McLEOD, DONALD (1815-91), a son of the Rev. Norman McLeod (q.v.), was born in Sutherlandshire; migrated with his parents to Nova Scotia, and was brought up to the sea. He became a master mariner and commanded the vessel which the Highlanders of St Ann's, Cape Breton Island, sent to Scotland in the early forties. Failing to find a sale for the cargo, he was compelled to dispose of the ship and, instead of returning to Canada, he went farther afield in search of a fortune. In 1847 he wrote from South Australia to his father advising the settlers to make their homes in Australia. Acting on this invitation, they built the ships Highland Lass and Margaret and made the voyage. McLeod had meanwhile gone to sea and was not available until 1853, when he arrived in New Zealand with the other leaders of the Nova Scotians in the Gazelle and interviewed Sir George Grey. In 1854 he conducted a vigorous correspondence with the Government on the terms of the settlement.

He was a fine scholar and, with his father's help, he translated into English (and published in 1856) the poet Dugald Buchanan's Gaelic poems. He also did into English verse Ossian's poems, but they have not been published. McLeod was a journalist, and spent some years after this engaged on the Adelaide and Melbourne press. On the death of his wife (1880) he returned to New Zealand and settled at Waipu. He contested the Marsden seat in 1881. McLeod died at Waipu on 16 Apr 1891. While sailing in the islands he discovered at Vanikoro guns and other relics of La Perouse (now in the Melbourne Museum).

Macdonald; N. R. McKenzie; 'Vagabond' in Melbourne Age (quoted in N.Z. Herald, 6 Dec 1887); N.Z. Herald, 18 Apr 1891.

Reference: Volume 2, page 21

🌳 Further sources