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Tuilleadh an-diugh mu Sheumas MacDhonnchaidh, an lus-eòlaiche. Ann an seachd ceud deug, seasgad ʼs a h-ochd (1768) chaidh e air chuairt ann an sgìrean Gàidhealach. Sgrìobh e notaichean mu na daoine.

Bha na leapannan aca gu math cofhurtail. Bha iad air an dèanamh de fhraoch no de chonnlach le bàrr nan lusan gu h-àrd. 

Airson beirm a ghleidheadh, bha iad a’ gearradh slat-dharaich. Bha iad ga snìomh agus ga cur ann am beirm ùr. Bha iad a’ crochadh na slaite airson a tiormachadh. Nuair a bha iad feumach air beirm, can airson leann a dhèanamh, bha iad a’ toirt na slaite sìos. Bha iad ga cur ann am poit anns an robh brailis meadh-bhlàth. An ceann dà uair a thìde, bha beirm aca deiseil airson cleachdadh.

Airson leathar a chartadh, bha na Sgitheanaich a’ cleachdadh nam freumhaichean aig lus beag ris an canar °ä²¹¾±°ù³Ù-±ôྱ°ù no Tormentil. Airson caolain nan laogh a ghlanadh a-mach, bha banaraich a’ cur Roseroot gu feum. Ann an Gàidhlig, ʼs e sin Lus nan Laoch. Thathar ag ràdh gur e as coireach ri ainm gu bheil e doirbh a lorg ach a-mhàin air creagan is bearraidhean. Feumaidh tu a bhith nad laoch airson fhaighinn! Ge-tà, a rèir Sheumais MhicDhonnchaidh, ʼs e Lus nan Laogh, chan e Lus nan Laoch, ainm an lusa anns an Eilean Sgitheanach.

Cuideachd anns an Eilean Sgitheanach, tha Seumas ag innse dhuinn mar a fhuair na daoine diofar dhathan airson clò a dhathadh. Fhuair iad buidhe bho bhàrr an fhraoich. Airson dearg, bha Lus an Leasaich no an ¸éù (Lady’s Bedstraw) fìor mhath.

Ann am Muile, bha a’ chlann gu tric a’ fulang le dathagan no worms. Airson sin a leigheas, bha iad a’ gabhail deoch de Roid no Bog-myrtle. Ann am Muile agus san Eilean Sgitheanach, bhiodh boireannaich ag òl deoch de Gharbhag an t-Slèibhe (the Fir Clubmoss) airson casg-breith adhbharachadh.

Agus tha Seumas ag innse dhuinn gum biodh na boireannaich a’ seinn fhad ʼs a bha iad a’ luadhadh a’ chlò ann an còmhlan. A bheil aithris nas tràithe na seo air na h-òrain luadhaidh againn a tha cho ainmeil?

More today about James Robertson, the botanist. In 1768 he went on an excursion in Highland areas. He wrote notes about the people.

Their beds were very comfortable. They were made of heather or of straw with the tops of the plants uppermost.

To preserve yeast, they were cutting an oak rod. They were twisting it and putting it in new yeast. They were hanging the rod to dry it. When they needed yeast, such as for making beer, they were taking the rod down. They were putting it in a pot in which there was lukewarm wort. At the end of two hours, they had yeast ready to use.

For tanning leather, the Skye folk were using the roots of a small plant called ‘ground bark’ or Tormentil. To clean out the intestines of [the] calves, milking maids were using Roseroot. In Gaelic that is ‘the plant of the heroes’. It’s said that the name comes from it being difficult to find except on crags and cliffs. You have to be a hero to get it! However, according to James Robertson, the plant’s name on Skye is ‘the plant of the calves’, not ‘the plant of the heroes’.

Also on Skye, James tells us how the people obtained various colours to dye tweed. They got yellow from the tops of the heather. For red, ‘the rennet plant’ or ¸éù (Lady’s Bedstraw) was excellent.

On Mull, the children were often suffering from worms. To cure that, they were taking a drink of Roid or Bog-myrtle. On Mull and Skye, women would take a drink of ‘the little rough one of the moor’ (the Fir Clubmoss) to cause an abortion.

And James tells us that the women would be singing while they were waulking the tweed in a group. Is there an earlier record than this of our waulking songs that are so famous?