蜜芽传媒

Bha an Siorram ann an Inbhir 脵ige airson a鈥� mh矛-rian anns a鈥� bhaile, air an robh 鈥淪abaid Mh貌r Inbhir 脵ige鈥�, a bha gu 矛re mh貌r eadar G脿idheil is Goill, a thoirt gu ceann. Chuir e feachd a-mach leis an amas gr猫im fhaighinn air Raibeart D貌mhnallach, Le貌dhasach a bha m貌ran a鈥� coireachadh airson na h-aimhreit taobh a-muigh st猫isean a鈥� phoilis seachd latha roimhe.

Ach fhuair Raibeart fios ro l脿imh agus theich e. Aig Thrumster, gu deas air Inbhir 脵ige, ghabh e coidse thairis an aghaidh toil an dr脿ibheir. Rinn e air Poll I霉, far an do ghabh e b脿ta gu ruige na h-Eileanan a-Muigh. Chaidh e am falach ann an Sg矛re nan Loch ann an Le貌dhas.

Ann an Inbhir 脵ige fh猫in, ch霉m an Siorram na saighdearan a-mach 脿 sealladh. Chaidh rabhadh a thoirt don mh貌r-shluagh gun a bhith a鈥� dol air na sr脿idean agus bha gnothaichean an 矛re mhath s矛theil.

Ach aig deich uairean a dh鈥檕idhche, fhuair an Siorram droch naidheachd. Chaidh grunnan a sh脿thadh le sgeinean ann am Pulteneytown. Chaidh 貌rdugh a thoirt do na saighdearan agus taobh a-staigh c貌ig mionaidean bha iad air na sr脿idean. Th脿inig saighdearan eile far bh脿taichean anns a鈥� chala. Agus bha iad d矛reach ann an 脿m oir bha an naidheachd a鈥� sgaoileadh am measg an t-sluaigh. Bha buidhnean de Gh脿idheil is Goill a鈥� d猫anamh deiseil airson tuilleadh sabaid.

Ann an tr矛 sr脿idean, chaidh aona duine deug a sh脿thadh le sgeinean. 鈥橲 iad gillean 脿s a鈥� bhaile fh猫in a bu choireach. Bha iad a鈥� s脿thadh cha mh貌r G脿idheal sam bith a bha na sheasamh air stairsneach taighe. Gu fortanach, cha deach duine a mharbhadh.

Ged is iad na saighdearan a chuir an sluagh ma sgaoil, th貌isich an ci霉ineachadh 脿s an aonais. Bha cuid de mhuinntir a鈥� bhaile air an uabhasachadh leis na bha na c貌mhlain de ghillean a鈥� d猫anamh, agus chuir iad am buill-airm an d脿rna taobh. Chuidich iad an fheadhainn a bh鈥� air an le貌n agus chuir iad fios gu lighichean.

Bha an fh貌irneart seachad. Ged a bha poilis is saighdearan a鈥� coiseachd nan sr脿idean airson beagan l脿ithean 脿s d猫idh sin, cha robh an tuilleadh m矛-rian ann. Chaidh duais luach c貌ig nota fichead a thabhann airson fiosrachadh a leigeadh leis na poilis luchd nan ionnsaighean a chur an gr猫im. Ach fhuair iad d矛reach aon ghille.

Cha do dh矛ochuimhnich iad mu Raibeart D貌mhnallach ann an Le貌dhas, ge-t脿. Chaidh barantas air a shon a chur gu ruige Ste貌rnabhagh ach bha an D貌mhnallach am falach air na Lochan. Chaidh seachdainean seachad is cha do thachair dad. Th貌isich Raibeart air a dhol a-mach gu c猫ilidhean is a leithid. Chuala na poilis mu dheidhinn. Oidhche a bha seo, chaidh dithis phoileas 脿 Ste貌rnabhagh ann airson a chur an gr猫im.

