大象传媒

Nuair a r脿inig Tormod MacLe貌id Baile Pheadair ann an ceann a deas Eilein Cheap Bhreatainn, bha an luchd-tuineachaidh gu l猫ir deiseil airson an earrann mu dheireadh dhen t-slighe aca a dh猫anamh gu Baile Anna. Ach cha robh iad a鈥� dol a ghabhail slighe a鈥� chladaich. Tharraing iad na b脿taichean aca air t矛r air an tairbeart eadar a鈥� mhuir agus an loch m貌r air a bheil Bras d鈥橭r Lake. An-diugh tha can脿l ann a tha a鈥� ceangal an loch ris a鈥� mhuir. Ach an uair sin, bha aig na daoine ris na b脿taichean aca a tharraing leth-mh矛le air an talamh gus an do r脿inig iad an loch. An uair sin she貌l iad gu ruige an t-脿ite a thagh iad a鈥� bhliadhna roimhe. Bha sin anns a鈥� Ch猫itean ochd ceud deug is fichead (1820).

Thadhail iad an toiseach air baile beag far a bheil Baile nan Gall an-diugh. Bha grunn iasgairean is an teaghlaichean a鈥� fuireach ann. Ach cha robh sgeul air duine sam bith eile san sg矛re. Thagh Tormod agus a luchd-leantainn fearann. Bha na bothain a thog iad a鈥� bhliadhna roimhe fhathast nan seasamh. Th貌isich iad air craobhan a leagail. Chuir iad bunt脿ta. Agus bha 猫isg gu le貌r anns a鈥� mhuir. Bha iad be貌 gu m貌r anns a鈥� chiad bhliadhna sin air iasg is bunt脿ta.

Bha d脿 cheud acaire de dh鈥檉hearann aig gach duine. Mar sin bha p矛os ann eadar n脿baidhean. Ach bhiodh iad a鈥� c猫ilidh air cach a ch猫ile sna b脿taichean aca, agus bhiodh iad a鈥� tighinn cruinn c貌mhla airson adhradh air an t-S脿baid. Bha sin ann an taigh Thormoid.

Cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh luchd-tuineachaidh gu le貌r eile anns an sg矛re. Th脿inig iad 脿 p脿irtean eile de dh鈥橝lba Nuadh agus 脿 Alba fh猫in. Bha feadhainn 脿 Pictou agus 脿 Asainte, a bha e貌lach air Tormod MacLe貌id mu thr脿th. Ann an ochd ceud deug, fichead 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1822), thog iad sgoil. B鈥� e Tormod an tidsear.

Ged a bhiodh Tormod ri searmonachadh, cha robh e gu h-oifigeil na mhinistear. Bha e a鈥� tr猫anadh airson na ministrealachd ann an Alba, ach cha do chuir e cr矛och air sin. Mar sin, cha robh cead aige c脿raidean a ph貌sadh. Sia bliadhna 脿s d猫idh dha dhol a dh鈥檉huireach ann an sg矛re Bhaile Anna, chaidh e do na St脿itean Aonaichte leis an amas cead fhaighinn a bhith na mhinistear. Fhuair e sin 脿s d猫idh beagan mh矛osan ann an St脿ite New York. Bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin fhuair e cead bho Riaghaltas Alba Nuaidh airson a bhith na thidsear.

鈥橲 ann ann an G脿idhlig a bhiodh a鈥� chlann a鈥� faighinn an cuid foghlaim an toiseach. Bhiodh iad ag ionnsachadh litreachadh is leughadh. Bhiodh iad a鈥� leughadh an Tiomnaidh Nuaidh. An uair sin bhiodh iad a鈥� leughadh a鈥� Bh矛obaill air fad. Leanadh iad sin le bhith ag ionnsachadh leughadh ann am Beurla. Ach cha do mhair am pr矛omhachas a bh鈥� aig a鈥� Gh脿idhlig. Ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a naoi (1839) dh鈥檉hosgail c脿raid, a bh鈥� air 霉r-thighinn 脿 Alba, sgoil 霉r mu fhichead m矛le air falbh. Agus bha an sgoil sin air a ruith tro mheadhan na Beurla a-mh脿in.

