大象传媒

Bha an t-Albannach Griogair MacGriogair an s脿s ann am foill. Chruthaich e d霉thaich mhacmeanmnach. B鈥� e sin Poyais. Bha i air B脿gh Honduras ann am Meadhan Ameir-eagaidh. Bha MacGriogair ag r脿dh gum b鈥� esan His Serene Highness Gregor I, Prince of Poyais. An robh e 脿s a rian? Cha robh. Ach bha e breugach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chuir e oifisean air d貌igh ann an D霉n 脠ideann is Glaschu. Reic e fearann annta. Airson tr矛 tastain agus tr矛 sgillinn, bha daoine 鈥渁鈥� ceannach鈥� acaire fearainn ann am Poyais. Rinn MacGriogair airgead Phoyais ann an D霉n 脠ideann. Air na notaichean bha beagan G脿idhlig 鈥� 鈥橲 R矛oghail mo Dhream. 鈥橲 e sin sluagh-ghairm nan Griogarach. Ach cha robh luach sam bith anns an airgead.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dh鈥檉hoillsich MacGriogair lea-bhar. B鈥� e an tiotal Sketch of the Mosquito Shore, including the Territory of Poyais. B鈥� e 鈥溍筭hdar鈥� an leabhair Captain Thomas Strangeways. Mhol Strangeways an d霉thaich. Bha i beartach, le airgead is 貌r gu le貌r. Cha robh galairean tropaigeach ann. 鈥橲 e leabhar breugach a bha ann. Ach bha 鈥淢osquito Shore鈥� f矛or. Bha na mosg矛otothan uabhasach.

As t-fhoghar ochd ceud deug is dh脿 air fhichead (1822), dh鈥檉h脿g soitheach Lunnainn. Bha seachdad duine air b貌rd. Tr矛 m矛osan an d猫idh sin, dh鈥檉h脿g long eile Port L矛te ann an Alba. Bha d脿 cheud duine air b貌rd. Bha iad a鈥� dol a Phoyais.

Agus d猫 lorg na daoine ann? Lorg iad coille mh貌r mh貌r. Cha robh tuineachas E貌rpach ann idir. Cha robh 貌r no airgead ann.

Cha deach c霉isean gu math. Chaidh feadhainn a-mach air a ch猫ile. Dh鈥檉huiling feadhainn galairean tropaigeach. Chuir aon duine a l脿mh na bheatha fh猫in.

脌s d猫idh d脿 mh矛os chaidh cobhair a dh猫anamh orra. Chaidh fios a chur don riaghaltas ann an Lunnainn. Chuir iadsan soithichean bhon Chabhlach R矛oghail a-mach. Chuir iad stad air c貌ig longan eile a bha a鈥� dol a Phoyais. Thug na p脿ipearan-naidheachd ann an Lunnainn slaic mh貌r air MacGriogair.

The Scot Gregor MacGregor was involved in deceit. He created an imaginary country. That was Poyais. It was in the Gulf of Honduras in Central America. MacGregor was saying that he was His Serene Highness Gregor I, Prince of Poyais. Was he out of his mind. No. But he was dishonest.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He set up offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow. He sold land there. For three shillings and three pence people were 鈥渂uying鈥� an acre of land in Poyais. MacGregor made Poyais money in Edinburgh. On the notes there was a little Gaelic - 鈥橲 R矛oghail mo Dhream [my race is royal]. That鈥檚 the MacGregors鈥� slogan. But the money had no value.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 MacGregor published a book. The title was Sketch of the Mosquito Shore, including the Territory of Poyais. The 鈥渁uthor鈥� of the book was Captain Thomas Strangeways. Strangeways praised the country. It was rich, with much silver and gold. There were no tropical diseases. It was a dishonest book. But 鈥淢osquito Shore鈥� was true. The mosquitoes were terrible.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In the autumn of 1822, a ship left London. There were seventy people on board. Three months after that, another ship left the Port of Leith in Scotland. There were two hundred people on board. They were going to Poyais.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And what did the people find there? They found an enormous forest. There was no European colony whatsoever. There was no gold or silver.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Matters didn鈥檛 go well. Some of them fell out with each other. Some suffered tropical diseases. One man committed suicide.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 After two months, they received help. The government in London were told. They sent out ships from the Royal Navy. They stopped five other ships that were going to Poyais. The newspapers in London heavily criticized MacGregor.