These settlers came from the island of South Uist in Scotland. The arrangements were to have been that they would be shipped free to Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island. They were first put on a steamer to the Clyde River, and then onto a ship bound for the United States. The mistake was discovered in time, and they were put off at Glasgow.
Finally, more than 150 of them were put on the Lulan. Thirty of the familes were miners coming over to work at Albion Mines (now Stellarton) for the General Mining Company. Small pox broke out; three died on the voyage over, and one died soon afterward in harbour. The people were taken off the ship at the quarantine ground. The cabin passengers and miners were separated from the rest. The small pox patients were put in hospital; the healthy were housed in sheds. Before September had ended, 90 of them had small pox. By the middle of November, 24 had died, about 5 were still ill, and 97 were declared "disease free" by the Board of Health.
Vessels were hired at public expense to take them to Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island, as the emigrants were penniless. Sir John Harvey requested Prince Edward Island to not make the emigrants pay the P.E.I head tax, but P.E.I. refused, and the Nova Scotia treasury had to cough up the money, about 100 pounds.
The joint owners of the ship were the captain, George McKenzie of New Glasgow, and James Carmichael.