大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu na 鈥楥olby Camps鈥� 鈥� togalaichean a thog muinntir na Suirbhidh 脪rdanais nuair a bha iad a鈥� d猫anamh mapaichean dhen Gh脿idhealtachd. Chithear na tobhtaichean aig cuid dhiubh fhathast. Bha na togalaichean air an ainmeachadh an d猫idh T貌mas Colby, fear de sh脿r-chruinn-e貌laichean an t-saoghail ri a linn.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Rugadh Colby ann an seachd ceud deug, ochdad 始s a ceithir (1784). Thogadh e ann an Sasainn agus ceann a deas na Cuimrigh, agus dhearbh e aig aois 貌g gun robh e f矛or chomasach air obair mhapaichean. Ge-t脿, cha mh貌r nach do chaill e a bheatha aig aois naoi-deug nuair a bha e air turas tr猫anaidh anns a鈥� Ch貌rn. Bha e a鈥� gabhail sp貌rs le gunna-l脿imhe nuair a spreadh an gunna na l脿imh chl矛. Chaidh p脿irt dhen ghunna a-steach air a chlaigeann air a bhathais. Chaill e a l脿mh ach, gu fortanach dha, chuir caraid stad air lannsair bho bhith a鈥� tolladh a chlaiginn.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha suirbhidheadh doirbh do dhuine a bha gann de l脿imh ach rinn Colby a鈥� ch霉is. Agus, gu fortanach, cha do rinn a鈥� mheatailt a dh鈥檉huirich na chlaigeann cron air inntinn. Ann an ochd ceud deug is fichead (1820), dh鈥櫭╥rich e gu bhith na cheannard air an t-Suirbhidh 脪rdanais, 脿s d猫idh a bhith air a mholadh le Di霉c Wellington agus Sir I貌saph Banks, Ceann-suidhe a鈥� Chomainn R矛oghail. Ceithir bliadhna an d猫idh sin, roghnaich an riaghaltas suirbhidh mh貌r a dh猫anamh de dh鈥櫭坕rinn air fad air sg脿th 始s gun robh iad ag iarraidh c矛sean-fearainn a chur an s脿s, st猫idhichte air meud an fhearainn. Bha na mapaichean sin aig sia 貌irlich air a鈥� mh矛le. Chruthaich Colby slat-tomhais 霉r airson na h-obrach ris an cante an 鈥楥olby bar鈥�.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha na mapaichean a rinn Colby ann an 脠irinn air leth cudromach oir tha iad a鈥� sealltainn cruth na d霉thcha ron Ghoirt Mh貌ir. Th脿inig an obair suirbhidh gu ceann d矛reach bliadhna mus do th貌isich a鈥� Ghort.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha Colby ann an Alba cuideachd agus choisinn e cli霉 dha fh猫in air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd airson a bhith a鈥� seasamh ri cruadal is droch sh矛de. Chuir e fh猫in is sgioba de luchd-obrach seachad seachdainean air mullach Beinn Nibheis. Uaireannan, bha iad a鈥� fuireach ann an teantaichean. Uaireannan, thog iad togalaichean cloiche. Gu tric, cha robh aca airson ithe ach lite.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha Colby cho fut ri fiadh 鈥� agus bha e an d霉il gum biodh a chompanaich a cheart cho comasach is de貌nach ris fh猫in. Nuair a bha iad a鈥� gabhail cuairtean rannsachaidh, bhiodh iad a鈥� coiseachd anns a鈥� choitcheannas trithead 始s a naoi m矛le gach latha. Ann an aon turas air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd, a鈥� coiseachd air talamh garbh thar tr矛 seachdainean, choisich Colby faisg air sia ceud m矛le.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Mar bu trice, bhiodh e a鈥� coimhead airson eaglais air Did貌mhnaich. Ach aon turas ann an Loch Abar cha robh sgeul air eaglais. Dh鈥檌arr Colby air an luchd-obrach aige an latha 鈥榙heth鈥� aca a chur seachad ann a bhith a鈥� d矛readh an Aonaich Bhig faisg air Beinn Nibheis 鈥� 脿irde c貌rr is ceithir m矛le troigh!

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ach bha aon mhullach a bha ro dhoirbh, eadhon do Cholby. B鈥� e sin An Stac 鈥� no am Bidean Do-ruigsinneach mar a chanas m貌ran an-diugh 鈥� air mullach a鈥� Chuilthinn anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Rinn Colby oidhirp air a shreap ach, le d矛reach aon l脿mh agus gun r貌pan no 脿raidhean, cha deach leis.

Faclan na Litreach: An t-Suirbhidh 脪rdanais: The Ordnance Survey (UK mapping organisation); spreadh: exploded; suirbhidheadh: surveying; roghnaich: chose; Beinn Nibheis: Ben Nevis; An Stac: the old name for the Innaccessible Pinnacle; Am Bidean Do-ruigsinneach: the modern name for the Inaccessible Pinnacle; 脿谤补颈诲丑别补苍: ladders.

Abairtean na Litreach: Chithear na tobhtaichean aig cuid dhiubh fhathast: the ruins of some of them can still be seen; fear de sh脿r-chruinn-e貌laichean an t-saoghail ri a linn: one of the great world geographers of his day; dhearbh e aig aois 貌g gun robh e f矛or chomasach air obair mhapaichean: he proved at a young age that he was extremely capable at map work; cha mh貌r nach do chaill e a bheatha: he almost lost his life; turas tr猫anaidh anns a鈥� Ch貌rn: a training trip in Cornwall; a-steach air a chlaigeann air a bhathais: into his skull in the forehead; gu fortanach dha: fortunately for him; chuir caraid stad air lannsair bho bhith a鈥� tolladh a chlaiginn: a friend stopped a surgeon from drilling into his skull; 脿s d猫idh a bhith air a mholadh le: after being recommended by; Ceann-suidhe a鈥� Chomainn R矛oghail: President of the Royal Society; gun robh iad ag iarraidh c矛sean-fearainn a chur an s脿s, st猫idhichte air meud an fhearainn: that they were wanting to implement land taxes, based on the size of the land; cruth na d霉thcha ron Goirt Mh貌ir: the shape of the land before the Great Famine; choisinn e cli霉 dha fh猫in airson a bhith a鈥� seasamh ri cruadal is droch sh矛de: he won a reputation for himself for putting up with hardship and bad weather; cha robh aca airson ithe ach lite: they only had porridge to eat; bhiodh e a鈥� coimhead airson eaglais air Did貌mhnaich: he would be looking for a church on a Sunday; aon turas ann an Loch Abar cha robh sgeul air eaglais: one time in Lochaber there was no sign of a church; an latha 鈥榙heth鈥� aca a chur seachad ann a bhith a鈥� d矛readh an Aonaich Bhig: to spend their day 鈥榦ff鈥� in climbing the Aonach Beag.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: bhiodh iad a鈥� coiseachd anns a鈥� choitcheannas trithead 始s a naoi m矛le gach latha: they would commonly walk 39 miles each day. If you want to say 鈥榦n average鈥� ie 鈥榗ommonly鈥�, this is a good expression, as is anns a鈥� chumantas. If you want to be more accurate and express a mathematical average, a better term is cuibheas ie anns a鈥� chuibheas, gu cuibheasach.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Bha Colby cho fut ri fiadh: Colby was as fit as a fiddle.