962: An Canàl Cailleannach
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 Canàl Cailleannach
A bheil turas nas tlachdmhoire ann an Alba na turas-bàta tron Chanàl Chailleannach? Ma thà, bidh e gu math math tlachdmhor nam bheachd. Chaidh mi tron Chanàl as t-samhradh, agus abair gun do chòrd e rium. Bha an t-slighe brèagha air fad agus thachair mi ri daoine a bha gu math laghach. Bha gu leòr ann à dùthchannan eile a bharrachd air Alba. Bha aon chupall air tighinn à Nirribhidh. Bha iad air an t-slighe chun nan Eilean Cainèiridh. Às a sin, bha iad a’ dol a dhèanamh air a’ Charibbean. Bha iad gu bhith air falbh airson bliadhna. Cha robh sinne ach a’ cur seachad trì latha tron chanàl airson ar bàta a thoirt gu taobh siar na h-Alba.
Tha an Canàl Cailleannach gu math eachdraidheil. ʼS iongantach mura robh daoine a’ beachdachadh air a leithid thar nan linntean. Nuair a chaidh Calum Cille gu ruige Inbhir Nis anns t-siathamh linn, sheòl e cuid mhath dhen t-slighe air na lochan anns a’ Ghleann Mhòr. ʼS iongantach mura tuirt e ris fhèin – nach biodh e math nam biodh faoighteach ann airson mo thoirt ann am bàta air a’ chòrr dhen t-slighe, seach a bhith a’ coiseachd eadar na lochan. Ge-tà, nam biodh e air sin a dhèanamh, ʼs dòcha nach robh cothrom air a bhith aige smachd a thoirt air Niseag ann an Abhainn Nis!
Ach cha deach càil a dhèanamh airson smuain mar sin adhartachadh chun an ochdamh linn deug. B’ e Seumas Watt a rinn a’ chiad shuirbhidh airson canàl tron Ghleann Mhòr ann an seachd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a trì (1773). Ach ʼs ann trithead bliadhna an dèidh sin a chaidh achd tron Phàrlamaid airson maoineachadh a chur mu choinneimh a’ phròiseict. Thug an riaghaltas cead don einnseanair, Tòmas Telford, an canàl a dhealbhachadh agus rinn e sin cuide ri fear Uilleam Jessop gus an do chaochail Jessop ann an ochd ceud deug is ceithir-deug(1814). An uair sin, rinn Telford an còrr leis fhèin.
Bha Telford am measg an luchd-einnseanairidh a b’ ainmeile ri a linn. Rugadh e ann an seachd ceud deug, caogad ʼs a seachd (1757) ann an Eskdale ann an Siorrachd Dhùn Phris. Chaochail athair nuair a bha Tòmas na leanabh agus bha an gille òg air a thogail le a mhàthair ann am bochdainn. Dh’ionnsaich e clachaireachd an toiseach, ach chuir e roimhe a bhith na ailtire agus chaidh e a Lunnainn agus an uair sin gu Shropshire.
Ann an seachd ceud deug, naochad ʼs a trì (1793) chaidh Telford an sàs ann an dealbhachadh chanàlaichean. Am measg sin bha amaran-uisge ann an Sasainn agus sa Chuimrigh a bh’ air an dèanamh de dh’iarann. Tha iad fhathast mar phàirt de shiostam nan canàlaichean an-diugh. An uair sin am pròiseact mòr – an Canàl Cailleannach, a thug còrr is fichead bliadhna.
Bhathar an dòchas nach toireadh am pròiseact ach seachd bliadhna, seach fichead. Agus bha iad an dùil gun cosgadh e ceithir cheud is seachdad mìle not. Aig a’ cheann thall, chosg e naoi ceud mìle not.
Ach chanainn gum b’ fhiach a h-uile sgillinn. Tha goireas againn a tha air leth. Taobh a-staigh trì latha, thug e mi bhon chosta sear don chladach an iar tro chridhe na Gàidhealtachd. Mo bheannachd aig Tòmas Telford agus gach duine a thug an Canàl Cailleannach gu bith.
Faclan na Litreach: nas tlachdmhoire: more pleasurable; turas-bàta: boat trip; An Canàl Cailleannach: Caledonian Canal; eachdraidheil: historic; einnseanair: engineer; an còrr: the rest; Siorrachd Dhùn Phris: Dumfriesshire; amaran-uisge: aqueducts.
Abairtean na Litreach: thachair mi ri daoine a bha gu math laghach: I met people who were really nice; bha aon chupall air tighinn à Nirribhidh: one couple had come from Norway; air an t-slighe chun nan Eilean Cainèiridh: on the way to the Canary Isles; ʼs iongantach mura robh daoine a’ beachdachadh air a leithid thar nan linntean: it’s likely that people considered the matter over the centuries; sheòl e cuid mhath dhen t-slighe air na lochan anns a’ Ghleann Mhòr: he sailed a good part of the way on the lochs in the Great Glen; nam biodh faoighteach ann: if there were a canal; a rinn a’ chiad shuirbhidh: who made the first survey; airson maoineachadh a chur mu choinneimh a’ phròiseict: to allocate funding to the project; am measg an luchd-einnseanairidh a b’ ainmeile ri a linn: among the most famous engineers of his day; bha an gille òg air a thogail le a mhàthair ann am bochdainn: the young lad was raised by his mother in poverty; dh’ionnsaich e clachaireachd: he learned masonry; chuir e roimhe a bhith na ailtire: he determined to be an architect; an sàs ann an dealbhachadh chanàlaichean: involved in the design of canals; a bh’ air an dèanamh de dh’iarann: that were made of iron; bhathar an dòchas nach toireadh am pròiseact ach seachd bliadhna: it was hoped the project would only take seven years; bha iad an dùil gun cosgadh e X: they expected it to cost X; thug e mi bhon chosta sear don chladach an iar tro chridhe na Gàidhealtachd: it took me from the east coast to the western seashore through the heart of the Highlands; a thug an Canàl Cailleannach gu bith: who brought the Caledonian Canal into existence.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: Chaochail athair nuair a bha Tòmas na leanabh: his father died when Thomas was a baby. Note that when a noun that starts with a vowel is commanded by the third person possessive article ( a ‘his’) it is not written, to avoid a vowel repetition which is not said in speech. For ‘his father and mother’ we would say ‘athair ʼs a mhàthair’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: bha iad a’ dol a dhèanamh air a’ Charibbean : they were going to make for [go to] the Caribbean.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 658
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