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Wedi haner llenwi yr hirfad gyda dwfr, a sicrhau estyll wrth ei ochr, dodwyd gorchudd dros lygaid pawb ag oeddynt i’w heillio, fel nas gallent weled; ac ar ol eu tywys at yr estyll, cyfodwyd hwynt i eistedd arnynt, a dechreuwyd ar y gwaith yn y dull canlynol:— |
After half filling the longboat with water, and fixing planks along its side, they covered the eyes of those who were to be shaved so that they could not see; and after being led to the planks, they were lifted up on the them, and the work was begun in the following way:— |
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Dodwyd yr hen filwr ac un arall, at eu haner yn y dwfr o fewn yr hirfad: ar y naill ben i’r estyll safai yr eilliwr, a chanddo arffedog wen o’i flaen, ac yn ei law ddarn cryman hir, yn lle ellyn; ar y pen arall safai morwr a chanddo yn ei law grwc wedi ei lenwi a phyg cymmysgedig a saim, yn lle sebon-drwyth: a cher llaw y crwc, safai morwr wedi paentio ei wyneb fel digrifddyn chwareuyddion cyhoeddus, dan y titl Neptune, sef duw y mor, a chanddo yn ei law wrych-ysgubell, i’w throchi yn y pyg seimlyd, at y gorchwyl a bennodwyd iddo yntau. |
The old soldier and another man were put in the longboat, the water up to their waists; at one end of the planks stood the shaver, wearing a white apron and holding a sickle-blade to serve as a razor; at the other end stood a sailor with a pail in his hand, filled with a mixture of pitch and grease, in place of lather. Near the pail stood another sailor, his face painted blue like a clown at public sports, who was given the title “Neptune”, that is the god of the sea, and he held a brush to dip in the greasy pitch for his appointed task. |
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Yna, galwyd pawb ag oeddynt i’w heillio bob yn un wrth ei enw, a’r morwr a’i grwc a rwbiai eu gwynebau gyda’r pyg, gan ddynwared eu sebon-drwytho; o’i ol ef deuai yr hen Neptune, a’i gernau amryliw yn mlaen, a gofynai i’r un newydd ei byg-drwytho, ei oedran, ac i ba le y perthynai pan adref: a chyda bod y dyn yn agor ei enau i’w atteb, tarawai Neptune ei ysgubell, yn llawn pyg seimlyd o fewn ei safn: ac wedi i hwnw hachio allan o’i enau hyny a fedrai o’r trwythion, dywedai Neptune ei fod yn drwm ei glyw, a gofynai eilwaith i’r dyn adrodd ei oedran a’i le genedigol yn uwch, ac wrth i hwnw ei atteb, i mewn eilwaith y dodid yr ysgubell a’i chynnwysiad i’w safn. Y peth nesaf oedd trosglwyddo yr un a drwythwyd at yr eilliwr; ac yntau, wedi dynwared hogi ei ddarn cryman ar ei fraich, gan ymblygu a gwneyd llawer o ystumiau gyda phob hogiad, a afaelai yn nhrwyn y dïoddefydd yn lled wasgedig, a chrafai ei wyneb gyda’i ellyn crymanllyd, hyd oni chyfodai gwrid cryf i’r golwg. Wedi hyny, tywysid y dyn at forwr arall, yr hwn gyda llonaid llaw o glytiau llawn parddu, a sychai y gwyneb drosto, hyd oni byddai pob modfedd o hono gan ddued a’r eiddo Ethïopiad. Gan i’r dyn du ag oedd gogydd y llong, groesi’r llinell o’r blaen, ni wnaed y driniaeth ag ef, ond â dyn â bachgen du arall, y naill yn gogydd i’r ymfudwyr, a’r llall yn forwr; ac un yn cael ei drosglwydd-daith am ei wasanaeth; cafodd y dyn ei eillio, a rhwbiwyd y ddau, eithr yn lle y clytiau a’r parddu, rhwbiwyd carpiau wedi eu baeddu mewn plwm gwyn (white lead), dros eu gwynebau hwynt, fel y daethont yn lled wynion. Gan gynted ag y darfyddai’r pygdrwythwyr, yr hen Neptune, yr eilliwr, a’r parddüwr eu gwahanol orchwylion ar un, teflid ef dros ei ben i’r dwfr yn yr hirfad; a dyna lle byddai yr hen filwr a’i gydymaith yn trochi hwnw deirgwaith neu bedair, hyd nes y gorphenwyd gyda’r oll, er mawr ddigrifwch a chwerthin i bawb, yn enwedig y merched; canys yr oeddynt hwy i gyd yn cael eu harbed, am na thyfodd barf ar un wyneb o honynt. |
