27/09/2010
Tha litir bheag na seachdain-sa aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.
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An Litir Bheag 281
Duration: 03:17
An Litir Bheag 281
Bha an t-Albannach Griogair MacGriogair an sĂ s ann am foill. Chruthaich e dĂčthaich mhacmeanmnach. Bâ e sin Poyais. Bha i air BĂ gh Honduras ann am Meadhan Ameir-eagaidh. Bha MacGriogair ag rĂ dh gum bâ esan His Serene Highness Gregor I, Prince of Poyais. An robh e Ă s a rian? Cha robh. Ach bha e breugach.
           Chuir e oifisean air dĂČigh ann an DĂčn Ăideann is Glaschu. Reic e fearann annta. Airson trĂŹ tastain agus trĂŹ sgillinn, bha daoine âaâ ceannachâ acaire fearainn ann am Poyais. Rinn MacGriogair airgead Phoyais ann an DĂčn Ăideann. Air na notaichean bha beagan GĂ idhlig â âS RĂŹoghail mo Dhream. âS e sin sluagh-ghairm nan Griogarach. Ach cha robh luach sam bith anns an airgead.
           Dhâfhoillsich MacGriogair lea-bhar. Bâ e an tiotal Sketch of the Mosquito Shore, including the Territory of Poyais. Bâ e âĂčghdarâ an leabhair Captain Thomas Strangeways. Mhol Strangeways an dĂčthaich. Bha i beartach, le airgead is ĂČr gu leĂČr. Cha robh galairean tropaigeach ann. âS e leabhar breugach a bha ann. Ach bha âMosquito Shoreâ fĂŹor. Bha na mosgĂŹotothan uabhasach.
As t-fhoghar ochd ceud deug is dhĂ air fhichead (1822), dhâfhĂ g soitheach Lunnainn. Bha seachdad duine air bĂČrd. TrĂŹ mĂŹosan an dĂšidh sin, dhâfhĂ g long eile Port LĂŹte ann an Alba. Bha dĂ cheud duine air bĂČrd. Bha iad aâ dol a Phoyais.
Agus dĂš lorg na daoine ann? Lorg iad coille mhĂČr mhĂČr. Cha robh tuineachas EĂČrpach ann idir. Cha robh ĂČr no airgead ann.
Cha deach cĂčisean gu math. Chaidh feadhainn a-mach air a chĂšile. Dhâfhuiling feadhainn galairean tropaigeach. Chuir aon duine a lĂ mh na bheatha fhĂšin.
Ăs dĂšidh dĂ mhĂŹos chaidh cobhair a dhĂšanamh orra. Chaidh fios a chur don riaghaltas ann an Lunnainn. Chuir iadsan soithichean bhon Chabhlach RĂŹoghail a-mach. Chuir iad stad air cĂČig longan eile a bha aâ dol a Phoyais. Thug na pĂ ipearan-naidheachd ann an Lunnainn slaic mhĂČr air MacGriogair.
Ach cha robh sgeul air MacGriogair. Bha esan anns an Fhraing. An robh e aâ cumail a chinn sĂŹos anns an Fhraing? Cha robh, gu dearbh, mar a chĂŹ sinn an-ath-sheachdain.The Little Letter 281
The Scot Gregor MacGregor was involved in deceit. He created an imaginary country. That was Poyais. It was in the Gulf of Honduras in Central America. MacGregor was saying that he was His Serene Highness Gregor I, Prince of Poyais. Was he out of his mind. No. But he was dishonest.
       He set up offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow. He sold land there. For three shillings and three pence people were âbuyingâ an acre of land in Poyais. MacGregor made Poyais money in Edinburgh. On the notes there was a little Gaelic - âS RĂŹoghail mo Dhream [my race is royal]. Thatâs the MacGregorsâ slogan. But the money had no value.
       MacGregor published a book. The title was Sketch of the Mosquito Shore, including the Territory of Poyais. The âauthorâ of the book was Captain Thomas Strangeways. Strangeways praised the country. It was rich, with much silver and gold. There were no tropical diseases. It was a dishonest book. But âMosquito Shoreâ was true. The mosquitoes were terrible.
       In the autumn of 1822, a ship left London. There were seventy people on board. Three months after that, another ship left the Port of Leith in Scotland. There were two hundred people on board. They were going to Poyais.
       And what did the people find there? They found an enormous forest. There was no European colony whatsoever. There was no gold or silver.
       Matters didnât go well. Some of them fell out with each other. Some suffered tropical diseases. One man committed suicide.
       After two months, they received help. The government in London were told. They sent out ships from the Royal Navy. They stopped five other ships that were going to Poyais. The newspapers in London heavily criticized MacGregor.
       But there was no sign of MacGregor. He was in France. Was he keeping his head down in France? Certainly not, as weâll see next week.Broadcast
- Mon 27 Sep 2010 19:00±«Óătv Radio nan GĂ idheal
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An Litir Bheag
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