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CREADURIAID GWYLLTION, ADAR, &c.Nid yw Awstralia Orllewinol yn fwy na rhanau ereill o Awstralia yn enwog am ei hamrywiaeth o greaduriaid gwylltion a bwystfilod, eto mae yno lawer yn y wlad, ond y mae y rhan fwyaf o honynt yn perthyn i rywogaeth y kangarw. |
WILD ANIMALS, BIRDS, &c.Western Australia is no more renowned for the variety of its wild creatures and beasts than is any other part of Australia, yet there are many in the country, though the majority of them are kinds of kangaroo. |
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Perthyna y kangarw i Awstralia yn arbenig, ac nid yw i’w gael yn un parth arall o’r byd, ac y mae iddo nodweddion neillduol ag sydd yn ei wahaniethu oddiwrth greaduriaid gwylltion gwledydd ereill. Y mae yn myned oddiamgylch trwy lamu neu hopian ar ei ddwy droed ôl, pa rai ydynt fawrion, tra nad yw ei draed blaen ond byrion a bychain. Ond er mae llamu y mae ar ddwy droed fel hyn, eto, syndod yw meddwl mor gyflym y dianc ymaith fel y mae yn gofyn heliwr gwir fedrus i’w ddal. Y mae dameg yn mhlith brodorion Awstralia Orllewinol am y kangarw ei fod ar y cyntaf yn ddall, ac nas gallasai ond cerdded neu ymlusgo oddiamgylch, ond i’r llyffant wrth ei weled gymaint at drugaredd ei elynion dosturio wrtho, ac eneinio ei lygaid gan orchymyn iddo lamu. Gwnaeth y kangarw hyn, a byth er hyny y mae y creadur mwyaf anhawdd yn y byd i’w ddal. Peth hynod iawn mewn cysylltiad â’r kangarwiaid ydyw eu bod yn magu neu dwyn i fyny eu rhai bach mewn coden neu fath o folgwd (pouch) ag sydd dan eu bronau (gwel darlun). |
The kangaroo is peculiar to Australia, and not to be found anywhere else in the world. It has unusual characteristics which set it apart from the wild creatures of other lands. It moves about by bounding or hopping on its two hind legs, which are large, while its forelegs are small and short. But bounding on two legs as it does, it is still astonishing to see how fast it can get away, requiring a truly skilful hunter to catch it. There is a tale among the natives of Western Australia about how the kangaroo was originally blind, and could only walk or crawl about, but seeing him so far at the mercy of his enemies, the toad anointed his eyes, commanding him to hop. This the kangaroo did, and ever since then he has been the hardest animal to catch. A very remarkable thing in connection with kangaroos is that they nurse or rear their young in a kind of bag or abdominal pouch below their teats (see picture). |
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Er ei fod yn greadur diniwaid ar y cyfan, eto, y mae yn medru ymladd yn ffyrnig trwy gyfrwng ewinedd ei draed blaen os ymosodir arno trwy fyned ar ei draws yn rhy sydyn. Ei ymborth yw porfa, a chan nad ydyw yn greadur ysglyfaethus bwyteir ei gig gan ddynion gwynion yn gystal a’r brodorion. Y mae llawer o wahanol fathau o Gangarwod yn bod, rhai o faintioli mawrion ac eraill o faintioli bychain. Creaduriaid gwylltion eraill y wlad ydynt y walabi, y tamar, a’r lygoden-gangarw. Nid yw rhai hyn yn gwahaniaethu fawr oddiwrth y cangarw, ond eu bod yn llai o ran eu maintioli. Yr opossum sydd greadur gwyllt arall, ac ymbortha ar ffrwythau gwylltion ac adar. Mae y flying fox i’w gael yn rhanau gogleddol o’r wlad. |
Though it is a harmless creature on the whole, it can still put up a fierce fight with the claws of its forelegs if it is surprised by someone stumbling across it too suddenly. It feeds on grass and herbage, and as it is not a beast of prey its meat tastes as good to white men as to the natives. Many different kinds of Kangaroo exist, some of great size and others of small size. Other wild creatures of the country include the wallaby, the tammar, and the rat-kangaroo. None of these differ greatly from the kangaroo, other than being smaller in size. The opossum is another wild creature, which feeds on wild fruit and birds. The flying fox is found in the northern parts of the country. |
