大象传媒

Chuir Tormod MacLe貌id roimhe gluasad gu Astr脿ilia. Bha cuid anns a鈥� choimhearsnachd timcheall air Baile Anna ann an Eilean Cheap Bhreatainn m矛-chinnteach mu dheidhinn. Bha Astr脿ilia fad air falbh. Ach bha feadhainn eile dhen bheachd gum b鈥� e Astr脿ilia an t-aon 脿ite a chumadh a鈥� choimhearsnachd ri ch猫ile. Mura falbhadh iad uile c貌mhla, bhiodh cuid a鈥� falbh leotha fh猫in, mean air mhean, gu beatha 霉r ann an Canada no anns Na St脿itean Aonaichte.

Bha dithis de貌nach togail luinge a mhaoineachadh. B鈥� iad Iain Friseal, a bhuineadh do dh鈥橝lba Nuadh agus Iain MacAoidh, a rugadh ann an Alba. Chuireadh druim na luinge s矛os faisg air eaglais Thormoid, agus th貌isich an obair-togail. B鈥� iad an dithis a bha os cionn a鈥� phr貌iseict Niall agus Ruairidh MacGriogair. 鈥橲 e luchd-togail bh脿taichean a bh鈥� annta le ch猫ile. Chaidh an soitheach ainmeachadh am Margaret. Bha sin 脿s d猫idh nighean aig Tormod MacLe貌id.

Chaidh d脿rna b脿ta a thogail cuideachd 鈥� an Highland Lass. Chaidh an obair-togail a chr矛ochnachadh ach cha robh airgead ann airson si霉il no sg貌dan a cheannach. Bha taigh is fearann Thormoid air a bhith air a鈥� mhargaidh airson bliadhna agus, fhathast, cha robh duine ann a bha de貌nach an ceannach. Mura faigheadh a鈥� choimhearsnachd an t-airgead sin, cha bhiodh comas aca se貌ladh gu Astr脿ilia.

Bhiodh iad ag 霉rnaigh c貌mhla gu tric. Thuirt Tormod gun tigeadh an t-airgead tro 霉rnaigh. Bha e deimhinne 脿 freastal Dh猫. As t-earrach th脿inig fear leis an airgead agus cheannaich e taigh is fearann Thormoid. Bha an t-airgead aca mu dheireadh thall, agus cheannaich iad na si霉il is na sg貌dan a bha a dh矛th orra.

Bha Margaret, no Mairead, NicLe貌id, nighean Thormoid, a-nise fichead 鈥檚 a dh脿 bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois. As t-fhoghar ochd ceud deug is leth-cheud (1850) th脿inig long a-steach a phort Bhaile Anna airson fiodh a thogail. Bha i a-mach 脿 Obar Dheathain ann an Alba. Ach th脿inig an reothadh tr脿th sa bhliadhna sin. Cha d鈥� fhuair an long a-mach 脿s a鈥� bh脿gh a-rithist air s脿illeabh deigh. Bha an caiptean is an criutha gu bhith ann fad a鈥� gheamhraidh.

Am measg na bh鈥� air b貌rd, bha fear 貌g 脿 Obar Dheathain, 脵isdean MacAnndrais. Ghabh e fh猫in is Mairead NicLe貌id gaol air a ch猫ile. 鈥橲 e an duilgheadas a bh鈥� ann gu robh Mairead a鈥� d猫anamh deiseil airson falbh a dh鈥橝str脿ilia. Tha e coltach gu robh iad airson p貌sadh ach bha iad dhen bheachd nach toireadh Tormod cead dhaibh. Cha bhiodh e airson 鈥檚 gum falbhadh a nighean a dh鈥橭bar Dheathain, agus e fh猫in is c脿ch a鈥� gluasad gu Astr脿ilia.