Bhiodh a鈥� chlann a鈥� frithealadh na sgoile sia l脿 san t-seachdain. As t-samhradh, ge-t脿, bha e doirbh do ph脿rantan an cuid obrach a choileanadh 脿s aonais na cloinne. Bha obair mh貌r aca 鈥� a鈥� cumail s霉il air a鈥� chrodh, a鈥� cruinneachadh dhearcan sa choille, ag iasgach is mar sin air adhart.

Fhuair Tormod tuarastal airson a bhith na thidsear. Ach cha ghabhadh e airgead bho na daoine. Innsidh mi dhuibh an ath-sheachdain mar a fhuair e a thuarastal.

Faclan na Litreach: Baile Pheadair: St Peter鈥檚; Baile Anna: St Ann鈥檚; Baile nan Gall: Englishtown; leth-mh矛le: half a mile; luchd-leantainn: followers; tuarastal: salary, wages.

Abairtean na Litreach: bha an luchd-tuineachaidh gu l猫ir deiseil: all the settlers were ready; airson an earrann mu dheireadh dhen t-slighe aca a dh猫anamh: to make the last part of their journey; tharraing iad na b脿taichean aca air t矛r air an tairbeart: they pulled their boats onto land on the isthmus; she貌l iad gu ruige an t-脿ite a thagh iad a鈥� bhliadhna roimhe: they sailed to the place they chose the previous year; bha grunn iasgairean is an teaghlaichean a鈥� fuireach ann: several fishermen and their families were living there; bha na bothain fhathast nan seasamh: the bothies were still standing; th貌isich iad air craobhan a leagail: they started to fell trees; bha d脿 cheud acaire de dh鈥檉hearann aig gach duine: each man had two hundred acres of land; bhiodh iad a鈥� c猫ilidh air cach a ch猫ile: they would visit each other; airson adhradh air an t-S脿baid: to worship on the Sabbath; cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh: it wasn鈥檛 long before; a鈥� tr猫anadh airson na ministrealachd ann an Alba: training for the ministry in Scotland; cha robh cead aige c脿raidean a ph貌sadh: he didn鈥檛 have a licence to marry couples; sia bliadhna 脿s d猫idh dha dhol a dh鈥檉huireach: six years after going to live; 鈥檚 ann ann an G脿idhlig a bhiodh a鈥� chlann a鈥� faighinn an cuid foghlaim: it is in Gaelic that the children got their education; bhiodh iad a鈥� leughadh an Tiomnaidh Nuaidh: they would read the New Testament; dh鈥檉hosgail c脿raid, a bh鈥� air 霉r-thighinn 脿 Alba, sgoil 霉r: a couple, who were newly arrived from Scotland, opened a new school; an cuid obrach a choileanadh 脿s aonais na cloinne: to fulfil their work without the children; a鈥� cruinneachadh dhearcan: collecting berries.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: As t-samhradh: in the summer. The as is an abbreviation of anns an (鈥渋n the鈥�). It is permitted by the recently published Gaelic Orthographic Conventions (GOC II), and it is much more common in speech than the longer anns an t-samhradh. Note that this abbreviated forms occurs with three seasons of the year (spring, summer, autumn) ie as t-earrach, as t-samhradh, as t-fhoghar. But for 鈥渋n the winter鈥� we say sa gheamhradh (anns a鈥� gheamhradh). You will also hear it being used with two months of the year 鈥� September and November ie as t-Sultain (or san t-Sultain) and as t-Samhain (or san t-Samhain).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Bha iad be貌 air iasg is buntata: they lived on fish and potatoes..