大象传媒

Bha an t-Albannach Griogair MacGriogair an s脿s ann am foill. Chruthaich e d霉thaich mhacmeanmnach 鈥� Poyais air B脿gh Honduras ann am Meadhan Ameireagaidh. Bha e a鈥� cumail a-mach gun robh tiotal aige 鈥� His Serene Highness Gregor I, Prince of Poyais. An robh e 脿s a rian? Cha chreid mi gun robh. Ach bha e breugach.

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, gheibheadh duine acaire fearainn ann am Poyais. Ann an ochd ceud deug is dh脿 air fhichead (1822), fhuair e iasad luach d脿 cheud m矛le not 鈥� 脿s leth 鈥淩iaghaltas Poyais鈥�. Chl貌-bhuail e airgead Phoyais ann an D霉n 脠ideann. Air na notaichean bha sluagh-ghairm Gh脿idhlig 鈥� t猫 nan Griogarach 鈥� 鈥橲 R矛oghail mo Dhream. Cheannaich m貌ran de na h-Albannaich a bha a鈥� falbh a Phoyais an t-airgead 霉r le airgead math Albannach. Cha robh luach sam bith anns an airgead 霉r aca.

Dh鈥檉hoillsich MacGriogair leabhar air an robh 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 fon talamh. Cha robh galairean tropaigeach ann idir. P脿rras a r猫ir choltais. Nach robh duine sam bith amharasach? B鈥� e an aon rud a bha f矛or anns an leabhar, 鈥檚 d貌cha, na faclan 鈥淢osquito Shore鈥�.

As t-fhoghar ochd ceud deug is dh脿 air fhichead (1822), dh鈥檉h脿g soitheach Lunnainn le seachdad duine air b貌rd. Nam measg bha dotairean is luchd-lagha a fhuair gealltanas gum faigheadh iad dreuchdan ann an seirbheis chatharra Phoyais. Tr矛 m矛osan an d猫idh sin, she貌l long eile 脿 Port L矛te ann an Alba. Bha d脿 cheud duine air b貌rd.

D猫 lorg iad aig ceann thall an turais-mhara? Lorg coille mh貌r mh貌r le corra baile beag anns an robh d霉thchasaich a鈥� fuireach. Cha robh tuineachas E貌rpach ann idir. Cha robh sgeul air 貌r no airgead. Bha na mosg矛otothan uabhasach. Cha robh ann am Poyais ach rud a bhuineadh do mhacmeanmna MhicGriogair. Dh鈥檉h脿g na longan na daoine air t矛r agus dh鈥檉halbh iad.

Cha deach c霉isean gu math. Chaidh feadhainn dhen luchd-tuineachaidh a-mach air a ch猫ile. Dh鈥檉huiling feadhainn galairean tropaigeach. Chuir aon duine, a bh鈥� air a chuid airgid gu l猫ir a chosg air a鈥� ghnothach, 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. Thugadh iad gu ruige British Honduras. Ach chaochail feadhainn anns an ospadal an sin. A-mach 脿 d脿 cheud gu leth neach-tuineachadh, cha robh air fh脿gail be貌 ach timcheall air seasgad.

Chaidh fios a chur don riaghaltas ann an Lunnainn. Chuir iadsan soithichean bhon Chabhlach R矛oghail a-mach airson stad a chur air c貌ig longan eile a bh鈥� air an slighe gu ruige Poyais. Thug na p脿ipearan-naidheachd ann an Lunnainn slaic mh貌r air MacGriogair. Ghabh cuid 鈥減enniless adventurer鈥� air.

Shaoileadh tu gum biodh an fheadhainn a mhair be貌, agus a thill a Bhreatainn bho Mheadhan Ameireagaidh, fiadhaich le Griogair MacGriogair airson am mealladh. Ach, gu h-iongantach, cha robh cuid aca de貌nach coire a chur air MacGriogair idir. Bha iad a鈥� coireachadh nan comhairleach is luchd-sgaoilidh fiosrachaidh aige, seach am 鈥減rionnsa鈥� fh猫in.

Ach cha robh sgeul air MacGriogair. Bha esan air teicheadh bho Bhreatainn. Bha e a-nise anns an Fhraing. A鈥� cumail a chinn s矛os? Cha robh, gu dearbh, mar a ch矛 sinn an-ath-sheachdain.

an s脿s ann am foill: involved in deceit; an robh e 脿s a rian?: was he out of his mind?; cha chreid mi gun robh: I don鈥檛 think so; tr矛 tastain agus tr矛 sgillinn: three shillings and three pence; gheibheadh duine acaire fearainn: a man would get an acre of land; t猫 nan Griogarach: the MacGregors鈥� one; 鈥橲 R矛oghail mo Dhream: my race is royal; b鈥� e an aon rud a bha f矛or: the only thing that was true was; gealltanas gum faigheadh iad dreuchdan ann an seirbheis chatharra Phoyais: a promise that they would get jobs in the Poyais civil service; she貌l long eile 脿 Port L矛te: another ship sailed from the Port of Leith; aig ceann thall an turais-mhara: at the [far] end of their maritime journey; a bhuineadh do mhacmeanmna MhicGriogair: that belonged to MacGregor鈥檚 imagination; dh鈥檉h脿g na longan na daoine air t矛r: the ships left the people on land; cha deach c霉isean gu math: matters didn鈥檛 go well; chaidh feadhainn dhen luchd-tuineachaidh a-mach air a ch猫ile: some of the settlers fell out with each other; chaidh cobhair a dh猫anamh orra: they received help; thugadh iad gu ruige X: they were taken to X; chaochail feadhainn anns an ospadal: some died in [the] hospital; soithichean bhon Chabhlach R矛oghail: vessels from the Royal Navy; thug na p脿ipearan-naidheachd slaic mh貌r air X: the newspapers heavily criticized X; shaoileadh tu gum biodh an fheadhainn a mhair be貌..fiadhaich: you鈥檇 think that the survivors..would be angry; a鈥� coireachadh nan comhairleach is luchd-sgaoilidh fiosrachaidh aige: blaming his advisers and publicists; bha esan air teicheadh: he had fled/left.

A鈥� cumail a chinn s矛os? Cha robh, gu dearbh: keeping his head down? Certainly not.

听

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA