22 March 1855 Liverpool My dear brother I was glad to find by your letters to Uncle Donald that you are quite well and doing so well. Nothing gaves me more pleasure than to hear of my brothers altho they have all even you that wrote formerly wrote me so many touching letters was for 7 years neglected writing a warm and affectionate brother. Certainly my profession has caused such a distance and uncertainty of my address doubtless may have caused you not to answer my letters. I was grieved to hear of your severe loss in your faithful and affectionate wife but be thankful you have a sweet boy to keep you in remembrance of her. At the same time I make no doubt but you can in time get some other one worthy of you were you coming to this country to take your worthy and highly respectable sisters out to New Zealand with you. There is not any young girls in the country more worthy of brothers' attention and with all my misfortunes I have been the only friend they had. If ever you sent Uncle any money your sisters never got any of it but of course it went to his own sisters. Besides I even gave them many times the sum of 3 & 4 pounds myself and got but little thanks for it. They are a mean greedy lot not one morsel of McLean's blood or honourable way of feeling in the McColl but you please yourself if your sister are not worthy. I answering there letters all my efforts to bring them up as I have done with there own assistance is [in] vain. It would be much better for you to write themselves and there you will find out the truth and also if you send them any money let it be to themselves as depend upon they are one and all worthy of it. I have gave them within this last three years all I could spare but thank God they have all good situations at preasant and each of them better liked than another. I have seen them all this time and also your letters to Uncle. Flora Ann was in the want of some money and he requested me to gave it her. If you have sent him any to gave them I think it strange he should hold it back for his own use. I must now my dear Donald pause on this point and let you know about myself and how I have been situated since in the U.S. States. I commanded a barque belonging to New York for 2 years and a half when she unfortunately was lost and have not done anything for six month but I am much respected and doing business with my owners and if I only could get from you the sum of £400 with the £500 I have made in that time my intentions is to buy half of a vessel of 250 tons at New York with Mr Goodridge my best friend there and then come here and take 2 of my sister out to New Zealand. Also my now beloved wife, your worthy cousin Catherine Douglas. I came here from New York in purpose to marry her. Now my dear brother what a pleasant family we all could be were we settling at New Zealand. To accomplish this part of doing your duty to your father's family you ought to strain a point and send me that above amount to save you coming home and depend upon I will in one year pay you with good interest besides perhaps clear the vessel. Do this now dear brother if you can and then you can say you have done your duty. I will have to leave here for New York in a few days as passenger to try and commence building on credit depending on your assistance had much only come ... for me 2 years ago and paid my bills at the proper time I now would be worth £1100 to 15,000. I enclose you a letter about myself from my friend Mr Goodridge to shew you what he says of me. When you write me direct to him at New York 84 Broad Street or to my dear wife at her father's Shore Bank, Stranraer, Scotland, any how do not fail in writing Mr Goodridge Jnr in person, the prospects for employment for a vessel of that size or larger in the colonies. If you shew kindness to strangers shurely you can do something for your own friends. My dear Donald how happy I could be along with your and our dear sisters in one loving circle at New Zealand. Just picture to yourself the joys we all fond bosoms would have, what I have stated is my long antisipated [crossed out] desired hope and the 'Mary Lea' [?] not have [crossed out] been lost now under me I now without your assistance would have acted on your letter and taken our dear sisters out. The inclosed will shew you the necessity of my having a little credit altho all I then owed is settled long ago but I told them I had the money when I commenced the speculation therefore for my credit you can write them saying that you will furnish as Uncle has refused and that will make me all right. Bear in mind I do not want the money for myself but for the good of all of us and you may depend upon my honour and integrity. Altho I have been a little unfortunate I expect to die wealthy yet. If you only send me the sum required you will have me at New Zealand in the next Spring or before that time. Now my dear brother do write my beloved wife who of course will forward my letter to wherever I may be. Also to my New York friend stating what you will send to help the purchase and forever believe me Your ever affectionate brother Archibald McLean PS. My dear wife and our sister Flora join me in love to you and child. Flora says she wrote you a letter and sent you a small parcel as a token of remembrance and poor dear is much cast down about not acknowledging her letter. Perhaps you never received her letter but she sent it with her cousin Archy McInnis. Now I trust dear brother you will acknowledge her letter as mind it is very hurtful to familys to neglect them when of the same flesh and blood. A J McL.