大象传媒

Air mo bheulaibh an-dr脿sta, tha p矛os 脿 seann ph脿ipear-naidheachd Astr脿ilianach. 鈥橲 e an ceann-latha a th鈥� air 鈥� Disathairne an deicheamh latha fichead (30mh) dhen Iuchar ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1881). 鈥橲 e The Australasian Sketcher ainm a鈥� ph脿ipeir.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha an t-alt mu shoitheach a bha car ainmeil aig an 脿m sin. Ged a bha i ann an Astr脿ilia, bhiodh m貌ran ann an Alba e貌lach oirre. Gu dearbh, bhiodh m貌ran 脿s na h-eileanan agus taobh siar na G脿idhealtachd air a bhith a鈥� se貌ladh oirre. Tha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌nnse dhuibh st貌iridh iongantach an SS Ferret.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bidh m貌ran agaibh e貌lach air an rathad-iarainn a tha a鈥� dol eadar Inbhir Pheofharain agus Caol Loch Aillse. Nuair a thogadh an toiseach e, ge-t脿, cha do r脿inig e an Caol. Air s脿illibh duilgheadasan ionmhais, stad an loidhne aig an t-Sr貌m aig beul Loch Carrann. 脌s a sin, bha soithichean ag aiseag daoine is bathar a-mach do na h-eileanan. Mhair an suidheachadh mar sin fad seachd bliadhna fichead, eadar ochd ceud deug is seachdad (1870) agus ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a seachd (1897) 鈥� nuair a dh鈥檉hosgail an loidhne chun a鈥� Chaoil fh猫in.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Am measg nan soithichean a bha ag obair a-mach 脿s an t-Sr貌m, bha an SS Ferret. 鈥橲 e 蝉辞颈迟丑别补肠丑-蝉尘霉颈诲别 a bh鈥� innte. Bha i air a togail ann an Glaschu mar bh脿ta-bathair a bhiodh ag aiseag stuth timcheall Linne Chluaidh. Bha c貌rr is tr矛 cheud tunna de chuideam innte. Cheannaich companaidh r猫ile 脿s a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd i. An toiseach bha i air a cur gu feum nuair a bhathar a鈥� togail drochaid r猫ile Linne Tatha. An uair sin chaidh i chun na G脿idhealtachd fh猫in.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Carson, ma-th脿, a bha a leithid de shoitheach co-cheangailte ri c霉is-ch霉irte ann an Astr脿ilia? Uill, air s脿illibh 鈥檚 gun deach a goid.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Th貌isich an gnothach anns an D脿mhair ochd ceud deug is ochdad (1880). Aig an 脿m sin, bha am Ferret na laighe aig t脿mh ann an Grianaig. Chaidh tri霉ir chun na feadhainn leis an robh i, feuch a faighinn air mh脿l airson turas-mara don Mhuir Mheadhan-t矛rich. B鈥� e Seumas Sti霉bhart MacEanraig an ceannard aca. Thuirt e gun robh an turas airson a mhn脿 a bha tinn. Agus thug e a鈥� chreidsinn air an fheadhainn leis an robh am Ferret gun robh gu le貌r aige san sporan a leigeadh leis p脿igheadh air a son. Thuirt e gun robh e c脿irdeach do Phr矛omh Mhorair a鈥� Chabhlaich R矛oghail. Cha robh fios aig an fheadhainn leis an robh am Ferret, ge-t脿, gun robh d脿 ainm eile aig MacEanraig 鈥� Seumas Mac a鈥� Ghobhainn agus Seumas Bernard.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha dithis eile ann an co-fheall leis 鈥� I貌saph Mac an Fh霉cadair no Uallas, agus Eideard Carlyon no Wright no Leigh. Chaidh aontachadh gum biodh iad a鈥� faighinn a鈥� Ferret air mh脿l airson sia m矛osan. Thug iad seic seachad mar ph脿igheadh airson a鈥� chiad mh矛os (ged a b鈥� e t猫 鈥榬ubair鈥� a bh鈥� innte!) Agus bha iad ag obair tro chompanaidh luingeis ann an Lunnainn air an robh Henderson & Co 鈥� ged nach e f矛or chompanaidh a bh鈥� innte nas motha!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tuigidh sibh, 脿s d猫idh a h-uile c脿il, gun do rinn am Ferret a slighe gu Astr脿ilia. Ach ciamar, agus c貌 rinn aithneachadh oirre fada bho a dachaigh ann an Alba? Innsidh mi dhuibh tuilleadh dhen st貌iridh an-ath-sheachdain.

脿濒补颈苍苍: beautiful; Linne Chluaidh: The Firth of Clyde; MacEanraig: Henderson; co-fheall: conspiracy; Mac an Fh霉cadair: Walker; Uallas: Wallace.

Air mo bheulaibh an-dr脿sta: in front of me just now; tha an t-alt mu shoitheach: the article is about a vessel, ship; bhiodh m貌ran 脿s na h-eileanan agus taobh siar na G脿idhealtachd air a bhith a鈥� se貌ladh oirre: many from the islands and the western Highlands would have been sailing on her; an rathad-iarainn a tha a鈥� dol eadar Inbhir Pheofharain agus Caol Loch Aillse: the railway line that runs between Dingwall and Kyle of Lochalsh; nuair a thogadh an toiseach e, ge-t脿, cha do r脿inig e an Caol: when it was first built, however, it didn鈥檛 reach Kyle; air s脿illibh duilgheadasan ionmhais: because of financial difficulties; ag aiseag daoine is bathar a-mach: ferrying people and goods out; mhair an suidheachadh mar sin: the situation remained like that; chun a鈥� Chaoil fh猫in: to Kyle itself; a-mach 脿s an t-Sr貌m: out of Strome; bha i air a cur gu feum nuair a bhathar a鈥� togail drochaid r猫ile Linne Tatha: it was used when the Tay Rail Bridge was being built; air s脿illibh 鈥檚 gun deach a goid: because she was stolen; na laighe aig t脿mh ann an Grianaig: lying unused in Greenock; air mh脿l airson turas-mara don Mhuir Mheadhan-t矛rich: on rent for a cruise to the Mediterranean; airson a mhn脿 a bha tinn: for his wife who was ill; thug e a鈥� chreidsinn air an fheadhainn leis an robh am Ferret gun robh gu le貌r aige san sporan: he caused those who owned the Ferret to believe he had enough money; c脿irdeach do Phr矛omh Mhorair a鈥� Chabhlaich R矛oghail: related to the First Lord of the Admiralty; tro chompanaidh luingeis ann an Lunnainn: through a shipping company in London; ged nach e f矛or chompanaidh a bh鈥� innte nas motha: although that wasn鈥檛 a real company either; c貌 rinn aithneachadh oirre fada bho a dachaigh?: who recognised her far from her home.

ged a b鈥� e t猫 鈥榬ubair鈥� a bh鈥� innte: although it (fem) was a 鈥榬ubber鈥� one [ie a bouncing cheque].

听

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