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Ràinig an soitheach Hesperus na h-Eileanan Flannach. B’ ise an soitheach a bha a’ frithealadh nan taighean-solais. Bha seo anns an Dùbhlachd sa bhliadhna naoi ceud deug (1900). Bha fios aig Bòrd nan Taighean-solais gun robh rudeigin ceàrr. Cha robh an solas anns an taigh-sholais ag obair. Nuair a ràinig iad an t-eilean, cha robh sgeul air duine.

Bha doras an taigh-sholais dùinte. Bha sèithear anns a’ chidsin air a chliathaich. Cha robh an gleoc a’ dol. Bha aon seata oillsginean ann. Ach anns a h-uile dòigh eile, cha robh càil ceàrr. Dè bh’ air tachairt, ma-thà, don triùir a bha ag obair ann?

Dh’fhuirich ceathrar bhon Hesperus anns an taigh-sholais. Thill an Hesperus a Bhreascleit ann an Leòdhas. Bha ionad aig Bòrd nan Taighean-solais ann am Breascleit. Chuir caiptean an Hesperus fios don Bhòrd. Thuirt e gun robh tubaist ann. Cha robh an gleoc a’ dol anns an taigh-sholais. Mar sin, thuirt e gun do thachair an tubaist seachdain roimhe.

Rinn an ceathrar anns an eilean rannsachadh. Bha stoirm mhòr air a bhith ann. Bha rèilichean iarainn air an lùbadh. Bha clach mhòr de chuideam còrr is tonna air gluasad. Gu h-àrd os cionn na mara, bha am feur air a reubadh a-mach.

Bha cuid ag ràdh gun do mhuirt fear aca an dithis eile. An uair sin leum e don mhuir. Bha cuid eile ag ràdh gun robh iad air an toirt air falbh le daoine à dùthaich chèin. Bha feadhainn ag ràdh gun do thachair rudeigin os-nàdarrach.

Chaidh oifigear aig Bòrd nan Taighean-solais ann. Cho-dhùin esan gun robh an triùir air a dhol a-mach a cheangal bogsa ann an stoirm. Bha am bogsa làn ròpan. Bha e ann an eag sa bhearradh. Bha sin còrr is ceud troigh os cionn na mara. Bha fear dhen triùir air a dhol a-mach gun oillsginean air. Chaidh tonn mòr thairis air an triùir.

Ge-tà, tha feadhainn ag ràdh fhathast gun robh fear dhen triùir anns an taigh-sholais. Bha an dithis eile a-muigh. Chunnaic am fear a bha a-staigh rudeigin – ’s dòcha tonn mòr. Ruith e a-mach ann an cabhaig. Bha e ag iarraidh rabhadh a thoirt don dithis eile. Cha robh ùine aige oillsginean a chur air. Agus ’s e sin as coireach gun robh an sèithear air a chliathaich. Ach cò aige tha fios dè dìreach a thachair air an latha sin anns na h-Eileanan Flannach.

Faclan is abairtean: ràinig an soitheach na h-Eileanan Flannach: the vessel reached the Flannan Isles; An Dùbhlachd: December; bha fios aig Bòrd nan Taighean-solais gun robh rudeigin ceàrr: The Lighthouse Board knew something was wrong; cha robh sgeul air duine: there was no sign of anybody; bha sèithear anns a’ chidsin air a chliathaich: a chair in the kitchen was on its side; cha robh an gleoc a’ dol: the clock wasn’t going; aon seata oillsginean: one set of oilskins; cha robh càil ceàrr: nothing was wrong; dè bh’ air tachairt, ma-thà, don triùir?: what had happened, then, to the three people?; a Bhreascleit ann an Leòdhas: to Breasclete in Lewis; gun robh tubaist ann: that there was [had been] an accident; seachdain roimhe: a week before; bha stoirm mhòr air a bhith ann: there had been a great storm; bha rèilichean iarainn air an lùbadh: iron railings were bent; bha clach mhòr de chuideam còrr is tonna air gluasad: a large stone weighing more than a ton had moved; gu h-àrd os cionn na mara: high above the sea; bha am feur air a reubadh a-mach: the grass was ripped out; gun do mhuirt fear aca an dithis eile: that one of them murdered the other two; leum e don mhuir: he jumped into the sea; air an toirt air falbh le daoine à dùthaich chèin: taken away by people from a foreign land; rudeigin os-nàdarrach: something supernatural; cho-dhùin esan: he [emphatic] concluded: air a dhol a-mach a cheangal bogsa: had gone out to secure a box; gun oillsginean air: without oilskins on [him]; chaidh tonn mòr thairis air an triùir: a large wave went over the three men; chunnaic am fear a bha a-staigh rudeigin: the one that was inside saw something; ruith e a-mach ann an cabhaig: he ran out in a hurry; rabhadh a thoirt don dithis eile: to warn the other two; ’s e sin as coireach gun robh an sèithear air a chliathaich: that is why the chair was on its side; cò aige tha fios dè dìreach a thachair: who knows exactly what happened.