Dugald Carmichael (2)
I want to tell you about Dugald Carmichael from Lismore. He was famous
as a botanist in the nineteenth century. In 1810 Carmichael was
involved in a British military campaign to take Mauritius from the
French. When Carmichael’s ship reached Mauritius, there was already a
British fleet there. They had sailed from India.
When he reached the capital, Port Louis, there were white flags up. The
French had surrendered. But they did that on the condition that they
would retain the law of France and their language.
Three years after that, Carmichael took leave to go to the Isle of
Bourboun or, as they call it today, Réunion. He wrote a lot about
nature there as well. He sailed to Tristan da Cunha to capture those
remote islands for Britain.
In 1818, he left the army and he returned to Scotland. He went to live
in Appin opposite the island of his birth. He was a farmer there. He
continued with his research on plants. He wrote a book called
Mosses of Lorn
. He wasn’t keeping well and, at the age of fifty-five, he died. He was
buried in the old cemetery beside St Moluag’s church on Lismore.
He was pretty well-known in his day. Charles Darwin commended him as an
expert on natural science. He was a good friend of Sir William Jackson
Hooker who was the first director of Kew Gardens in London. Hooker
named several plants after Carmichael, including
Carmichaeliana or New Zealand Broom.
I hope people remember Dugald Carmichael in the future. Outside Lismore
he is not as well known as he should be. We’ll look next week at
another Liosach called ‘Carmichael’. I suspect that some of you will
know him well, at least if you are familiar with
Carmina Gadelica.
Dùghall MacIlleMhìcheil (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Dhùghall MacIlleMhìcheil à Lios Mòr. Bha e
ainmeil mar lus-eòlaiche anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Ann an ochd ceud
deug ʼs a deich (1810), bha MacIlleMhìcheil na shaighdear, an sàs ann an
iomairt armaichte aig Breatainn airson Mauritius a ghabhail thairis bho na
Frangaich. Nuair a ràinig long MhicIlleMhìcheil Mauritius, bha cabhlach
Breatannach ann mu-thràth. Bha iadsan air seòladh bho na h-Innseachan.
Nuair a ràinig e am prìomh bhaile, Port Louis, bha brataich gheala
an-àirde. Bha na Frangaich air gèilleadh. Ach rinn iad sin air cumha gun
gleidheadh iad lagh na Frainge agus an cànan aca.
Trì bliadhna an dèidh sin, ghabh MacIlleMhìcheil fòrladh airson a dhol gu
Eilean Bourbon no, mar a chanas iad ris an-diugh, Réunion. Sgrìobh e tòrr
mu dheidhinn nàdar an sin cuideachd. Sheòl e gu ruige Tristan da Cunha
airson na h-eileanan iomallach sin a ghabhail thairis às leth Bhreatainn.
Ann an ochd ceud deug is ochd-deug (1818), dh’fhàg e an t-arm agus thill e
a dh’Alba. Chaidh e a dh’fhuireach anns an Apainn mu choinneimh eilean a
bhreith. Bha e na thuathanach ann. Lean e air le a chuid rannsachaidh air
lusan. Sgrìobh e leabhar air a bheil Mosses of Lorn. Cha robh e a’
cumail gu math agus, aig aois caogad ʼs a còig, chaochail e. Chaidh a
thiodhlacadh anns an t-seann chladh ri taobh Eaglais Chill Moluag ann an
Lios Mòr.
Bha e ainmeil gu leòr ri a linn. Mhol Teàrlach Darwin e mar shàr-eòlaiche
air saidheans nàdarrach. Bha e na dheagh charaid aig Sir Uilleam Jackson
Hooker a bha na chiad stiùiriche air Gàrraidhean Kew ann an Lunnainn.
Dh’ainmich Hooker grunn lusan an dèidh MhicIlleMhìcheil, a’ gabhail
a-steach Carmichaeliana no Bealaidh Sealain Nuaidh.
Tha mi an dòchas gum bi daoine a’ cuimhneachadh Dhùghaill MhicIlleMhìcheil
anns an ùine a tha romhainn. Taobh a-muigh Lios Mòr chan eil e cho
aithnichte ʼs a bu chòir dha bhith. Bheir sinn sùil an-ath-sheachdain air
Liosach eile air an robh ‘MacIlleMhìcheil’. Tha amharas agam gum bi cuid
agaibh gu math eòlach air, co-dhiù ma tha sibh eòlach air
Carmina Gadelica.