Chaidh Raibeart a cheangal le glas-l脿mh ri fear de na h-oifigearan. Th貌isich iad air coiseachd air ais a Ste貌rnabhagh. Bha m貌ran de mhuinntir na sg矛re nan cois. Air an rathad bha aca ri dhol seachad air loch. Thuirt Raibeart gun leumadh e a-steach don loch is gun toireadh e am poileas leis mura faigheadh e ma sgaoil. 脌s d猫idh sp脿irn fhuair Raibeart ma sgaoil agus theich e bhon eilean. Thathar ag r脿dh gu robh e na mharaiche 脿s d猫idh sin agus gun deach a bh脿thadh ann an Abhainn Thames timcheall air ochd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a seachd (1867).

A thaobh an iasgaich ann an Inbhir 脵ige cha robh f脿ilte cho cridheil air na h-iasgairean G脿idhealach 脿s d猫idh na Sabaid Mh貌ir. Bho dheireadh nan caogadan a-mach cha robh na coitheanalan G脿idhlig anns a鈥� bhaile idir cho m貌r 鈥檚 a bha iad roimhe.

Faclan na Litreach: theich: fled; Poll I霉: Poolewe; na h-Eileanan a-Muigh: the Outer Isles (colloquial); s矛theil: peaceful; 貌rdugh: order; cala: harbour.

Abairtean na Litreach: an Siorram ann an Inbhir 脵ige: the Sheriff in Wick; bha X airson a鈥� mh矛-rian anns a鈥� bhaile a thoirt gu ceann: X wanted to bring the disorder to an end; ghabh e coidse thairis an aghaidh toil an dr脿ibheir: he took over a coach against the driver鈥檚 will; chaidh e am falach ann an Sg矛re nan Loch: he hid in the parish of Lochs; chaidh grunnan a sh脿thadh le sgeinean: some people were stabbed with knives; bha iad d矛reach ann an 脿m: they were just in time; 鈥檚 iad gillean 脿s a鈥� bhaile fh猫in a bu choireach: it鈥檚 local lads that were responsible; a bha na sheasamh air stairsneach taighe: who was standing in a house鈥檚 doorway; th貌isich an ci霉ineachadh 脿s an aonais: the pacification started without them; bha cuid air an uabhasachadh: some were horrified; chuir iad am buill-airm an d脿rna taobh: they laid their weapons aside; chuidich iad an fheadhainn a bh鈥� air an le貌n: they helped the ones who were wounded; chuir iad fios gu lighichean: they sent for doctors; bha an fh貌irneart seachad: the violence was over; a leigeadh leis na poilis luchd nan ionnsaighean a chur an gr猫im: which would let the police arrest the attackers; cha do dh矛ochuimhnich iad: they didn鈥檛 forget [they hadn鈥檛 forgotten]; oidhche a bha seo: one night; chaidh dithis phoileas 脿 Ste貌rnabhagh ann airson a chur an gr猫im: two policemen from Stornoway went there to arrest him; bha m貌ran de mhuinntir na sg矛re nan cois: many locals were with them; gun leumadh e a-steach don loch: that he would jump into the loch; 脿s d猫idh sp脿irn fhuair Raibeart ma sgaoil: after a struggle Robert got free; gun deach a bh脿thadh: that he was drowned; bho dheireadh nan caogadan a-mach: from the end of the fifties (1850s) [onwards].

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: glas-l脿mh: handcuffs. Although the English is a plural word, do you notice that the Gaelic is singular. At least, it is singular with regard to glas. But what about l脿mh? This is in fact a genitive plural (old style, see last week鈥檚 Puing-ch脿nain) 鈥� because the device is usually used to tie 鈥渉ands鈥� together. Glas-l脿mh is literally 鈥渉ands-lock鈥�. The Gaelic was adopted in the English spoken in Inverness and anglicised as 鈥済laslawes鈥�, although that word has long since gone out of usage.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: air na Lochan: in the parish of Lochs, Lewis (see also Litir 187, 17.01.03)