339: An t-Urramach Tormod MacLeòid (9)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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An t-Urramach Tormod MacLeòid (9)
Eadar Melbourne agus na raointean òir ann am Ballarat agus Bendigo, bha na rathaidean cunnartach. Bhiodh mèirlich a’ feitheamh aig oir nan rathaidean. Nuair a bhiodh òr aig mèinneadair, bhiodh e a’ reic sin do dh’oifis air an raon. Gheibheadh e cuidhteas – ’s e sin bileag a bha ag ainmeachadh luach an òir. Bheireadh am mèinneadair an cuidhteas gu Roinn an Ionmhais ann am Melbourne, far am faigheadh e airgead air a shon.
Ach dh’fhaodadh duine sam bith an t-airgead fhaighinn nan robh cuidhteas òir aige. Agus ’s e goid nam bileagan a bha fa-near do na mèirlich. Uaireannan bhiodh iad a’ murt a’ mhèinneadair airson am pìos pàipeir luachmhor fhaighinn.
Turas a bha seo, bha an t-Urr Tormod MacLeòid air an rathad eadar Melbourne agus na raointean òir. Thachair e ri buidheann de mhèirlich. Ach cha robh cuidhteas òir aige. Is cha robh airgead aige. Bha esan ann mar mhinistear, a’ cumail cheanglaichean beò eadar na daoine aige a bha a-nise gu math sgapte.
Thuig na mèirlich gu robh e bochd, is cha do rinn iad cron air. Gu dearbh, thug iad cuireadh dha thighinn air ais don champa aca airson na h-oidhche. Ghabh e ris a’ chuireadh oir bha cothrom aige facal an Tighearna a sgaoileadh am measg nam mèirleach. Fad uairean a thìde, thug e trod dhaibh mun dòigh-bheatha olc aca. Is iongantach mura robh iad gu math toilichte soraidh a leigeil leis sa mhadainn!
’S e fear treun a bh’ ann an Tormod. Ach bha dòrainn a’ feitheamh ris. Bha a theaghlach fhathast a’ fuireach ann am Baile nan Teantaichean. Bha an t-uisge aca salach agus bhris am fiabhras breac a-mach. Taobh a-staigh sia seachdainean, bha an triùir mhac as òige aig Tormod marbh. ’S e buille chruaidh a bh’ ann agus is beag an t-iongnadh gun do cho-dhùin Tormod is càch Astràilia fhàgail.
Bha iad air aithrisean a chluinntinn mu New Zealand. Bha talamh math ann – freagarrach airson àiteachas. Agus cha robh òr ann. Cha bhiodh olc ann mar a chunnaic iad ann an Astràilia, co-cheangailte ri gnìomhachas an òir. Sgrìobh Tormod gu Riaghladair na dùthcha, Sir Seòras Grey. Bhrosnaich esan iad a dhol ann.
Cha robh an soitheach am Margaret aca tuilleadh. Ach bha an Highland Lass ann. Chaidh an Highland Lass a reic agus chaidh soitheach eile a cheannach – an Gazelle. As t-Sultain, ochd ceud deug, leth-cheud ’s a trì (1853), sheòl an Gazelle à Adelaide le còrr is ceud duine air bòrd – daoine à Ceap Breatainn a bh’ air a bhith ann an Astràilia a Deas. Dh’fheumadh Tormod agus muinntir Bhictoria feitheamh gus an tilleadh i.
Chaidh an Gazelle a dh’Auckland. Nuair a bha i gu tuath air a’ bhaile, chunnaic na daoine air bòrd àite a bha air leth math air tìr. Bha iad ag iarraidh fearann fhaighinn ann. Cha b’ e sin beachd Shir Sheòrais Grey, ge-tà. Mhol esan fearann na b’ fhaide deas anns an Eilean mu Thuath, no anns an Eilean mu Dheas far nach robh na Maori cho pailt.
Ach cha robh na h-Albannaich air a shon. Chaidh buidheann dhiubh gu tuath airson an cladach a rannsachadh. Lorg iad fearann math ri taobh Abhainn Waipu. Rinn iad tagradh airson an fhearainn, agus chaidh sanas a chur anns a’ phàipear-naidheachd. Ach goirid às dèidh sin, nochd sanas eile sa phàipear bho fhear, Seumas Busby. “’S ann leamsa a tha am fearann sin,” thuirt e, “agus cha bu chòir do dhuine sam bith eile gnothach sam bith a ghabhail ris, às aonais cead bhuamsa.”
Faclan na Litreach: raointean òir: goldfields; mèinneadair: miner; cuidhteas: receipt; Roinn an Ionmhais: Department of the Treasury; sgapte: scattered; Baile nan Teantaichean: “Canvastown”; pailt: numerous.
Abairtean na Litreach: bhiodh mèirlich a’ feitheamh aig oir nan rathaidean: robbers [bushrangers] would wait at the sides of the roads; bhiodh e a’ reic sin do dh’oifis air an raon: he would sell that to an office on the field; luach an òir: the value of the gold; ’s e goid nam bileagan a bha fa-near do X: X were intent on stealing the pieces of paper; a’ cumail cheanglaichean beò eadar na daoine aige: keeping the links between his people alive; cha do rinn iad cron air: Donald they didn’t harm him; bha cothrom aige facal an Tighearna a sgaoileadh: he had an opportunity to spread the word of the Lord; thug e trod dhaibh: he scolded them; is iongantach mura robh iad toilichte: I reckon they were pleased; soraidh a leigeil leis: to farewell him; bha dòrainn a’ feitheamh ris:tragedy was awaiting him; bha an triùir mhac as òige aig Tormod marbh: Norman’s three youngest sons were dead; is beag an t-iongnadh:it’s hardly surprising; co-cheangailte ri gnìomhachas an òir: connected to the gold industry; bhrosnaich esan iad a dhol ann:he encouraged them to go there; cha robh X aca tuilleadh: they no longer had X; dh’fheumadh X feitheamh gus an tilleadh i: X would have to wait until she returned; na b’ fhaide deas: further south; lorg iad fearann math: they found good land; rinn iad tagradh: they made an application; ’s ann leamsa a tha am fearann sin: that land belongs to me; cha bu chòir do dhuine sam bith gnothach a ghabhail ris: nobody should interfere with it.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: bhris am fiabhras breac a-mach : typhoid fever broke out. The idiom here might seem to be English in form, but it is widely established in Gaelic. There are a couple of things worth noting about names of diseases in Gaelic. The words fiabhras, galar and tinneas are all masculine, as are the compounds derived from them, but where a disease has a non-compound name, it is generally feminine eg a’ ghriùrach (measles). Smallpox is a’ bhreac (the adjective breac, as in the famous Ailean Breac , usually referred to the person being pock-marked by this disease). Typhoid fever, which causes spotting on the skin as well as fever, is am fiabhras breac. Chickenpox is a’ bhreac-òtraich, literally “the dunghill pox”.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Ghabh e ris a’ chuireadh : he accepted the invitation.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 35
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