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TRAETHIAD, &c.Ar yr unfed dydd ar bymtheg o Awst, yn y flwyddyn un mil wyth gant a deuddeg a deugain, hwyliais o afon Mersey, Llynlleifiad, yn y * * * * i Australia. |
NARRATIVE, &c.On the sixteenth day of August, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, I sailed from the river Mersey in Liverpool, on the * * * * for Australia. |
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Cynnwysai y llong dri chant a phedwar ugain o Ymfudwyr, dan nawdd y Llywodraeth; ac yn eu mysg, yr oedd un yn fedrus ar chwareu crwth (fiddle). Mor fuan ag y cafwyd angor y llong i fyny, a llawer o’r meibion a’r merched yn cyssegru eu hymadawiad gyda dagrau serch at hen wlad eu genedigaeth, archodd un o’r swyddogion i’r crythwr ddechreu crythorio, ac yntau yn ddiaros a donyddodd gaingc dawns. |
The ship was carrying three hundred and eighty Emigrants, under the protection of the Government; and among them there was one who could play the fiddle. As soon as we had weighed anchor, and many of the men and women were consecrating their departure with tears of affection for their old homeland, one of the officers asked the fiddler to play, and the latter struck up a dance tune without delay. |
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Cefais yn awr olwg lled ddyeithr; cyfododd amryw o wrrywod a menywod ar eu traed, a thra eu dagrau cyfrgrynion yn dylifo, yr oeddynt yn dringo ac yn gwingo’n y gwynt gan ddawnsio eu hegni: wylent gan ddawnsio, wrth gael yr olwg olaf ar fryniau Prydain deg; a dawnsient gan wylo, mewn gobaith o gael yr olwg gyntaf ar diroedd nodedig Australia bell. |
Now I beheld a rather strange sight—several of the men and women rose to their feet, and as their rounded teardrops fell, they leapt and kicked in the wind, dancing for all their worth—they wept as they danced, catching their last view of fair Britain’s hills; and they danced as they wept, in hope of catching their first sight of the famed shores of distant Australia. |
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Y gwynt oedd wrthwynebus, ond ysgafn, ar ein hymadawiad, a’r hîn yn hafaidd a thawel, gan barhau felly dridiau. Yna ar y pedwerydd diwrnod, daeth yr awel o’n tu, a chludodd ni, gyda hwyliau ymchwyddog, yn gyflym allan o’r culfôr. |
The wind was contrary, but light as we left, and the weather summery and mild, remaining so for three days. Then on the fourth day, the wind blew from our side, and with swollen sails took us quickly out of the channel. |
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Yn fuan wedi ein myned o olwg y tir, yr ymfudwyr a sychasant eu dagrau, a dechreuasant newid eu difyrwch: caid rhai yn darllen, rhai yn myfyrio, ac eraill yn siarad a’u gilydd am Australia, gwlad yr aur. Nid hir y bu yr ymfudwyr heb ddyfod yn wahanol ddosparthiadau, ac yn ddarlun o’r byd mawr mewn cylch bychan, er heb unrhyw gynllun i’r dyben hyny, namyn pob un yn dilyn ei duedd. Gan fod yno rhyw ychydig o wyr a ddangosent eu hunain yn lled ddoniol, gwelid llawer yn ymbentyru o’u hamgylch yn barhaus gan eu gwrando yn esponio o’u llyfrau, ac yn ymadroddi gyda rhyw hyawdledd anarferol i awyr llwybrau’r pysg, am y wlad y gobeithient ei chyrhaedd a’i mwynhau cyn hir. Gwelid dosbarth arall a’i holl ymgais am ddigrifwch ar hyd y fordaith, braint fawr i bob aelod o’r dosbarth hwn a fyddai cael gafael ar ddarn o liain, brethyn, neu bapyr, a’i binio tu ol i ryw un; a thra y byddai hwnw yn ymsymud o amgylch, heb wybod am y nôd o’r tu ôl iddo, mawr y chwerthin a’r ysmaldod a glywid ganddynt. Y trydydd dosbarth a gyfansoddwyd o bobl uwchlaw gwrando baldordd neu chwareu gan binio clytiau, am nad oedd dim mor foddhaol gan y dosbarth hwn, ar hyd y dydd a chwareu cardiau: eithr wedi i’r dydd hwyrhau, ymgasglent at eu gilydd oll, fel o un duedd am gân, a phawb i gyfuno yn y cydgor. Y gan fynychaf a glywais ganddynt oedd ynghylch priodas eurych, a’i chydgor yn debyg i— |