Nuair a bha an deigh a鈥� t貌iseachadh air tanachadh, chaidh 脵isdean 脿 fianais. Rinn an criutha, agus muinntir an 脿ite, rannsachadh m貌r air a shon. Cha robh sgeul air. Mu dheireadh, bhris an deigh, agus b鈥� fheudar don t-soitheach tilleadh a dh鈥橭bar Dheathain. Nuair a thill iad a dh鈥橝lba, dh鈥檌nnis an caiptean an droch naidheachd do ph脿rantan 脵isdein. Bha e a鈥� smaoineachadh gu robh an gille air tuiteam tron deigh agus gu robh e marbh.

Ach chan ann mar sin a bha e. Le taic bho Mhairead agus caraid no dh脿 aice, bha 脵isdean air a bhith am falach ann am bothan. Bha feadhainn a鈥� toirt biadh dha gun fhiosta do ch脿ch. Nuair a bha an soitheach Albannach beagan l脿ithean aig muir, nochd 脵isdean a-rithist. Fhuair e obair air b貌rd an t-soithich a bha a鈥� dol a dhol a dh鈥橝str脿ilia. Agus, d脿 bhliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin, ph貌s e fh猫in is Mairead aig ceann thall an t-saoghail.

Faclan na Litreach: m矛-chinnteach: uncertain; 脵isdean MacAnndrais: Hugh Anderson; Obar Dheathain: Aberdeen; c脿ch: the others; tanachadh: thinning.

Abairtean na Litreach: chuir Tormod MacLe貌id roimhe gluasad gu Astr脿ilia: Norman MacLeod decided to move to Australia; an t-aon 脿ite a chumadh a鈥� choimhearsnachd ri ch猫ile: the one place that would keep the community together; bhiodh cuid a鈥� falbh leotha fh猫in: some would leave by themselves; bha dithis de貌nach togail luinge a mhaoineachadh: two people were willing to finance the building of a ship; druim na luinge: the keel of the ship; 鈥檚 e luchd-togail bh脿taichean a bh鈥� annta le ch猫ile: they were both boatbuilders; chaidh an obair-togail a chr矛ochnachadh: the building work was finished; airson si霉il no sg貌dan a cheannach: to buy sails or sheets (ropes); air a鈥� mhargaidh airson bliadhna: on the market for a year; a bha de貌nach an ceannach: who was willing to buy them; gun tigeadh an t-airgead tro 霉rnaigh: that the money would come through prayer; bha e deimhinne 脿 freastal Dh猫: he was certain of God鈥檚 providence; th脿inig long airson fiodh a thogail: a ship came to pick up timber; th脿inig an reothadh tr脿th: the freeze came early; air s脿illeabh deigh: because of ice; ghabh X is Y gaol air a ch猫ile: X and Y fell in love; bha iad dhen bheachd nach toireadh Tormod cead dhaibh: they were of the opinion that Norman would not give them [his] consent; chaidh 脵isdean 脿 fianais: Hugh disappeared; rannsachadh m貌r air a shon: a great search for him; gu robh e air tuiteam tron deigh: that he had fallen through the ice; gun fhiosta do ch脿ch: without the others knowing; aig ceann thall an t-saoghail: at the other end of the world.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: bha 脵isdean air a bhith am falach ann am bothan: Hugh had been hiding in a bothy. Are you wondering what the status of falach is here and why I didn鈥檛 say 鈥渁ir fhalach鈥�? Well, I could have done, and it would have meant the same. The verb falaich (鈥渉ide, conceal鈥�) has two verbal noun forms, a鈥� falach and a鈥� falachadh. So we could say tha mi air m鈥� fhalach (lit. 鈥淚 am after my hiding鈥� ie I am hidden) or tha e air fhalach (he is hidden) or tha i air a falach (she is hidden). The verb here is in a passive form. But falach is also a noun, meaning 鈥渉iding, concealment鈥� and it is in this form that it appears in the Litir. Am falach (used with all persons) means 鈥渋n concealment鈥� or 鈥渉idden鈥� eg tha mi am falach (I am hidden), tha i am falach (she is hidden).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: mean air mhean: little by little.