The ship was chartered by the Duke of Sutherland in order to help clear tenants from his lands in West Scotland. The passage of 39 days brought them to Pictou at the end of June. Immediately upon their arrival they were welcomed to Canada with a tax - a head tax. Two families took a boat to Prince Edward Island, where tax officials wanted them to pay a head tax a second time. Their luggage was seized when the beleagured people refused. Finally after correspondence between the Duke of Sutherland, customs officials and various others, the PEI authorities were given a cut of what had been collected at Pictou from them.

This annotation appears on the list:

"Margaret Morrison having failed to appear after the ship was cleared out the following parties are now substituted in their stead viz: Mrs Ann Sutherland, 80; Fairly McKay, 24; Ann MacKay (sic), 18; Jean McKay, 26.

I Dugald McLachlan do declare that the above is a true statement of the passengers on board the Ellen from Loch Laxford.

Declared before me this 30th June 1848, signed William J. Johnson, Sub. Coll. H.M. Customs"