大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Iain Sp脿innteach, Iain MacDh貌mhnaill 脿 Cn貌ideart. Air an t-siathamh latha deug dhen Ghiblean, seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 始s a sia (1746), she貌l e fh猫in is oifigearan 脠ireannach a-mach 脿 Dunkirk, anns an Fhraing. Bha iad a鈥� d猫anamh air Alba. Bha iad a鈥� dol a thoirt taic do na Seumasaich.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 An do mhothaich sibh don cheann-latha? An latha a she貌l iad, b鈥� e sin Latha Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair. Nuair a r脿inig Iain agus buidheann de dh鈥檕ifigearan 脠ireannach Loch a鈥� Bhraoin, bha ar-a-mach nan Seumasach seachad. Bha na fineachan air sgaoileadh. Bha br脿thair athair Iain marbh. Agus bha am Prionnsa fh猫in am falach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Nuair a chuala iad mu Bhl脿r Ch霉il Lodair, thill an caiptean Frangach don Fhraing. Ach chuir e Iain MacDh貌mhnaill agus oifigear 脠ireannach gu t矛r le m矛le gu leth not airson a鈥� Phrionnsa. Bha an t-airgead ann an m脿ileid. Bha Iain a-nise ann an d霉thaich 始ic Coinnich. Chaidh e gu taigh aig fear air an robh 鈥楥ailean Dearg鈥�. Thug iad deoch-sl脿inte don Phrionnsa.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ach bha an taigh a鈥� s矛or-l矛onadh le daoine. Bha Iain a鈥� gabhail dragh mun airgead aige agus thug e s霉il air a鈥� mh脿ileid grunn tursan. Ach chan fhac鈥� e gun robh c脿il 脿s an rathad.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chaidh a鈥� mh脿ileid a chur air each. Dh鈥檉halbh iad gu Ach D脿 Dh貌mhnaill agus taigh aig MacCoinnich eile, nephew do Chailean Dearg. 始S ann an uair sin a fhuair iad a-mach gun robh cuideigin air briseadh a-steach don mh脿ileid le sgian, agus m矛le not a ghoid.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Thill Iain agus an t-oifigear 脠ireannach, an Caiptean Lynch, gu taigh Chailein Deirg. Dh鈥檌arr Iain air Cailean an t-airgead a thilleadh dha. Cuimhnicheamaid nach robh Iain ach ochd bliadhn鈥� deug a dh鈥檃ois. Ach 始s e saighdear a bh鈥� ann agus bha e deiseil is de貌nach an gunna aige a chur gu feum.

Bha eadar fichead is trithead duine c貌mhla ri Cailean Dearg, ge-t脿. Bha iad uile armaichte. Thuirt Cailean nach robh c脿il a dh鈥檉hios aige mun airgead. B鈥� fheudar do dh鈥橧ain agus Lynch falbh air ais a dh鈥橝ch D脿 Dh貌mhnaill.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chaidh iad an uair sin a choinneachadh ri Camshron Loch Iall agus feadhainn a bha d矛leas don Phrionnsa. Bha c貌ig ceud not fhathast aig Iain airson a鈥� Phrionnsa. Thug e an t-airgead seachad agus lean e fh猫in is Lynch orra a Chn貌ideart. Mu dheireadh, fhuair Lynch air ais don Fhraing ann an soitheach Frangach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Sa gheamhradh 脿s d猫idh sin, thill Iain gu d霉thaich 鈥檌c Coinnich 鈥� e fh猫in is fear eile 鈥� feuch faighinn a-mach d猫 thachair don mh矛le not. Bha e ann an Toirbheartan nuair a thachair e ri fear a bha a鈥� gabhail cuairt a-muigh. Dh鈥檌nns am fear eile dha mu mar a chaidh m矛le not a ghoid bho dhithis oifigearan Seumasach a鈥� bhliadhna roimhe. B鈥� iad na m猫irlich Cailean Dearg agus dithis eile.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dh鈥檃idich am fear gun robh e an l脿thair nuair a thachair a鈥� mh猫irle. Bha e air comhairle a thoirt do Chailean Dearg an dithis oifigearan 鈥� fear 脠ireannach agus fear MacDh貌mhnaill 鈥� a mharbhadh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥楢 bheil fios agad c貌 ris a tha thu a鈥� bruidhinn?鈥� thuirt Iain.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥楻i caraid agus fear dhen chinneadh agam fh猫in,鈥� fhreagair am fear eile.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥業st a bhleigeird!鈥� thuirt Iain. 鈥業s mise am fear MacDh貌mhnaill sin!鈥� Agus innsidh mi dhuibh de thachair an uair sin nuair a bheir mi an eachdraidh gu cr矛ch an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Cn貌ideart: Knoydart; she貌l e: he sailed; Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair: The Battle of Culloden; Loch a鈥� Bhraoin: Loch Broom; am falach: in hiding; 尘脿颈濒别颈诲: portmanteau; d霉thaich 始ic Coinnich: MacKenzie country; Ach D脿 Dh貌mhnaill: Dundonell; cuimhnicheamaid: let鈥檚 remember; armaichte: armed; Camshron Loch Iall: Cameron of Locheil; 尘猫颈谤濒颈肠丑: thieves.

Abairtean na Litreach: Air an t-siathamh latha deug dhen Ghiblean: on 16th April; an do mhothaich sibh don cheann-latha?: did you notice the date?; bha ar-a-mach nan Seumasach seachad: the Jacobite rebellion was over; bha na fineachan air sgaoileadh: the clans had scattered; thug iad deoch-sl脿inte don Phrionnsa: they drank the Prince鈥檚 health; bha an taigh a鈥� s矛or-l矛onadh: the house was continually filling; thug e s霉il air a鈥� mh脿ileid grunn tursan: he examined the portmanteau several times; gun robh cuideigin air briseadh a-steach don mh脿ileid le sgian: that somebody had broken into the portmanteau with a knife; dh鈥檌arr Iain air Cailean an t-airgead a thilleadh dha: John asked Colin to return the money to him; bha e deiseil is de貌nach an gunna aige a chur gu feum: he was ready and willing to use his gun; b鈥� fheudar do X falbh air ais: X had to go back; lean e fh猫in is Lynch orra a: he and Lynch continued to; feuch faighinn a-mach d猫 thachair don mh矛le not: to try to find out what happened to the thousand pounds; ann an Toirbheartan nuair a thachair e ri fear a bha a鈥� gabhail cuairt a-muigh: in Torridon when he met a man who was out taking the air; gun robh e an l脿thair: that he was present; bha e air comhairle a thoirt do: he had advised; c貌 ris a tha thu a鈥� bruidhinn: who you are speaking to; fear dhen chinneadh agam fh猫in: one of my own clansmen; ist a bhleigeird: be quiet, you scoundrel.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: MacCoinnich eile, nephew do Chailean Dearg: another MacKenzie, a nephew of Red Colin. With relation to nieces and nephews, Gaelic is more specific than English and doesn鈥檛 have a generic term ie we would say for a nephew in this case mac br脿thair Chailein or mac piuthar Chailein depending on the relationship. But as Spanish John鈥檚 account is in English, he doesn鈥檛 specify the exact relationship, so I have employed the generic English term. The same applies to 鈥榰ncle鈥� and 鈥榓unt鈥�. In the text we have Bha br脿thair athair Iain marbh. This translates as 鈥楯ohn鈥檚 paternal uncle was dead鈥�.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: chan fhac鈥� e gun robh c脿il 脿s an rathad: he didn鈥檛 see that there was anything amiss.