William Speirs Bruce (2)
I was telling you about William Speirs Bruce. He was in charge of a
national Scottish expedition to the Antarctic in 1902. His vessel, the
Scotia, reached ice around the Antarctic. She returned to South Orkney.
Bruce established a research institute there – which is still going.
The Scotia went to Buenos Aires for more goods. At the beginning of
1904, she went south again for two months.
Bruce and his companions did a lot of research – on weather, sea and
wildlife. Some people reckon they created a basis for researching
climate change.
Four years after that, Bruce put forward a plan for a large Scottish
expedition to the Antarctic. He wanted to put a group across the
continent, via the South Pole. He received help from The Royal Scottish
Geographical Society and from the Royal Society of Edinburgh. But he
didn’t receive any help from the Royal Society in London. They were
giving help to Robert Scott. And Bruce didn’t go ahead with his plan.
Although he was born and raised in England, Bruce was a Scottish
nationalist. His tongue could be sharp if people were showing
disrespect to Scotland. And he had a sharp tongue anyway!
Every member that went to Antarctica under the Union Flag received a
Polar Medal. But the members of the Scottish expedition didn’t receive
anything. Bruce received many awards in Scotland, and a medal from the
American Geographical Society
Bruce was in Spitzbergen – or Svalbard – at the beginning of the
century. He discovered coal and iron there. He established a company
–
The Scottish Spitsbergen Syndicate – to develop mining. But the First
[World] War put a stop to that.
Bruce died in Edinburgh in 1921. His ashes were scattered in the sea
off the coast of South Georgia.
Many people have forgotten about William Speirs Bruce today. If there is a
statue of him in a public place in Scotland, I don’t know [of] it.
Uilleam Speirs Bruce (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Uilleam Speirs Brus. Bha e os cionn triall
nàiseanta Albannach don Antartaig ann an naoi ceud deug ʼs a dhà (1902).
Ràinig a shoitheach, an Scotia, deigh timcheall na h-Antartaig. Thill i do
dh’Arcaibh a Deas. Chuir Brus ionad-rannsachaidh air chois an sin – a tha
a’ dol fhathast.
Chaidh an Scotia gu Buenos Aires airson tuilleadh bathair. Aig toiseach
naoi ceud deug ʼs a ceithir (1904), chaidh i gu deas a-rithist airson dà
mhìos.
Rinn Brus agus a chompanaich tòrr rannsachaidh – air an aimsir, air a’
mhuir agus air fiadh-bheatha. Tha feadhainn dhen bheachd gun do chruthaich
iad bunait airson rannsachadh air atharrachadh anns a’ ghnàth-thìde.
Ceithir bliadhna an dèidh sin, chuir Brus plana air adhart airson triall
mòr Albannach don Antartaig. Bha e ag iarraidh buidheann a chur tarsainn na
mòr-thìr, thairis air a’ Phòla a Deas. Fhuair e taic bho Chomann Rìoghail
Cruinn-eòlais na h-Alba agus bho Chomann Rìoghail Dhùn Èideann. Ach cha d’
fhuair e taic sam bith bhon Chomann Rìoghail ann an Lunnainn. Bha iadsan a’
toirt an taic do Raibeart Scott. Agus cha deach Brus air adhart le a
phlana.
Ged a rugadh is thogadh e ann an Sasainn, bha Brus na nàiseantach
Albannach. Dh’fhaodadh a theanga a bhith biorach nam biodh daoine a’
dèanamh dì-meas air Alba. Agus bha teanga bhiorach aige co-dhiù!
Fhuair a h-uile ball a chaidh don Antartaig fo bhratach an Aonaidh Bonn
Pòlach. Ach cha d’ fhuair buill dhen triall Albannach sgath. Fhuair Brus
tòrr dhuaisean ann an Alba fhèin, agus bonn bho Chomann Cruinn-eòlais
Ameireagaidh.
Bha Brus ann an Spitsbergen – no Svalbard – aig toiseach an linn. Lorg e
gual is iarainn an sin. Chuir e companaidh air dòigh – The Scottish Spitsbergen Syndicate – airson mèinneadh a
leasachadh. Ach chuir a’ Chiad Chogadh stad air sin.
Chaochail Brus ann an Dùn Èideann ann an naoi ceud deug ʼs aon air fhichead
(1921). Chaidh a luaithre a sgaoileadh anns a’ mhuir far costa South
Georgia.
Tha mòran air dìochuimhneachadh mu Uilleam Speirs Brus an-diugh. Ma tha
ìomhaigh ann dheth ann an àite poblach ann an Alba, chan aithne dhòmhs’ e.
