大象传媒

Hal貌 a-rithist. Cha mh貌r nach eil sinn aig deireadh bliadhna eile. Agus bu toigh leam an Litir a th貌iseachadh le ceist. C脿ite ann an Siorrachd Rois a rugadh Frank Gardiner? Ma tha fios agaibh, bu toigh leam cluinntinn bhuaibh.

Nise, chan eil mi a鈥� ciallachadh an fhir a bhios ag aithris air t猫arainteachd airson a鈥� BhBC. Tha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh air Frank Gardiner 鈥� G-A-R-D-I-N-E-R 鈥� a bha na eucoireach ainmeil ann an Astr脿ilia anns an naoidheamh linn deug.

Bha e be貌 mun aon 脿m 始s a bha Ned Kelly. Tha Kelly 始s d貌cha nas ainmeile an-diugh na Gardiner oir fhuair e b脿s an d猫idh batail ainmeil aig Glenrowan ann a鈥� Bhictoria ann an ochd ceud deug is ochdad (1880).聽

Tha na cunntasan-beatha ag innse dhuinn gun do rugadh Gardiner ann an ochd ceud deug, fichead 始s a naoi (1829) no ochd ceud deug is trithead (1830) ann an Siorrachd Rois, ach chan eil iad ag innse dhuinn c脿ite. Aig aois 貌g, rinn e eilthireachd gu Astr脿ilia cuide ri a ph脿rantan. Agus cha b鈥� e Gardiner an t-ainm ceart aige, a r猫ir choltais, ach Christie. Bhiodh e a鈥� gabhail Gardiner, Christie no Clarke air fh猫in agus uaireannan 鈥楩rancis Gardiner, the Highwayman鈥�.

Nuair a bha e fhathast na dhuine 貌g, bha e ag obair le crodh ann am meadhan Bhictoria. C貌mhla ri feadhainn eile, ghoid e treud each, ach chaidh a ghlacadh agus chuir e seachad 霉ine sa phr矛osan.

Nuair a fhuair e a-mach, 始s ann ri eucoir a bha e gu cunbhalach 鈥� m猫irle cruidh agus m猫irle 貌ir. Ann an ochd ceud deug, seasgad 始s a dh脿 (1862), chaidh e an s脿s le s脿r-mh猫irlich eile agus chuir iad stad air gluasad 貌ir is airgid ann an Cuimrigh Nuadh a Deas. Ghoid iad ulaidh air am biodh luach an-diugh de ch貌ig-deug millean doilear. Rinn seo Gardiner ainmeil air feadh Astr脿ilia agus eadhon ann am Breatainn is na St脿itean Aonaichte.

Theich e gu tuath, gu T矛r na Banrigh. Cha robh an c貌rr dhen ghr脿isg aige cho fortanach. Bha iad air an glacadh no air am marbhadh leis na poilis.

Ann an T矛r na Banrigh, bha Gardiner a鈥� ruith b霉th ann am baile Rockhampton ach chaidh aithneachadh le cuideigin. Chaidh a ghlacadh, agus fhuair e binn de ch貌rr is deich bliadhna fichead sa phr矛osan, agus obair chruaidh na cois. Ge-t脿, an d猫idh deich bliadhna fhuair e maitheanas, st猫idhichte air a鈥� chumha gum f脿gadh e Astr脿ilia. Mar bu trice, bhiodh eucoirich 脿 Breatainn is 脠irinn air an cur a-null gu Astr脿ilia. A-nise, bha Astr脿ila a鈥� cur fear a-mach 脿s an d霉thaich.

Ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad 始s a ceithir (1874), chaidh Gardiner gu Hong Kong agus an uair sin gu Calaf貌rnia, far an do sheatlaig e ann an San Francisco. Cheannaich e taigh-seinnse faisg air a鈥� chala.

Chan eil e soilleir mar a fhuair e b脿s, oir chaill San Francisco m貌ran de na cl脿raidhean baile aca anns a鈥� chrith-thalmhainn ann an naoi ceud deug is sia (1906). Co-dhi霉, uaireigin eadar ochd ceud deug, ochdad 始s a dh脿 (1882) agus naoi ceud deug is ceithir (1904), fhuair Gardiner b脿s, a r猫ir choltais 鈥� 始s d貌cha le fiabhras-cl猫ibhe no ann an c貌mhstri le gunnaichean ann an taigh-seinnse. Agus co-dhi霉 fhuair e air ais gu d霉thaich a bhreith ann an Siorrachd Rois, chan eil c脿il a dh鈥檉hios a鈥檓.

Faclan na Litreach: eucoireach: criminal (鈥�bushranger鈥�); cunntasan-beatha: biographies; T矛r na Banrigh: Queensland.

Abairtean na Litreach: Cha mh貌r nach eil sinn aig deireadh bliadhna eile: we鈥檙e almost at the end of another year; c脿ite ann an Siorrachd Rois a rugadh X?: where in Ross-shire was X born?; bu toigh leam cluinntinn bhuaibh: I鈥檇 like to hear from you; fhuair e b脿s an d猫idh batail ainmeil: he died after a famous battle; rinn e eilthireachd gu Astr脿ilia cuide ri a ph脿rantan: he emigrated to Australia with his parents; ghoid e treud each: he stole a herd of horses; chaidh a ghlacadh agus chuir e seachad 霉ine sa phr矛osan: he was caught and he spent time in [the] prison; 始s ann ri eucoir a bha e gu cunbhalach: he was involved in crime habitually; chaidh e an s脿s le s脿r-mh猫irlich eile: he got involved with other famous robbers; chuir iad stad air gluasad 貌ir is airgid ann an Cuimrigh Nuadh a Deas: they stopped a transfer of gold and money in New South Wales; ghoid iad ulaidh air am biodh luach an-diugh de ch貌ig-deug millean doilear: they stole treasure which would be worth fifteen million dollars today; fhuair e binn de ch貌rr is deich bliadhna fichead sa phr矛osan, agus obair chruaidh na cois: he got a sentence of more than thirty years in prison, with hard labour; an d猫idh deich bliadhna fhuair e maitheanas: after ten years, he received a pardon; st猫idhichte air a鈥� chumha gum f脿gadh e Astr脿ilia: based on the condition that he would leave Australia; far an do sheatlaig e: where he settled; chaill X m貌ran de na cl脿raidhean baile aca anns a鈥� chrith-thalmhainn: X lost many of its city records in the earthquake; 始s d貌cha le fiabhras-cl猫ibhe no ann an c貌mhstri le gunnaichean ann an taigh-seinnse: perhaps with pneumonia or in a shootout in a bar; co-dhi霉 fhuair e air ais gu d霉thaich a bhreith: whether [or not] he got back to the country of his birth.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: chaidh aithneachadh le cuideigin: he was recognised by somebody. Compare this with chaidh a thogail 鈥榟e was raised鈥�. Because aithneachadh starts with a vowel, we elide the third personal singular masculine possessive pronoun (鈥榓鈥�) in speech (and we don鈥檛 write it either). If Gardiner had been female, I would have said chaidh a h-aithneachadh 鈥榮he was recognised鈥�, using the feminine possessive pronoun.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: chan eil c脿il a dh鈥檉hios a鈥檓: I have no idea.