Soon after we lost sight of land, the emigrants dried their tears, and began to change their recreation: some read, some studied, and others talked about Australia, the land of gold. It was not long before they divided into different classes, and became a picture of the whole world in a small compass, but without any plan to that end, each one following his own inclination. As there were several men there who showed themselves to be rather gifted, numbers of people were constantly to be seen crowding about them, listening to them expound from their books and speak into the ocean air with uncommon eloquence of the land they hoped to reach and enjoy before long. Another class could be found giving all its effort to amusement for the length of the voyage—to get hold of a piece of linen, cloth, or paper would be counted a great prize by one of this class, and he would pin it on someone’s back; and as this person moved about, ignorant of the brand on him, great were the laughter and drollery to be heard from this class. The third class was composed of people who were above listening to idle chatter or playing at rag-pinning, and to whom nothing was more pleasing than playing cards all day: but as evening fell, all would gather together, as of one mind, to sing, and everyone joined in the chorus. The song most often heard from them concerned a tinker’s wedding, its refrain something like— |
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Weithiau caid heblaw cân, dôn ar y crwth, a dawns, a chwedlau a phob difyrwch a allent ei gyrhaedd yn gyfatebol i’w hamgylchiadau, fel y gallaf alw fy môrdaith i Australia yn un o’r môrdeithiau siriolaf a welais. |
Besides singing, there were at other times fiddle-playing, dancing, stories and every kind of diversion they could find in accordance with their circumstances, to the degree that I can call my voyage to Australia one of the most cheerful I have experienced. |
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Yr oedd yn mysg yr ymfudwyr wyth a deugain o ferched ieuainc, dan neillduol ofal y meddyg a’r wreig-dda, yr hon a alwent matron; a gofalai y ddau hyny am eu hanfon hwynt i lawr oddiar y bwrdd, oddeutu wyth neu naw o’r gloch bob nos a’u hanfon i’r awyr, ar fwrdd y llong, oddeutu chwech o’r gloch bob boreu, tra yr holl wragedd, fel y meibion, yn cael eu caniatâu i aros heb fyned i lawr gyhyd ag y dewisent ymdroi ar y bwrdd. |
Among the emigrants there were forty-eight young girls, under special care of the ship’s doctor and the matron; and the two made sure to send them down from the deck about eight or nine o’clock each evening, and to bring them up into the air about six o’clock each morning, while all the women, like the men, were allowed to linger on deck as long as they chose. |
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Hefyd, gwnaed rheol nad oedd i neb o’r morwyr ymddyddan gydag unrhyw un o’r merched ieuaingc, yr hon reol, er mor anhawdd, a gadwyd yn dra manwl am oddeutu tair wythnos: ond ar derfyn y drydedd wythnos o gadwraeth y rheol gas gan fôrwr, dygwyddodd i un o’r dwylaw ei thorri, trwy roddi attebion i ychydig holiadau a ofynid iddo gan un o’r merched ieuaingc. |
Also, a rule was made that none of the sailors were to converse with any of the young girls, which rule, though harsh, was very strictly kept for about three weeks: but at the end of the third week of observance of this rule, hateful to a sailor, one of the hands broke it by answering a few questions asked of him by one of the young girls. |
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Pan welwyd y ddau hyny yn torri y rheol, aeth îs-lywydd y llong at y môrwr, mewn gryn ffyrnigrwydd, a chan iddynt ffaelu a chytuno ar yr achos pwysfawr o dorri rheol, trwy roddi attebion moesgar i ychydig o ofyniadau geneth brydweddol, dechreuodd a pharhaodd y ddau i ymladd a baeddu y naill y llall hyd at waed. |
