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02/04/2012

Tha litir bheag na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain.
This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.

3 minutes

Last on

Mon 2 Apr 2012 19:00

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The Little Letter 360

Bha mi a’ coimhead air seann phĂ ipearan-naidheachd an latha eile. Bha iad air an eadar-lĂŹon. Chunnaic mi seo bhon Derby Mercury anns an t-Samhain, seachd ceud deug, caogad ’s a cĂČig (1755). Bha an aithris Ă  Amsterdam: “Last Saturday about Eleven in the Forenoon, the Air being quite calm, the Water in our Canals was all of a sudden so violently agitated, that several Boats broke loose. [It] is supposed to have been occasioned by a Shock of an Earthquake; but no Person observed the Ground or any House to shake.”

            Bha an aithris inntinneach dhomh. An oidhche roimhe, bha mi aig ĂČraid mu chrithean-talmhainn ann an Inbhir Nis. ThĂ inig ceist am bĂ rr – an tug a’ Chrith-thalmhainn MhĂČr ann an Lisbon, ann an seachd ceud deug, caogad ’s a cĂČig (1755), buaidh air Inbhir Nis?” Thuirt an t-ĂČraidiche nach robh aithris ann mu bhuaidh air Inbhir Nis. Ach bha aithrisean ann mu thuinn mhĂČra ann an Loch Nis. B’ e sin an aon chrith a thug buaidh air an uisge ann an canĂ laichean Amsterdam.

            Thug mi sĂčil tro na pĂ ipearan-naidheachd. Cha do lorg mi aithris mu Loch Nis. Ach lorg mi aithris mu Loch Laomainn: “Loch Lomond was agitated in a very surprising Manner on the first [of November].”

            Bha tsunami ann an Èirinn. Mar eisimpleir, bha sgrios ann an Ceann Sáile. Chaidh bàtaichean a chur fodha. Chaidh cuid eile a chur air tìr. Seo a-rithist an Derby Mercury: “The sudden and surprizing Fluxes and Refluxes of the Sea continued from Three o’Clock in the Afternoon until Ten at Night
. the Waters rose six or seven feet in a Minute, and as suddenly subsided.”

            Thachair Crith-thalmhainn MhĂČr Lisbon air a’ chiad latha dhen t-Samhain, seachd ceud deug, caogad ’s a cĂČig (1755). Rinn i sgrios air prĂŹomh bhaile Phortagail. Chaidh na mĂŹltean de dhaoine a mharbhadh.

            Nuair a thĂČisich a’ chrith, rinn an sluagh air a’ chala. Bha iad a’ smaoin-eachadh gun robh iad sĂ bhailte an sin. Ach cha robh. ThĂ inig tsunami ceathrad mionaid an dĂšidh na crith. Bha mĂČran de na daoine air an sguabadh air falbh.

            Tha e coltach gun do dh’adhbharaich a’ chrith seiche ann an Loch Nis. Tillidh mi don fhacal sin – seiche –an-ath-sheachdain.

The Little Letter 360

I was looking at old newspapers the other day. They were on the internet. I saw this from the Derby Mercury in November 1755. The report was from Amsterdam: “Last Saturday about Eleven in the Forenoon, the Air being quite calm, the Water in our Canals was all of a sudden so violently agitated, that several Boats broke loose. [It] is supposed to have been occasioned by a Shock of an Earthquake; but no Person observed the Ground or any House to shake.”

        The report was interesting to me. The previous night, I was at a lecture about earthquakes in Inverness. A question arose – did the Great Lisbon Earthquake in 1755 have an effect on Inverness. The lecturer said that there was no report of an effect on Inverness. But there were reports of great waves on Loch Ness. That was the same quake that affected the water in Amsterdam’s canals.

        I looked through the newspapers. I didn’t find a report about Loch Ness. But I found a report about Loch Lomond: “Loch Lomond was agitated in a very surprising Manner on the first [of November].”

        There was a tsunami in Ireland. For example, there was extensive damage in Kinsale. Boats were sunk. Some others were thrown onto the land. Here again is the Derby Mercury: “The sudden and surprizing Fluxes and Refluxes of the Sea continued from Three o’Clock in the Afternoon until Ten at Night
. the Waters rose six or seven feet in a Minute, and as suddenly subsided.”

        The Great Lisbon Earthquake happened on the first of November in 1755. It destroyed Portugal’s capital city. Thousands of people were killed.

        When the quake began, the people made for the harbour. They were thinking they were safe there. But they were not. A tsunami came forty minutes after the quake. Many of the people were swept away.

        It appears that the quake caused a seiche in Loch Ness. I’ll return to that word – seiche – next week.

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  • Mon 2 Apr 2012 19:00

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Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

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