John Fraser (2)
Have you heard of Catherine the
Great, Empress of Russia? She
was in charge of Russia at the end
of the 18th Century. She was
powerful.
She liked plants. The Gael,
John Fraser, got a contract from
Catherine. That was for collecting
plants for her in America. Fraser
took American plants to Russia.
And he took Russian plants to
America. Among those was the
cherry called Tartarian Cherry.
When he was in America, he found
Rhododendron catawbiense. He
took that home with him to Britain.
It was well received.
John was along with his son
in America. He was also called
John. On the way home, they went
to Cuba. But Cuba was under
Spanish control. Spain and Britain
were at war with each other. The
Governor found out the Frasers
were British. But he didn’t stop
them. They were only collecting
plants.
When John was over there,
things changed in Russia. The
Empress Catherine died. Her son,
Paul, came to the throne. Fraser
was thinking that Paul was still wanting the plants. But Paul wasn’t alive for long. He was murdered. The new emperor was his son, Alexander.
Alexander didn’t have the same opinion about the plants. He wasn’t willing to pay for them. Fraser had spent years. He expected to get a fortune from the Russians. But he got very little. He was unhappy.
At the age of 57, he didn’t have much money. He went one other time to America. He wanted to collect more plants. When he was in America he was on horseback. He fell. He didn’t get much better. And he died in London a few months after that in 1811.
Iain Friseal (2)
An cuala sibh mu Chatrìona
Uaibhreach, Ban-ìmpire na Ruis? Bha i
os cionn na Ruis aig deireadh an
ochdamh linn deug. Bha i
cumhachdach.
Bha i measail air lusan. Fhuair
an Gàidheal, Iain Friseal, cùmhnant
bho Chatrìona. Bha sin airson lusan a
chruinneachadh dhi ann an Ameireagaidh. Thug Friseal lusan Ameireagan-
ach don Ruis. Agus thug e lusan
Ruiseanach a dh’Ameireagaidh. Am
measg sin bha siridh ris an canar
Tartarian Cherry. Nuair a bha e ann an
Ameireagaidh, lorg e Rhododendron
catawbiense. Thug e sin dhachaigh leis
a Bhreatainn. Bha fèill mhòr air.
Bha Iain còmhla ri a mhac ann
an Ameireagaidh. ’S e Iain an t-ainm a
bha airsan cuideachd. Air an rathad
dhachaigh, chaidh iad a Chiùba. Ach
bha Ciùba fo smachd na Spàinne. Bha
an Spàinn agus Breatainn ri cogadh an
aghaidh a chèile. Fhuair an Riaghladair
a-mach gun robh na Frisealaich
Breatannach. Ach cha do chuir e stad
orra. Cha robh iad a’ dèanamh dad ach
a’ cruinneachadh lusan.
Nuair a bha Iain thall an sin,
dh’atharraich cùisean anns an Ruis.
Chaochail a’ Bhan-ìmpire Catrìona.
Thàinig an gille aice, Pòl, don rìgh-chathair. Bha Friseal a’ smaoineachadh gun robh Pòl ag iarraidh nan lusan fhathast. Ach cha robh Pòl beò fada. Bha e air a mhurt. B’ e an t-ìmpire ùr an gille aigesan, Alasdair.
Cha robh Alasdair dhen aon bheachd mu na lusan. Cha robh e deònach pàigheadh air an son. Bha Friseal air bliadhnaichean a chur seachad. Bha e an dùil fortan a bhith aige bho na Ruiseanaich. Ach fhuair e glè bheag. Bha e mì-thoilichte.
Aig aois caogad ’s a seachd, cha robh mòran airgid aige. Chaidh e aon turas eile a dh’Ameireagaidh. Bha e airson tuilleadh lusan a chruinneachadh. Nuair a bha e ann an Ameireag-aidh, bha e air muin eich. Thuit e. Cha do dh’fhàs e mòran na b’ fheàrr. Agus chaochail e ann an Lunnainn beagan mhìosan às dèidh sin ann an ochd ceud deug is aon-deug (1811).