When the two were seen breaking the rule, the first mate approached the sailor, in quite a rage, and as they failed to agree on the important matter of breaking a rule by giving polite answers to a comely girl’s inquiries, the two started fighting and beating each other till blood flowed. |
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Arferai llywydd y llong yfed gryn lawer o’r gwlybwr meddwol a elwir gan y môrwyr Calondid yr Is-Ellmyn (Dutchmen’s Courage,) a chan ei fod ef yn mhell dan ddylanwad y cyfryw Galondid ar y pryd y dygwyddodd i’r îs-lywydd a’r morwr ymladd, cynhyrfwyd ysbryd y gwr yn fawr, ac yng nghalondid ei fyrbwylldra, archodd i’r ymfudwyr symud ymaith y ddau fâd ag oeddynt rwymedig uwch prif fwrdd y llong, fel y gallai ef gael y bwrdd yn rhydd, o’r llyw-le hyd i’r pen blaen: a hwythau a wnaethant yn ol ei gais, heb undyn yn dirnad ei amcan yn hyny o waith. |
The ship’s captain was accustomed to drinking considerable quantities of the intoxicating liquor known to the sailors as ‘Dutchmen’s Courage’, and as he was well under the influence of such Courage at the time of the fight, the man’s spirit was greatly roused, and in his impulsive frame of mind, he told the emigrants to move aside the two boats fixed above the main deck, so that he could have the whole deck clear, from the helm to the bow: and they did as he asked, not one man able to apprehend his purpose in this. |
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Yr oedd ar yr uchel-fwrdd wn wedi ei sicrhau; ac ar ol symud y bâdau o’r neilldu, gorchymynodd y cadben ei ryddhau, ei dreiglo ar ei olwynion, ei osod a’i rwymo ar ran flaen y llyw-le, a’i ffroen tuag at y ben blaen y llong, i’r dyben o danio, eb efe, ar y morwyr. Wedi i’r ymfudwyr ddeall ei ddyfais, ac yn gweled eisioes ei ffolineb, yr oeddynt erbyn hyn wrth eu bodd yn ei gynnorthwyo, tra y morwyr hwythau yn gwneyd pob math o ystumiau ar eu gilydd, gan chwerthin at ynfydrwydd llyngcwr y Calondid. |
There was a gun secured on the upper deck; and after the boats were shifted, the captain ordered it released, rolled along on its wheels, and positioned and secured on the front part of the helm, with its muzzle facing the ship’s bow, in order, he said, to fire on the sailors. Perceiving his intention, and seeing already the folly of it, the emigrants were by now delighting in encouraging him; while the sailors themselves were making all kinds of grimaces at each other, laughing at the Courage drinker’s foolishness. |
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Cafodd saith neu wyth o ddynion eu trosglwydd-daith am weithio, a dygwyddodd fod un o honynt yn hen filwr, yr hwn, gystal a hyny oedd yn gryn dipyn o ddigrifwas: galwodd y cadben ar yr hen filwr, gan mai ef a dybid y cymhwysaf i roddi ergyd yn y gwn. Yr hen filwr a aeth, a chan gymeryd arno brysuro, dywedodd wrth y cadben, “Y mae’n rhaid i chwi, syr, ddangos y modd i mi roddi’r ergyd i mewn, am na ddysgais erioed y gorchwyl o lwytho gwn mawr, pan gydâ’r milwyr.” Nid oedd ond ychydig ddyddiau er pan yr ymffrostiai’r cadben, wrth wraig y meddyg, ei ryfedd fedrusrwydd i saethu gydâ gynau mawrion, a chafodd yn awr gyfleustra i arddangos prawf o’i wrol-gamp. Yna, pan glywodd ef yr hen filwr yn gofyn ei hyfforddiant, efe a archodd iddo wneuthur fel hyn a fel arall, ac yntau yn dilyn ei gyfarwyddiadau, gan chwerthin yn ddirgelaidd, hyd oni chafwyd y magnel, fel y tybid, yn barod i’w orchwyl celaneddol. Ar ol gosod pethau mewn hwylusdod gan belled a hyny, aeth y cadben i lawr i’w gaban, a llenwodd yno amryw law-ddrylliau; ac wedi iddo ddychwelyd i fyny, efe a gynnygiodd rai o honynt i’r saer ac i’r ail îs-lywydd, gan ddywedyd nad oedd ef yn prisio dim am saethu dyn: eithr hwy a wrthodasant eu cymeryd, am nad oeddynt yn gweled unrhyw angenrheidrwydd defnyddio y cyfryw arfau angheuol. Un o’r morwyr, wrth glywed y cadben yn ei bygwth mor eofn, a aeth at fasnachwr yn mhlith y rhai a weithient am eu trosglwyddiad, i ddeisyf cael yn fenthyg ei law-ddryll bychan, gan ddywedyd, “Myn hwnw, myfi a roddaf iddo ergyd a wna iddo ofalu y modd i siarad yn y fan yna;” ond yr hen siopwr, yn ofni’r canlyniadau, a ddywedodd fod ei wn ef wedi ei anmharu, fel nad oedd dda i ddim yn y byd. |
