大象传媒

Nuair a nochd am b脿ta-sm霉id, an Comet, air Abhainn Chluaidh airson a鈥� chiad turais ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a dh脿-dheug (1812), bha Eanraig Bell gu math toilichte. Is esan a chruthaich an soitheach.

Rugadh Bell ann an T貌rr Fhitheachan ann an Lodainn an Iar. Dh鈥檕braich e ann an diofar dhreuchdan, agus ann an diofar 脿iteachan, mus do th貌isich e air b脿taichean-sm霉id a dhealbh. Cha do ghabh Roinn a鈥� Chabhlaich R矛oghail ris na smuaintean aige agus bhruidhinn e ri feadhainn ann an d霉thchannan thall thairis. Am measg sin bha fear Fulton anns Na St脿itean Aonaichte. Ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a seachd (1807), bha b脿taichean-sm霉id a鈥� se貌ladh air aibhnichean m貌ra Ameireagaidh a Tuath.

Bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin, ghluais Bell gu Baile Eilidh air Abhainn Chluaidh. Bha a bhean a鈥� ruith taigh-貌sta agus amar-sn脿imh anns a鈥� bhaile. 鈥橲 e neach-gnothaich air leth math a bh鈥� innte, agus tha e coltach gun do chuir ise airgead mu choinneimh a鈥� phr貌iseict airson an Comet a thogail ann an Glaschu.

Cha robh an soitheach uabhasach m貌r. Cha robh innte ach trithead 鈥檚 a tr矛 troighean de dh鈥檉had, agus bha i car coltach ri b脿t-iasgaich, ach a-mh脿in gu robh d脿 roth m貌r air gach taobh dhith. Ach bha droch bheachd aig cuid oirre. Bha i salach is fuaimneach. Agus cha robh i m貌r gu le貌r, no l脿idir gu le貌r, airson a dhol fada aig muir. Air l脿 math ci霉in air Abhainn Chluaidh, ruigeadh i astar de shia m矛le mara san uair. Ann an ochd ceud deug is ochd-deug (1818), shaoil Eanraig Bell gu robh an t-脿m ann an t-seirbheis a leudachadh 鈥� agus am b脿ta a leudachadh leis. Bha an Comet gu bhith a鈥� se貌ladh eadar Glaschu is An Gearasdan. Chaidh a gearradh ann an d脿 leth, agus chaidh sia troighean a bharrachd de dh鈥檉had a chur innte. Is chaidh einnsean na bu mh貌 a chur innte.

A bharrachd air an sgiobair, bhiodh criutha de sheachdnar air b貌rd agus b鈥� e fear dhiubh sin am p矛obaire. Uaireannan bhiodh an luchd-siubhail a鈥� dannsadh air b貌rd gu ce貌l na p矛oba 鈥� airson an cumail fh猫in bl脿th!

Air a鈥� chiad l脿 dhen turas chun a鈥� Ghearasdain, bhiodh an Comet a鈥� dol bho Ghlaschu gu ruige Can脿l a鈥� Chr矛onain. Chuireadh an luchd-siubhail seachad an oidhche ann a sin. Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, bhiodh an soitheach a鈥� f脿gail a鈥� chan脿il is a鈥� tionndadh gu tuath.

Bha an leabhar fiosrachail, Lumsden鈥檚 Steam Boat Companion, a鈥� toirt rabhadh seachad mun chaolas ceithir m矛le gu tuath air beul a鈥� chan脿il. B鈥� e sin an Doras M貌r. 鈥淣uair a bhios i a鈥� l矛onadh agus a鈥� tr脿ghadh, gu h-脿raidh aig 脿m an reothairt,鈥� sgr矛obh 霉ghdar an leabhair, 鈥渢ha an sruth an seo uabhasach luath, is uaireannan cho l脿idir 鈥檚 nach d猫an soitheach a鈥� ch霉is na aghaidh.鈥� Bhiodh an Comet a鈥� dol tron Doras leis an t-sruth.

