麻豆约拍

Nuair a leugh an Siorram Achd na h-Aimhreit, agus Sabaid Mh貌r Inbhir 脵ige a鈥� dol air sr脿idean a鈥� bhaile air an t-seachdamh latha fichead dhen L霉nastal ochd ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a naoi (1859), dh鈥檉halbh a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha dhen fheadhainn a bha an s脿s anns an 霉praid. Ach th脿inig buidheann dhiubh c貌mhla a-rithist faisg air l脿imh. Bha seo aig naoi uairean feasgair, mu dh脿 uair a th矛de 脿s d猫idh don 霉praid t貌iseachadh.

鈥橲 e G脿idheil a bh鈥� anns an fheadhainn seo agus bha iad airson briseadh a-steach do st猫isean nam poileas airson na companaich aca, a bh鈥� ann an gr猫im, a leigeil a-mach. Ach bha na poilis a鈥� feitheamh riutha. Bha batail ann airson deich mionaidean, ach chaidh na h-iasgairean G脿idhealach iomain air ais. Sgaoil iad an uair sin. Uile-gu-l猫ir, aig deireadh na h-oidhche, bha sianar air a bhith an gr猫im nam poileas. Chaidh aon duine a leigeil ma sgaoil air an oidhche sin, agus bha tri霉ir eile gu bhith a鈥� faighinn an saorsa an l脿rna-mh脿ireach.

Ach cha b鈥� e sin e a thaobh aimhreit. Bha c貌mhlain de ghillean 脿 Inbhir 脵ige a鈥� coiseachd nan sr脿idean, a鈥� coimhead airson G脿idheil air an toireadh iad ionnsaigh. Bha iad ag aithneachadh nan G脿idheal bhon cuid bhonaidean. Bha m貌ran de na G脿idheil a鈥� loidseadh ann am Pulteneytown, gu deas air Abhainn 脵ige. Ach gu fortanach, fhuair feadhainn aca taic bho na daoine aig an robh iad a鈥� loidseadh 鈥� airson faighinn air ais gu s脿bhailte.

Bhiodh a鈥� ch霉irt na suidhe mar bu trice aig naoi uairean sa mhadainn air Diluain. Th貌isich feadhainn air tighinn cruinn anns na sr脿idean taobh a-muigh taigh na c霉irte cho tr脿th ri seachd uairean. Cha deach taigh na c霉irte fhosgladh agus aig deich uairean bha an sluagh a鈥� f脿s m矛-fhoighidneach. Bha slatan fiodha aig cuid aca. Th貌isich feadhainn, a bh鈥� air a bhith a鈥� sabaid le ch猫ile oidhche Shathairne, air maoidheadh air a ch猫ile a-rithist. Bha mu cheithir m矛le duine ann. Bhruidhinn oifigearan is ministearan riutha ach cha do rinn e diofar. Chaidh an dithis phr矛osanach 鈥� Raibeart D貌mhnallach agus fear eile 鈥� a leigeil ma sgaoil air urras, ach cha do sh脿saich sin an sluagh.

Bha d脿 rud ann a cheannsaich a鈥� mh矛-rian air an latha sin. Anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach bha caiptean a鈥� Phrincess Royal 鈥� soitheach d矛on-iasgaich an riaghaltais 鈥� an l脿thair. 鈥橲 ann 脿 Le貌dhas a bha e agus bha m貌ran de na bha an l脿thair e貌lach air. Bha fichead dhen chriutha aige ann cuideachd airson taic a thoirt do na poilis. Agus, a bharrachd air sin, th脿inig buidheann de shaighdearan don bhaile air eacarsaich.

Sgaoil an sluagh ach cha deach na h-iasgairean gu muir. Thug tr矛 fichead constabal s貌nraichte am b貌idean, eagal 鈥檚 gum biodh aimhreit a bharrachd ann. Chuir an Siorram fios do na h-霉ghdarrasan ann an D霉n 脠ideann. Chaidh gl猫 bheag de bh脿taichean gu muir Dim脿irt no Diciadain agus cha robh muinntir a鈥� bhaile air an socair, ged nach robh sabaid a bharrachd ann air na l脿ithean sin. Dh鈥檉halbh cuid de na h-iasgairean G脿idhealach dhachaigh Diardaoin. Bha uiread de mh矛-thoileachas ann agus cha robh iad ag iarraidh a bhith ann tuilleadh.

Ach gu m矛-fhortanach cha robh Sabaid Mh貌r Inbhir 脵ige seachad. Disathairne, nochd feachdan cogaidh air b貌rd nan long 鈥� am Prince Consort agus an Jackal. Leis gu robh saighdearan gu le貌r aige a-nise, chuir an Siorram roimhe gr猫im fhaighinn a-rithist air Raibeart D貌mhnallach a chaidh a leigeil ma sgaoil air urras c貌ig latha roimhe. Agus ch矛 sinn d猫 thachair, agus mar a th脿inig an fh貌irneart gu ceann, anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: uile-gu-l猫ir: altogether; a鈥� loidseadh: lodging; m矛-fhoighidneach: impatient; eacarsaich: exercise.

Abairtean na Litreach: Achd na h-Aimhreit: The Riot Act; Sabaid Mh貌r Inbhir 脵ige: The Great Fight of Wick; a bha an s脿s: who were involved; mu dh脿 uair a th矛de 脿s d猫idh don 霉praid t貌iseachadh: about two hours after the mayhem started; airson na companaich aca a leigeil a-mach: to release their companions; chaidh na h-iasgairean iomain air ais: the fishermen were driven back; sgaoil iad: they dispersed; bha sianar air a bhith an gr猫im nam poileas: six people had been in police custody; gu bhith a鈥� faighinn an saorsa an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: were to receive their freedom the following day; cha b鈥� e sin e: that wasn鈥檛 it [all]; air an toireadh iad ionnsaigh: whom they would attack; bhon cuid bhonaidean: from their bonnets; gu deas air Abhainn 脵ige: south of the Wick River; bhiodh a鈥� ch霉irt na suidhe mar bu trice: the court would usually sit; a bh鈥� air a bhith a鈥� sabaid le ch猫ile: who had been fighting each other; th貌isich iad air maoidheadh air a ch猫ile: they started to threaten each other; cha do sh脿saich sin an sluagh: that did not satisfy the crowd; a cheannsaich a鈥� mh矛-rian: which subdued the disorder; soitheach d矛on-iasgaich: fishery protection vessel; cha deach na h-iasgairean gu muir: the fishermen didn鈥檛 go to sea; thug tr矛 fichead constabal s貌nraichte am b貌idean: 60 special constables took their vows; eagal 鈥檚 gum biodh aimhreit a bharrachd ann: in the fear that there would be further rioting; bha uiread de mh矛-thoileachas ann: there was so much unhappiness; cha robh iad ag iarraidh a bhith ann tuilleadh: they didn鈥檛 want to be there anymore; mar a th脿inig an fh貌irneart gu ceann: how the violence came to an end.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: air b貌rd nan long: on board the ships. Long is here in the genitive (plural) following the compound preposition air b貌rd (鈥渙n board of鈥�). It is a somewhat irregular, or perhaps more properly, old-fashioned genitive plural. The nominative plural is longan 鈥� with a terminal 鈥揳n 鈥� so one might expect the genitive plural to be the same (following a general grammatical rule). But long follows an older mode and reverts to the nominative singular form in the genitive plural. If in doubt think of the 鈥減ort of the ships鈥� on Skye 鈥� Port nan Long (Portnalong in English).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Chaidh an dithis phr矛osanach a leigeil ma sgaoil air urras: the two prisoners were released on bail.