Seven or eight of the men were working their passage, and one of them happened to be an old soldier, who was also a bit of a joker: the captain called for the old soldier, as he was considered the fittest to put the shot in the gun. The old soldier came forward, and while pretending to hurry, told the captain, “You must show me, sir, how to put the shot in, as I never learned the art of loading a cannon when I was with the army.” It was only a few days since the captain had been boasting to the doctor’s wife of his wonderful skill at firing a cannon, and now he had an opportunity to demonstrate his prowess. Then, when he heard the old soldier asking for instruction, he told him to do this and that, and the man followed his directions, secretly laughing, until the cannon, as was supposed, was ready for its deadly task. After preparing things as far as this, the captain went down to his cabin, and there loaded several pistols; and when he came back up, he offered some of them to the ship’s carpenter and the second mate, saying that he cared not a damn about shooting a man: but they refused to take them, as they saw no need to use such deadly weapons. One of the sailors, hearing the captain’s bold threat, approached a merchant among those working their passage, and appealed to him for the loan of his small pistol, saying, “I’ll give him a shot that’ll make him watch how he speaks;” but the old shopkeeper, fearing the consequences, said his gun had been damaged and was of no use to any one. |
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Yn adeg gweithredu y ffolineb crybwylledig, aeth y meddyg a dywedodd wrth y cadben, “A ydych chwi yn deall, syr, y dichon i’r dynion hyn eich cosbi yn drwm am eich ymddygiad tuag atynt?” Ac ar hyn tawelodd y cadben, a dychwelodd at eu Galondid, heb niweidio neb, chwaith dderbyn niwed oddiwrth neb. Tan ddylanwad y gwlybyroedd pensyfrdanus y gwnaeth y cadben yr holl ddadwrdd ffol a hysbysais, a pha beth ond ffolineb, neu waeth, a ddysgwylir oddi wrth bob dyn tra dan y cyffelyb ddylanwad? Eithr ni aflonyddodd ef ni mwy ar hyd y fordaith. |
While this foolishness was going on, the doctor came forward and asked the captain, “Do you realize, sir, that these men may punish you severely for your conduct toward them?” And at this the captain fell silent, and returned to his Courage, doing no man harm, nor being harmed by any man. The entire foolish commotion was incited by the captain under the influence of intoxicating liquor, and what but folly, or worse, could be expected of any man while under such influence? But he disturbed us no further throughout the voyage. |
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Yn mhen deuddydd neu dri ar ol brwydr y Calondid, archodd y cadben am i ryw un o honom dynu allan yr ergyd o’r gwn mawr, a hen Gymro a’i enw David, un a fu yn hir-berthyn i’r llynges, a aeth at y gorchwyl. Arferai y cadben a dywedyd y bu yntau yn perthyn i’r llynges, ond tystiai yr hen David nad aethai yr ergyd byth allan o’r gwn heb ei ddryllio yn gyrbibion, pe rhyfygasai un roddi tân arno, am na ddodasid hi o’i fewn yn iawn. |
Two or three days after the battle of the Courage, the captain called for someone to take the shot out of the cannon, and an old Welshman called David, who had long served in the navy, went about the task. The captain liked to claim that he also had been in the navy, but old David testified that the shot never came out of the gun without being shattered to pieces, if any one dared to fire it, because it had not been put in correctly. |
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Gan fod yr awel mor araf ar y pryd hyny, nid oeddem ond anniben yn hwylio; yr hyn a barodd ein bod dair wythnos yn hwy na’n dysgwyliad, cyn cyrhaedd o honom y masnachwynt gogledd-ddwyrain. |
