Latha math dhuibh, a chàrdan.
It is March 1876 and David continues both his working and social lives in the centre of Victorian Edinburgh. Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone and General Crook burns a Cheyenne village in the continued colonial bloodshed of the post Civil War-era United States. Meanwhile Scotland defeat Wales in their first international soccer match. David visits the theatre and the village of Dalkeith, then much further away from the Edinburgh conurbation than it is now.
FULL TEXT WITH COMMENTARY (in brackets and italics)
MARCH
5th
Had a letter from home on Saturday 4th. Benjamin and Alex came to my lodgings. We had a walk to Cramond. Had dinner in my lodgings. Had a walk on Princes St. (Cramond is a good five mile walk to the north and east and so the ten miles there and back seem to have been nothing to David, accustomed as he was to his lengthy rambles!)
6th
Posted a P.O.O. to MacDougall & Coy Inverness. 15/6 for two Glengarries, one for Alex Sutherland and one for [my]self. (Perhaps the lack of “my” in this phrasing can be attributed to the fact that mi and fhéin are separate in Gaelic)
8th
The Glengarries arrived safe. Had a letter from Neil, my cousin. (The bonnets from last month’s blog are finally purchased)
12th
Went up to 7 Glen Street, Benjamin’s new lodgings. We went to the Free Grey Friar’s Church and to the Assembly Hall. Had a walk on Princes St
15th
In the shop until 6:30, then went up to Glen Street. Benjamin and Alex and I went to the Edinburgh Theatre to see Rob Roy. (It is to be assumed that the play in question here is the one written in 1818 by George Soane and based on Scott’s novel. Wikipedia has a little more information from where the above image was acquired)
19th
Started early on foot with Mr Gairns [Cairns?] to Dalkeith. Went to the Duke’s Chapel. Gairns went home on foot. I remained lionising Dalkeith and returned to Edinburgh by 6:27 (David does not elaborate here on what he finds so attractive about Dalkeith [pictured below, perhaps around the turn of last century] but once again has no issue making what would have been at least a seven mile walk from the centre of Edinburgh to the small Midlothian town. I have no idea who Mr Gairns might be, ÀM)
25th
Called on Alex Sutherland and Macdonald. Had a walk round Stockbridge. Had dinner with him. Went to Prospect Place to see Sinclair as she had to leave her situation owing to ill health. Met Robertina Macdonald and went home with her to Argyle Place. (It is not yet clear as to whether Sinclair’s ill health took a turn for the worse)
Join us next month when David will be visiting both a menagerie and a man of war during April 1876 when Canada’s disastrous Indian Act came into force and concerted assimilation of indigenous people began there.
Gach beannachd air an àm,
Àdhamh MacLeòid (ÀM)
‘Bheil suim agaibh / agad do chur an sgeultan seo sa Ghàilig Sgìre Latharna a charaid mòr? Bithidh sin an-mhath mà déanaidh sibh sin.
Is obair mhór e, a charaid. Chan eil an ùin againn sin a dhèanamh mar a tha cùisean an-dràst. Chà na leabhraichean-latha an sgrìobhamh as Beurl, mar sin, tha sinn a’ cumail ris an fhìrinn le sin. Bidh sinn a’ roinn tuilidh Ghàilig as na seachdainnean a tha romhainn.