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Mae cwn gwylltion i’w cael bron yn mhob parth o’r wlad, y rhai a elwir dingos. Gwnant ddifrod ar ddefaid, ond dywedir eu bod fel rheol yn rhy lwfr i ymosod ar ddyn. Llawer gwaith y bum yn teithio yn anialwch y nos heb gymaint ag erfyn i’m hamddiffyn, ac ni chefais erioed achos i ofni y creaduriaid hyn. Mae yn amlwg mae ei gysylltiad â dyn sydd wedi gwneyd ci yn wrol a ffyrnig, ac nid oes amheuaeth nad diniwaid a llwfr ydyw wrth natur. |
Wild dogs, called dingoes, are to be found in almost every part of the country. They wreak havoc on sheep, but it is said they are as a rule too timid to attack a man. Many times I have travelled in the wilderness at night without any weapon to defend myself, and I never had occasion to fear these creatures. It is clear that its contact with man is what makes a dog bold and fierce, and there is no doubt that it is harmless and timid by nature. |
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Yn mhlith adar Awstralia Orllewinol gellir enwi math o estrys a elwir yr emu, yr eryr, y twrci gwyllt, parrots o bob math, y golomen, y bioden, y dalluan, y barcutyn, y wattle bird a’r laughing jackasses. Ceir yr alarch ar hyd yr afonydd, hefyd y pelican, a chwyaid gwylltion. |
The birds of Western Australia include a kind of ostrich called the emu, the eagle, the wild turkey, parrots of all kinds, the pigeon, the magpie, the kite, the wattle bird and the laughing jackasses [= kookaburras]. The swan is found along the rivers, also the pelican, and wild duck. |
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Ceir math o iar goed (pheasant) yno, yn gwneyd ei nyth mewn twll dwfn yn y ddaear, gan adael i’r wyau ddeor yn ngwres yr haul. Bydd amryw o honynt yn dodwy yn yr un twll, pa un ai ydynt yn cweryla nis gwn. |
There is a kind of pheasant there, which makes its next in a deep hole in the ground, leaving its eggs to hatch in the heat of the sun.6 Several of them will lay in the same hole, whether they quarrel I do not know. |
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Ceir yn y wlad nadrodd o bob math, rhai o honynt yn wenwynllyd, ac eraill heb fod felly. Hefyd, mae y lizards, llyffantod a’r morgrug yn lluosog, ac y mae y pryfaid, yn enwedig y mosquitoes, yn bur boenus yn yr haf. O berthynas i bysgod nid wyf yn cofio i mi weled dim pysgod dwr croyw yno fel sydd yn yr afonydd yn Nghymru; ond y mae yno gyflawnder o bysgod dwr hallt neu pysgod y môr ag sydd yn fwytadwy, megys y schnapper, kingfish, jewfish, a’r mingryniad (mullet). Y cyntaf, sef y schnapper yw y mwyaf blasus gan bobl Awstralia y Gorllewin. Dichon ei fod yn werth sylwi hefyd fod ychydig o’r hyn a elwir pysgota perlau (pearl-fishing) yn cael ei gario yn mlaen ar yr arfordir mewn rhai parthau. |
There are snakes of all kinds in the country, some of them venomous, and others not. The lizards, frogs and ants are also numerous, and the insects, especially the mosquitoes, are very troublesome in the summer. In relation to fish I do not recall seeing any freshwater fish there as are in the rivers of Wales; but there is an abundance of edible salt-water or marine fish, such as the schnapper, kingfish, jewfish, and the mullet. The first, the schnapper, is the favourite of the people of Western Australia. It may be worth noting that a little of what is called pearl-fishing is carried out on some parts of the coast. |
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6 The mallee fowl, a megapode, or mound-building bird. |