I. Appointment of Civil Engineer for Japan's Lighthouse through the Stevenson's Office.

I-1. Application

I-2. Training

I-3. Marriage

I-4.  Departure

II. Japan's Lighthouse Board

II-1. The Office at Benten and Residence

II-2. Business Colleagues and Private Friends

II-3.  Works at Benten and the Yokohama Foreign Settlement

II-4. Preparation of Construction at Rock Island/Mikomojima at Benten and Shimoda

II-5. Construction of Rock-Island Lighthouse.

II-6. Resignation from the Board 

III-Vulcan Foundry

III-1. Purchase of the Foundry.

(1) Mary's Letter to her grandfather

                                                                           18 Sept 1869

My dear Grandpapa

  I had a letter from you by last mail which we got yesterday & also one from Mary you also wrote one to Colin they were dated July 26th many thanks for them all, we were very glad to hear of Mrs McVean being a good deal better & I hope soon we may hear she is quite well.  I am so sorry you did not get Colins nice letter from Rock Island with a pretty little sketch of it in pen & ink.  It was quite a barren place with no water & just about a quarter of a mile in length  Barracks had to be built for the 300 men.  But I must tell you What is more interesting to us in the mean time now that Colin has resigned his appointment in the Japanese Govern-

  At first Colin did not feel at all sure about getting other work to do here & we wd have been a little sorry to come Home immediately more especially as work is not always easy to be found.  So Colin was not sorry when he heard of a good opening here -  it is not yet fixed but I think he has a very good chance of it  -  it is a foundry that is to be sold & Colin thinks of going in for it  Everyone thinks it a very good investment & sure to do well so I hope Colin will succeed Last year they cleared of profit £4000 & that was with not the nest of management  -  Still I don’t of course Colin alone cd not expect to clear that as he could not carry it on alone  -  but I hope we shall be able to give you a satisfactory account of it soon.

  How much you must have enjoyed yr Obanite daughters holiday & I am so glad you will have one or other of them at Home often if not always now.  Baby is well & good, she is very fond of getting hold of her foot with her two hands & putting it into her mouth & often when I put her on the floor she kicks so much that I wonder she does not hurt her toes.  I think she is very intelligent, she looks about her a great deal & Amah says she likes to see other babies.  If it is a fine afternoon she & Amah betake themselves to the Amah & baby quarter that is to the extreme end of the road facing the sea, it is a nice place for fresh air & all the Chinese Amahs assemble there in the afternoon.  My baby does not always go as it is a good way from here  A mile & ½ I shd think &  baby is getting heavy  The Chinese I believe are very fond of a gossip but as long as she does not repeat stories to me I don’t mind & baby of course is not old enough to be perverted besides which I don’t think they are bad in that way whereas the Japanese are.  My Amah is really a nice woman & very fond of baby.  We have it hot again thermometer up at 80°

    The Duke of Edinr – After being here at Yedo for rather more than a fortnight left two days ago.  After leaving Japan he goes to Pekin.  Admiral Keppel goes there with him. He (the Admiral) called before he left, Lady Keppel would have called too but they had been so much taken up with the Prince - he is a nice like old man the Admiral & so proud of his little boy.  He knew Captain Otter in the Baltic for one place.

  Colin is [worried] & has had so much to do & been worried with the foundry business that I don’t think he will be able to write today unless a line or two. So with love to you all from us both & little baby

                             I am yr affecte daughter

                               Mary W. McVean

  I am glad to hear that some of the seeds we sent are coming up  I hadn’t a great deal of faith in them the [canool-tenlus] should do pretty well if there was plenty of sun it grows very freely here.

(2) McVean's Letter to His Father attached to Mary's letter above.

 My dear Papa

      We were much delighted to hear such  good accts of Mamma by last mail and pray we may continue to get good news of all of you  -  Mary has told you of my project of buying a large Foundry I think it is such a good affair that we could retire comfortably in a very few years, if I was lucky enough to get it at a reasonable rate  - it cleared £4,000 – after paying all expenses last year and I think £4,000 will buy it or less  -  I am out of the Govt service or as good as out.  I am still at Benten – and still draw my pay but have not been in the office for a month  -  I have been so very bussy all this fortnight with this business and it had been so hot as much as 89° in strong shade that at night I have been too tired to write  -  you do not know how utterly prostrated you get in a climate like this in the hot weather every thing is a [barch] to one  -  when the Thermometer never goes below 80 at night and is  generally over 90° it is [no……..]  -  We gave a grand dinner to Admiral Kepel before he left  The Duke of Edinr was at it -  and at the desert I nearly jumped on top of the table when I suddenly heard the strains of the bagpipes and a splendid and splendidly dressed piper marched into the room playing - This was H.R.H. The Dukes piper  -  he took the whole assemblage by surprise frightened the Chinese & Japanese servants out of their wits and set all the Scotch and Highlanders in a state of uprorious excitement  -  nobody had thought there was a piper within thousands of miles of us until he marched into the room  -  the surprise was complete  -  I will try and write more fully and at length next mail when I hope our affair will be settled love to Mamma yourself and all at home

your aft son                       C.A.McVean

III-". Works at Yokohama and Yokosuka