大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu Iain Friseal a bha ainmeil airson lusan a chruinneachadh thall thairis. Rugadh e ann an seachd ceud deug is caogad (1750).

Ceithir bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin rugadh G脿idheal eile a bha gu bhith ainmeil airson obair dhen aon se貌rsa. B鈥� esan Gilleasbaig M猫innearach 鈥� Archibald Menzies. Bha e 脿 sg矛re Obar Pheallaidh ann an Siorrachd Pheairt.

Bha athair Ghilleasbaig na gh脿irnealair ann an Caisteal nam M猫innearach. 鈥橲 ann le Sir Raibeart M猫innearach a bha an caisteal. B鈥� esan a thug an learag a-steach a dh鈥橝lba聽鈥� craobh a tha pailt an-diugh. Bha lusan is craobhan de dh鈥檌omadh se貌rsa anns na聽g脿rraidhean aige.

Nuair a bha e timcheall air fichead bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois, fhuair e obair ann an D霉n 脠ideann anns an Lios Luibheach R矛oghail. Nuair a bha e ceithir air fhichead, fhuair Gilleasbaig cothrom dhol timcheall na G脿idhealtachd airson lusan a chruinneachadh.聽

Lorg聽e lusan 霉ra a chaidh a chur ris an leabhar le Lightfoot 鈥� Flora Scotica. Rinn Gilleasbaig c霉rsa lus-e貌lais le ceannard an Liosa Luibhich 鈥� am Proifeasair Hope. An d猫idh sin, rinn e c霉rsa dotaireachd. An ceann greis fhuair e obair anns a鈥� Chabhlach R矛oghail. Cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh e anns na h-Innseachan an Iar, a鈥� sabaid an聽aghaidh nam Frangach. Chaidh e an uair sin a dh鈥橝meireagaidh a Tuath agus th貌isich e聽air lusan a chruinneachadh.

Sgr矛obh M猫innearach gu tric don lus-e貌laiche ainmeil, Sir I貌saph Banks, ann an Lunnainn. Agus thug Banks taic dha. Fhuair an t-Albannach dreuchd air b貌rd long a bha a鈥� dol timcheall Cape Horn gu ruige an Cuan S猫imh. Th脿inig e dhachaigh le cruinneachadh iongantach de lusan is s矛l a chuir e gu Banks agus don Lios Luibheach R矛oghail ann an D霉n 脠ideann. An uair sin rinn e deiseil airson turas-mara m貌r eile 鈥� an triop seo le fear a bha a鈥� dol a dh鈥檉h脿gail ainm air fear de phr矛omh bhailtean Chanada 鈥揝e貌ras Vancouver.

Air an turas seo, a mhair tr矛 bliadhna, chuir Gilleasbaig 霉ine seachad air t矛r ann an Astr脿ilia, Tahiti, Hawaii agus taobh an iar Ameireagaidh a Tuath, far an do chruinnich e m貌ran lusan a dh鈥檉h脿sadh cumanta ann an g脿rraidhean Bhreatainn. Agus chruinnich e, a r猫ir choltais, s矛l de chraobh a tha air leth annasach. Bidh sibh uile e貌lach oirre oir tha i a鈥� f脿s ann an g脿rraidhean air feadh Bhreatainn. Innsidh mi dhuibh ann am mionaid d猫 a鈥� chraobh a th鈥� ann.

Chuir Gilleasbaig seachad a鈥� chuid mh貌r dhen ch貌rr de a bheatha ann an Lunnainn agus na h-Innseachan an Iar. Thug e buaidh mh貌r air na bh鈥� ann de lusan 脿 thall thairis a聽bha a鈥� f脿s anns an Roinn E貌rpa. Agus tha m貌ran lusan air an ainmeachadh 脿s a dh猫idh,聽leithid an genus Menziesia, agus Arbutus menziesii, Chimaphila menziesii, Nemophila聽menziesii, Penstemon menziesii, Tolmiea menziesii agus Nothofagus menziesii.

Agus a鈥� chraobh ainmeil a thug e dhuinn? Uill, air an turas le Vancouver, bha Gilleasbaig aig cuirm ann an Chile c貌mhla ri Riaghladair na d霉thcha, Ambrosio O鈥橦iggins. Air b貌rd na d矛nnearach, bha truinnsear de chnothan ruadha 鈥� le cumadh corraig orra 鈥� nach fhaca e riamh roimhe. Chuir e feadhainn na ph貌caid agus thug e dhachaigh iad. 鈥橲 e s矛l a bh鈥� annta de Araucaria araucana, craobh ris an canar ann am Beurla 鈥� the monkey puzzle tree. An robh fios agaibh gur e G脿idheal a thug a鈥� chraobh sin a Bhreatainn?

Gilleasbaig M猫innearach: Archibald Menzies; Obar Pheallaidh: Aberfeldy; Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; g脿irnealair: gardener; Caisteal namM猫innearach: Castle Menzies.

a thug an learag a-steach a dh鈥橝lba: that introduced the larch to Scotland; de dh鈥檌omadh se貌rsa anns na g脿rraidhean aige: of many types in his gardens;anns an Lios Luibheach R矛oghail: in the Royal Botanic Gardens; a chaidh a chur ris an leabhar le Lightfoot: which were added to Lightfoot鈥檚 book; c霉rsa lus-e貌lais le ceannardan Liosa Luibhich: a botany course with the head of the Botanic Gardens; an ceann greis fhuair e obair anns a鈥� Chabhlach R矛oghail: after a while he got work in the Royal Navy;cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh e anns na h-Innseachan an Iar: it wasn鈥檛 long until he was in the聽West Indies; dreuchd air b貌rd long: a position on board a ship; cruinneachadh iongantach聽de lusan is s矛l: an amazing collection of plants and seeds; turas-mara m貌r eile: another great voyage; bha a鈥� dol a dh鈥檉h脿gail ainm air fear de phr矛omh bhailtean Chanada: who was going to leave his name on one of Canada鈥檚 major cities; a mhair tr矛 bliadhna: which lasted three years; a dh鈥檉h脿sadh cumanta: which would become common; a鈥� chuid mh貌r dhen ch貌rr de a bheatha: most of the rest of his life; thug e buaidh mh貌r air na bh鈥� ann de lusan 脿 thall thairis a bha a鈥� f脿s anns an Roinn E貌rpa: he had a big influence on the plants聽from overseas which were growing in Europe; aig cuirm c貌mhla ri Riaghladair na d霉thcha: at a banquet along with the country鈥檚 Governor; b貌rd na d矛nnearach: the dinner table; truinnsear de chnothan ruadha 鈥� le cumadh corraig orra: a plate of brown nuts 鈥� the聽shape of a finger; nach fhaca e riamh roimhe: that he鈥檇 never seen before; chuir e feadhainn na ph貌caid: he put some in his pocket.

Gilleasbaig M猫innearach: Archibald Menzies. One of the great mysteries of our bilingual society is how Gilleasbaig and Archibald came to be considered as equivalents! But I鈥檓 not going to tackle that just now. What interests me here is the Gaelic for Menzies 鈥� M猫innearach. The name is thought to be of Norman French origin 鈥� from Mesni猫res in Normandy. But like other clans of Norman origin, they became Gaelicized and Scotticized. In 1249 Sir Robert de Meyneris (sometimes spelled Meyners) became Lord Chamberlain of Scotland. It鈥檚 easy to see that Meyners would be M猫innearach in Gaelic. In fact the Gaelic in some ways preserves more faithfully the original name than does the modern anglicized form.

gu ruige an Cuan S猫imh: to the Pacific Ocean.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA