Take two: The New World
An dàrna turas: An Saoghal Ùr
Let's have a look at this conversation again.
Bha sinn a' bruidhinn air mar a thachair a' chiad ìre de dh'eilthireachd. An deach na daoine sin a dh'Alba Nuadh?
We were talking about how the first phase of migration happened. Did those people go to to Nova Scotia?
Uill, chan ann dìreach a dh'Alba Nuadh a rachadh an luchd-imrich, ach gu mòr-thìr Aimeireaga a Tuath—Canada agus na Stàitean Aonaichte.
Well, the emigrants went [would go] not just to Nova Scotia, but to the continent of North America—Canada and the United States.
Thuirt thu gum b' e siud a' chiad ìre. Dè thachair an uair sin?
You said that was the first phase. What happened then?
Tha seo gam thoirt gu dàrna ìre nam Fuadaichean, bho mu 1825 gu mu 1855. Bha sluagh a' sìor fhàs, ach bha cion obrach agus bìdhe, agus bochdainn ag adhbharachadh trioblaidean thall ’s a bhos.
This brings me to the second phase of the Clearances, from about 1825 to about 1855. The population was continually growing, but lack of work and food, and poverty caused problems everywhere.
Chan e naidheachd ùr a bhiodh a sin!
That wouldn't be new news!
Tha fhios a’m. Ach bha na h-uachdarain, daoine aig nach robh dlùth-cheangail tuilleadh leis na daoine aca, iad fhèin ann am fiachan.
I know. But the landowners, people who no longer had close ties with their people, were themselves in debt.
Cha robh fhios agam air a sin! Siuthad.
I didn't know that! On you go.
Dh'fhàs cùisean na bu mhiosa buileach le gaiseadh a' bhuntàta (A' Bhliadhna a Ghais am Buntàta) a thòisich ann an 1846.
Things became even worse with the potato blight [the Highland Potato Famine] (The Year of the Potato Blight) which started in 1846.
Cò nach cuala mun a sin? Nach do dh'imrich a' mhòr-chuid de na Gàidheil gu Galltachd na h-Alba aig an àm sin?
Who hasn't heard about that? Didn't most of the Highlanders migrate to the Scottish Lowlands at that time?
Dh'imrich. Ach cuideachd, chaidh na mìltean eile gu àiteachan dhan t-Saoghal Ùr, na b' fhaide air falbh, mar Astràilia agus Sealainn Nuadh.
They did [migrate]. But also, thousands more went to places in the New World, further away, like Australia and New Zealand.
Tha e a' cur iongnadh orm gum biodh airgead aca airson faighinn a-null an siud!
It amazes me that they would have money to get over there!
Cha robh airgead aig na daoine sin. B' ann tro iomairtean aig buidhnean leithid Comann Eilthireachd na Gàidhealtachd a fhuair iad a-null. Bhiodh iadsan a' tabhann taic airgid dhaibh—airgead air iasad—a phàigheadh nam faraidhean aca.
These people had no money. It was through campaigns by organisations such as the Highlands and Islands Emigration Society that they got over. They would offer them financial support—money on loan—to pay for their passage (fares).