Ach cha deach c霉isean gu math dhi anns an D霉bhlachd ochd ceud deug is fichead (1820). Bha d脿 thubaist bheag aice, is chaidh beagan millidh a dh猫anamh oirre. Bha i slaodach agus, nuair a r脿inig i an Doras M貌r, bha i air dheireadh. Bha an t矛de-mhara a鈥� tionndadh na h-aghaidh.

Bha g猫ile ann agus bha i a鈥� cur sneachd. Dh鈥檉heuch an sgiobair ri adhartas a dh猫anamh ann an saobh-shruth. 鈥橲 e sin fear de na sruthan faisg air a鈥� chladach, a tha a鈥� ruith an aghaidh an t-strutha mh貌ir. Bhuail an Comet anns na creagan agus bhris i ann an d脿 leth 鈥� d矛reach far an deach a leudachadh d脿 bhliadhna roimhe. Gu fortanach, fhuair a h-uile duine gu t矛r, ach b鈥� e sin an deireadh don Chomet.

Faclan na seachdaine: Abhainn Chluaidh: The River Clyde; Eanraig Bell: Henry Bell; T貌rr Fhitheachan: Torphichen; Lodainn an Iar: West Lothian; thall thairis: overseas; Baile Eilidh: Helensburgh; salach: dirty; fuaimneach: noisy; an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: the next day; an reothairt: spring tide.

Abairtean na seachdaine: dh鈥檕braich e ann an diofar dhreuchdan: he worked in different professions; mus do th貌isich e air b脿taichean-sm霉id a dhealbh: before he started to design steamboats; cha do ghabh Roinn a鈥� Chabhlaich R矛oghail ris na smuaintean aige: The Admiralty did not accept his ideas; aibhnichean m貌ra Ameireagaidh a Tuath: the great rivers of North America; bhathar a鈥� creidsinn: it was believed; taigh-貌sta agus amar-sn脿imh: a hotel and swimming baths; gun do chuir ise airgead mu choinneimh a鈥� phr貌iseact: that she funded the project; bha droch bheachd aig cuid oirre: some had a poor opinion of her; ruigeadh i astar de shia m矛le mara san uair: she would reach a speed of six knots; gu robh an t-脿m ann an t-seirbheis a leudachadh: that it was time to extend the service; chaidh sia troighean a bharrachd de dh鈥檉had a chur innte: six extra feet of length were put in her; criutha de sheachdnar: a crew of seven; nuair a bhios i a鈥� l矛onadh agus a鈥� tr脿ghadh: when the tide is flowing and ebbing; bha an t矛de-mhara a鈥� tionndadh na h-aghaidh: the tide was turning against her (t矛de-mhara is an alternative to se貌l-mara in last week鈥檚 Litir); bha g猫ile ann agus bha i a鈥� cur sneachd: it was blowing a gale and snowing; dh鈥檉heuch an sgiobair ri adhartas a dh猫anamh ann an saobh-shruth: the skipper tried to make progress in an eddy current; an aghaidh an t-strutha mh貌ir: against the main current; far an deach a leudachadh d脿 bhliadhna roimhe: where she was [had been] extended two years before; b鈥� e sin an deireadh do X: that was the end of X.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: cha robh innte ach trithead 鈥檚 a tr矛 troighean de dh鈥檉had: she was only 33 feet long. You will notice, in relation to boats that, while the words b脿ta and soitheach are (generally speaking) masculine, boats are conceptually feminine in Gaelic, at least while at sea. This should be easy to deal with as the situation is similar in English, where the pronoun 鈥渟he鈥� is often used in relation to boats and ships. So, in the Litir you will see the third person singular feminine prepositional pronoun innte (鈥渋n her鈥�) appear as it does above (literally: 鈥渢here was not in her but 33 feet of length鈥�). Can you see any other third person singular feminine prepositional pronoun referring to the Comet in the Litir? There are four 鈥� dhith (the preposition de), aice (the preposition aig), dhi (the preposition do) 鈥� and one other. See if you can find it.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: bha i air dheireadh: she was late, behind schedule.