大象传媒

Tha lusan ann air a bheil Frasera 鈥撀爉ar eisimpleir Frasera speciosa. Tha聽iad air an ainmeachadh airson fear聽John Fraser no Iain Friseal. Bha e a鈥櫬燾ruinneachadh lusan. Bha e gu math聽ainmeil. Agus 鈥檚 e G脿idheal a bha ann.聽Rugadh Iain Friseal ann an聽seachd ceud deug is caogad (1750) ann聽an Tom na Croise. Tha sin faisg air聽Inbhir Nis. Bha athair na chroitear. 鈥橲聽e G脿idhlig a bha aca a-staigh.聽Ghluais Iain a Lunnainn.聽Dh鈥檉hosgail e b霉th. Bha e a鈥� reic cl貌.聽Ach bha barrachd 霉idh aige ann a bhith聽a鈥� cruinneachadh lusan. Leig e a鈥櫬燽h霉th aige seachad. Chaidh e a-null a聽dh鈥橝meireagaidh. Bha e anns na聽Carolinas agus Georgia.聽Chuir Friseal seachad 霉ine ann聽an 鈥淒霉thaich nan Innseanach鈥�. Bha na 聽Cherokee s矛theil agus laghach dha.聽L矛on e bogsaichean de lusan. Agus聽thachair e ri fear T貌mas Bhaltair. Bha聽esan a鈥� sgr矛obhadh leabhar m貌r mu聽lusan Charolina. Bha Friseal a鈥� dol a聽dh鈥檉hoillseachadh an leabhair ann an聽Lunnainn. Chaochail Bhaltair goirid聽mus do th貌isich Friseal air a shlighe聽dhachaigh. Bha sin ann an seachd ceud聽deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1788).聽Thill Friseal a Bhreatainn. Bha聽trithead m矛le sampall de lus marbh聽aige. Bha cuideachd bogsaichean aige聽de lusan be貌. Bha e gun sgillinn ruadh,聽ge-t脿. Airson airgead fhaighinn, reic e聽m貌ran de na lusan. Fhuair e airgead gu聽le貌r airson am Flora Caroliniana aig聽Bhaltair fhoillseachadh.聽Bha ionad-脿raich lusan aige ann聽an Lunnainn. Bha e faisg air Sloane聽Square ann an Chelsea. 鈥橲 e sg矛re聽spaideil a tha ann. Bha Friseal a鈥� reic聽lusan Ameireaganach. Bha e ainmeil聽airson sin. Bha lusan Ameireaganach聽anns an fhasan ann am Breatainn.聽Ach bha Friseal cuideachd thall聽anns an Ruis. Tha e coltach gun robh e聽e貌lach air a鈥� bhan-矛mpire as ainmeile聽ann an eachdraidh na Ruis. Innsidh mi聽tuilleadh mu dheidhinn sin anns an ath聽Litir.

There are plants called Frasera 鈥撀爁or example Frasera speciosa. They聽are named for a guy John Fraser.聽He was good at collecting plants.聽He was very famous. And he was a聽Gael.聽John Fraser was born in聽1750 in Tomnacross. That鈥檚 near聽Inverness. His father was a聽crofter. It鈥檚 Gaelic they spoke at聽home.聽John moved to London. He聽opened a shop. He was selling聽cloth. But he had more interest in聽collecting plants. He gave up his聽shop. He went over to America. He聽was in the Carolinas and Georgia.聽Fraser spent time in 鈥淚ndian聽Country鈥�. The Cherokee were聽peaceful and nice to him. He filled聽boxes with plants. And he met a聽guy Thomas Walter. He was聽writing a big book about the plants聽of Carolina. Fraser was going to聽publish the book in London.聽Walter died shortly before Fraser聽started on his homeward journey.聽That was in 1788.聽Fraser returned to Britain.聽He had thirty thousand samples of聽dead plants. He also had boxes of聽live plants. He had no money,聽however. To get money, he sold聽many of the plants. He got enough聽money to publish Walter鈥檚 Flora聽Caroliniana.聽He had a plant nursery in聽London. It was near Sloane Square聽in Chelsea. It鈥檚 a smart area.聽Fraser was selling American聽plants. He was famous for that.聽American plants were in fashion in聽Britain.聽But Fraser was also over in聽Russia. It appears that he knew the聽most famous empress in Russian聽history. I鈥檒l tell you more聽about聽that in the next Litir.