大象传媒

Bha Seumas Mason a鈥� ruith soithichean a bha a鈥� cur bunt脿ta a-mach 脿 Inbhir Nis gu ruige Lunnainn. Ach bha gaiseadh a鈥� bhunt脿ta ann. Agus bha an sluagh feargach mu dheidhinn. Chuir daoine stad air Mason bho bhith a鈥� cur bunt脿ta air na soithichean. Gheall Mason gun toireadh e 鈥渁rbhar is bunt脿ta gu le貌r a-steach a dh鈥橧nbhir Nis鈥� nan robh sin a dh矛th.

Ach cha robh an sluagh riaraichte. Bha fios aca gum biodh biadh mar sin fada ro dhaor dhaibh. Bhris iad na h-uinneagan anns an taigh aige. An uair sin, rinn iad air taigh fear eile a bha a鈥� d猫anamh 脿s-mhalairt de bhunt脿ta. Ach bha saighdearan ann romhpa.

Dh鈥檉huiling dithis lotan bho bheigleidean nan saighdearan. Chuir na saighdearan fichead duine an gr猫im. Mus d鈥� fhuair iad air ais don chaisteal leotha, thilg an sluagh t貌rr chlachan orra. Bha am Pr貌bhaist feargach. Chanadh cuid mu dheidhinn gun d猫anadh e aimhreit ann an eaglais fhalamh. Chan 猫isteadh e ri gearanan an t-sluaigh mu chion a鈥� bh矛dh. An 脿ite sin, rinn e conastabalan s貌nraichte de chuid de dh鈥檉hir bheartach a鈥� bhaile.

Agus rinn e c霉isean na bu mhiosa. Chaidh cairt l脿n bhunt脿ta a thoirt gu Taigh a鈥� Bhaile. Thug na h-霉ghdarrasan a鈥� chairt tro na sr脿idean a dh鈥檌onnsaigh a鈥� chidhe. Air an rathad, chaidh clach a thilgeil. Bhuail i am Pr貌bhaist. Leugh an Siorram Achd na h-Aimhreit.

Ach th脿inig barrachd is barrachd dhaoine cruinn c貌mhla air an rathad don chidhe. Mu dheireadh, bha mu ch貌ig m矛le ann. 鈥橲 e sluagh m貌r a bha sin oir cha robh ach c貌ig m矛le deug duine a鈥� fuireach ann an Inbhir Nis aig an 脿m. Chuir na daoine ruaig air na poilis le bhith a鈥� tilgeil clachan orra. Fhuair iad gr猫im air a鈥� chairt. Dh鈥檉huasgail iad an t-each agus thilg iad a鈥� chairt don abhainn.

Chaidh fios a chur do na saighdearan anns a鈥� chaisteal. Th脿inig iadsan don chidhe leis na beigleidean aca ceangailte. Chuir iad c貌ignear an gr猫im.

Chaidh stad a chur air daoine bho bhith a鈥� falbh a-mach eadar naoi uairean a dh鈥檕idhche agus sia uairean sa mhadainn. Thairis air an oidhche, ge-t脿, chaidh cuid a chur an gr猫im air sr脿idean Inbhir Nis.

Air Disathairne an seachdamh latha dhen Ghearran, ceithir latha 脿s d猫idh don aimhreit t貌iseachadh, chaidh ochd l脿n-chairtean de bhunt脿ta a chur air b貌rd nan long aig a鈥� chidhe. Bha aon duine a鈥� feuchainn ri stad a chur orra. Ach bha saighdearan gu le貌r an l脿thair. Chaidh an duine a chur an gr猫im. Bha buaidh aig na h-霉ghdarrasan.

Nochd ceannard luchd na h-aimhreit, an gobha, Aonghas Siosalach, anns a鈥� ch霉irt anns a鈥� Ghiblean. Bha e fh猫in is feadhainn eile fo chasaid de bhith ri aimhreit. Fhuair e naoi m矛osan anns a鈥� phr矛osan.

Ach tro th矛de th脿inig e am follais gu robh luchd na h-aimhreit ceart mun t-suidheachadh anns a鈥� cheann a tuath. Rinn an gaiseadh sgrios air a鈥� bhunt脿ta air feadh na sg矛re.

Chan e sin a-mh脿in ach bha gainnead de dh鈥檃rbhar ann an cuid de dh鈥櫭爄teachan cuideachd. A dh鈥檃indeoin sin bha cuid fhathast a鈥� d猫anamh 脿s-mhalairt de dh鈥檃rbhar. Anns an Fhaoilleach ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a seachd (1847) chaidh aithris gu robh daoine ann an Srath Glais a鈥� fulaing le cion a鈥� bh矛dh. Agus chaidh feadhainn ann an Inbhir Nis air ais air na sr脿idean air a鈥� chiad latha dhen Ghearran, feuch stad a chur air 脿s-mhalairt de bhiadh. Ach mhair an d脿rna ar-a-mach d矛reach latha, agus cha robh feum air saighdearan.

Faclan na Litreach: riaraichte: satisfied; romhpa: before them; gobha: blacksmith; An Giblean: April; 脿s-mhalairt: export; Am Faoilleach: January; Srath Glais: Strathglass; An Gearran: February.

Abairtean na Litreach: soithichean a bha a鈥� cur bunt脿ta a-mach 脿 Inbhir Nis: vessels that were exporting potatoes from Inverness; gaiseadh a鈥� bhunt脿ta: the potato blight; gun toireadh e arbhar gu le貌r a-steach: that he would import enough corn; nan robh sin a dh矛th: if that were needed; ro dhaor: too dear; rinn iad air taigh fear eile: they made for another man鈥檚 house; dh鈥檉huiling dithis lotan bho bheigleidean: two people suffered wounds from bayonets; chuir X fichead duine an gr猫im: X arrested twenty people; chan 猫isteadh e ri gearanan an t-sluaigh: he wouldn鈥檛 listen to the people鈥檚 complaints; conastabalan s貌nraichte: special constables; rinn e c霉isean na bu mhiosa: he made things worse; Taigh a鈥� Bhaile: The Town House; leugh an Siorram Achd na h-Aimhreit: the Sheriff read the Riot Act; c貌ig m矛le deug duine: fifteen thousand people; dh鈥檉huasgail iad an t-each: they unhitched the horse; beigleidean ceangailte: fixed bayonets; ochd l脿n-chairtean: eight cartloads; air b貌rd nan long: on board the ships; an l脿thair: present; bha buaidh aig na h-霉ghdarrasan: the authorities were victorious: fo chasaid de bhith ri aimhreit: accused of rioting: th脿inig e am follais: it came to light/became clear; gainnead de dh鈥檃rbhar: a shortage of corn; a鈥� fulaing le cion a鈥� bh矛dh: suffering from lack of [the] food; mhair an d脿rna ar-a-mach d矛reach latha: the second revolt lasted just a day.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Chuir na daoine ruaig air na poilis: the idiom means 鈥渢he people put the police to flight鈥� but I actually want to make a point about the word poileas as it is sometimes misapplied. Poileas is the singular and means a single police officer. If we are being gender specific, a policewoman is a bana-phoileas. Poilis is the genitive singular (eg carbad poilis, a police vehicle) or the nominative plural (eg bha poilis gu le貌r ann: there were many police officers there). When referring to a police force we generally use the plural eg Poilis a鈥� Chinn a Tuath (Northern Constabulary), Poilis Roinn Tatha (Tayside Police).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Chanadh cuid mu dheidhinn gun d猫anadh e aimhreit ann an eaglais fhalamh: some would say of him that he could create a riot in an empty church 鈥� ie he was not easy to get along with!