As the breeze was so light at that time, we sailed aimlessly, which made us three weeks later than we expected, until the north-east trade wind caught us. |
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Y mae ger y cyhydedd liaws o fân bryfaid, ar y rhai yr ymbortha’r pysg adeiniog a elwir Flying Fish, a cheir yno luoedd o’r pysg a elwir Dolphins, neu Môrhychod, yn ymlid y pysg adeiniog i’w traflyngcu: ac wrth hwylio, yn mlaen yr awel deg, at y cyhydedd, braidd na ddywedai un mai difyrus edrych tros ochr y llong, i weled y lluoedd pysg mawrion a hychaidd yn ymgyflymu, gan geisio goddiweddyd y rhai adeiniog, a hwythau druain, wrth yr heidiau, yn ehedeg allan o’r dwfr, gan fynych ddisgyn iddo a chyfodi o hono, mewn ymdrech blin i achub eu hunain o safnau rhythion eu beddau byw. |
Near the equator there were swarms of tiny creatures, on which the winged fish known as ‘Flying Fish’ fed, and there was an abundance of the fish called ‘Dolphins’, or ‘Sea-pigs’, chasing the winged fish to devour them; and as we sailed before the fair wind toward the equator, one could almost say it was amusing to look over the side of the ship, to watch herds of great, porcine fish hastening to overtake the winged ones, poor wretches, in their shoals, by turns leaping from the water, falling back, and rising again, in a wearying effort to save themselves from the gaping jaws of their living graves. |
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Gan fod y tywydd yn hynod o hafaidd a thawel, nyni a fuom wyth wythnos yn dyfod o Lynlleifiad at y cyhydedd, yr hyn a ystyrid yn fordaith lled hir: eithr nyni a gawsom ddigrifwch wrth groesi y llinell i raddau helaethach nag a fuasai modd pe y tywydd yn dymhestlog. |
Because the weather was remarkably summery and calm, we were eight weeks out of Liverpool before we reached the equator, which was considered a rather long voyage; but on crossing the line we made sport in ampler measure than would have been possible had the weather been inclement. |
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Hen arferiad wrth groesi llinell y cyhydedd, yw eillio barfau y rhai hyny na chroesasant y llinell hono erioed o’r blaen, a cheir amryw o feibion felly yn mhob llong yn cynnwys ymfudwyr o Loegr i Australia neu i California; ac er na orfodir neb i oddef y cyfryw driniaeth yn groes i’w hewyllys, eto wedi dyfod hyd i’r llinell, a chael hysbysrwydd am yr hen ddefod, bydd llawer yn ymddarostwng iddi yn ddirwgnach, a llawer hefyd yn ymollwng i’r chwareu gyda pharodrwydd a sirioldeb. |
An old custom on crossing the line is to shave the beards of those who have never crossed the line before, and several such fellows are to be found on any ship bearing emigrants from England to Australia or California; and although no one is obliged to suffer such treatment against his will, still when coming upon the line and being apprised of the old custom, many will submit to it without complaint, and many also will readily and cheerfully give themselves over to the game. |
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Pan oeddem yn croesi y llinell cyhydeddol, ar ddiwrnod tra thawel, nyni a dynasom gonglau yr hwyliau i fyny, er mwyn cael digon o le at ein gorchwyl bwriadol; ac wedi dodi ar bapyr enwau oddeutu pedwar ar hugain o ddynion barfog, dechreuasom chwilio yn mhlith y morwyr am wyr a wnaent y tro i weinyddu y gwahanol swyddau angenrheidiol at y driniaeth o dorri barfau, a chafwyd y nifer digonol yn rhwydd. |
As we crossed the equator, on a very calm day, we drew the corners of the sails up, in order to have plenty of room for our purpose; and after setting down on paper the names of about twenty-four bearded men, we began searching among the sailors for men fit to perform the various tasks involved in cutting beards, and the required number was readily found. |