it is quoted in your letter but he indeed asked of me how much I would take a month for going with him to collect the Catalogue which I answered, soon after that it was reported he did not intend to take any passengers along with him, no doubt for all that but he had been very frank & kind to me & to the whole of us & said he would get me a situation there. However next year about the time you mentioned in your letter, God willing, I shall be quite ready to take my course towards your direction if in health & such thing been ever in my lot. Duncan is with Alex[ande]r & John with Hugh as yet. Beloved Brother & Sis[te]r let us always have our chief end as our looking glass before our eyes & do good to our foes although Hugh was your enemy at parting yet I pray you mention him in your letters not for his sake but for your own & to show the people that we bear brotherly love, & Brother to doubt your letters & invitations was and is very far from my heart Dnc [Duncan] & Jno [John] have taken ??? Muir between Newton & Knocknabee from D. Robertson to ???? it @ /10 [10 shillings?] per rood(?) & not finished this kept them likewise from going to that quarter, but are entirely settled upon going along with me first season, if that piece of land joined to your lot is yet unsold & could be kept so, untill first spring without the least injury to [you?] but do not bind yourself anyway for it in case we might be hindered by death, do not forget writing to me at every opportunity Nothing occur[r]ed(?) to Allan's daughter in any of feet she is at service with the teacher at Tomnacross They are well at Plockton we heard of late, Will[ia]m’s children are well & in the same places Alex[ande]r & the rest of my brothers Don[al]d Malc[olm](?) & our Sister joins with me in love to you & Sister Hugh Cameron & Fam[i]l[y] Andr[ew] Campbell & Fam[i]l[y] Don[al]d Fraser & Fam[i]l[y] send their kind compliments to you & so the whole of the neighbours separately.
William Forbes

P.S. I showed your letter to Robert Cameron & said he never got your letter but was highly obliging to you Roderick Forbes bought a house & is still teaching at Dornie Mary & Duncan married & John with his family came down & took a at the Black Isle & a croft of 19 years lease at 1/ 6d per acre Last winter was as favourable as was seen by a living man but the spring was very coarse & winterly Every kind of crop looks very well at present Meal is very plenty about /22 per boll potatoes from 6/ to 8/ per boll Pretty fair demand for cattle milk & cows £5 to £7 & £9 horses & sheep proportionally Rents got uncommon high in the North of Scotland & men with very cold hearts to each other.
Brother I could give a great deal more news if time & room permit but I don't see it necessary at this time Very little of any employment going on in this dull & miserable corner of the globe & for the payment it is not worth mentioning to women/ 6d a day Men 1/ to 1/ 3d a day & that without meat or anything else Mary Farchar married a Strathglass man & was for a certain in the Army I am told of late that Isabella Wils daughter got an offer of the same by a man from that place & was in the Army I am Brother & Sister yours till death William Forbes