Then each man to be shaved was called in turn by name, and the sailor with the pail would rub their faces with the pitch, pretending to be lathering them; and from behind him would come old “Neptune”, pushing his colourful face forward to ask the one just pitched his age, and from what parts he came: and as the man opened his mouth to answer “Neptune” would thrust a brushful of greasy pitch into it. As soon as the man had coughed out as much of this soap as he could, “Neptune” would claim to be hard of hearing, and again ask the man to announce out loud his age and native home, and when the man answered the brush and its contents were once again put in his mouth. The next thing was to deliver the lathered man to the shaver, who, after pretending to sharpen his blade on his arm, contorting his body and making faces with each stroke, would grasp the unfortunate’s nose rather roughly, and scrape his face with the sickle-razor until it quite glowed with red. After that, the man was led to another sailor with a handful of sooty rags, who wiped the man’s face until every inch of it was as black as an Ethiopian’s. As the black man who was the ship’s cook had crossed the line before, he was not given the treatment, but it was applied to another black man, who cooked for the emigrants, and a black lad working his passage as a sailor. The man was shaved, and both of them were rubbed, but instead of the sooty rags, cloths soaked in white lead were employed, so that they became half white. As soon as old “Neptune”, the shaver, and the soot-rubber had finished their work on a man, he was tumbled into the water in the longboat, where the old soldier and his associate would immerse him three or four times, and so it went on until all were finished, to the great amusement and laughter of everyone, especially the girls, who themselves were spared this treatment as no beard grew on any of their faces. |
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Ar ol dibenu y gorchwyl mawr ei ddigrifwch o eillio, ymwisgodd amryw o’r merched ieuaingc mewn dillad meibion, ac eraill o honynt yn eu dillad eu hunain gyda gwychder; a buan y dechreuodd y crythwr chwareu ar ei grwth, a’r merched ysgwyd eu traed ar y bwrdd i ddawnsio, gan barhau felly lawer o oriau, a’r llong yn crynu tanynt: yr hyn a ddengys fod merched, a’r rhai mwyaf ofnus, yn dyfod yn galonog a llawen ar y môr, fel ar y tir, wedi ond ychydig ymgynefino â’i dònau. |
Following the completion of the highly amusing work of shaving, some of the young girls dressed up in men’s clothing, while others wore their own clothes in splendour; and soon the fiddler began to play, and the girls leapt about dancing on the table, the fun continuing for many hours, and the ship shaking beneath: which demonstrates that even the shyest girls will be emboldened and made merry on the sea, as on the land, after but a little acquaintance with the fiddler’s tunes. |
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Boreu dranoeth cyfnewidiodd y tywydd i wynt anwadal a gwlaw trwm. Bydd llongau weithiau mor ffodus a chael y gwynt a elwir North-east trade wind hyd i gyrion yr un deheu-ddwyrain, a thrwy hyny yn gallu hwylio yn fuan oddiwrth y cyhydedd; ond mynych y collir y gwynt gogledd-ddwyrain, cyn cyrhaedd na’r cyhydedd na’r un deheu-ddwyrain, ac felly methant a chael yn rhydd o’r cyhydedd dros lawer o ddyddiau, gan gael eu gohirio mewn gwyntoedd anwadal a gwlawogydd mawrion. |
The next morning the weather changed, with an unsteady wind and heavy rain. Ships are sometimes fortunate enough to keep the “North-east trade wind” long enough to catch the south-east wind, with which they are able to leave the equator quickly behind; but often the north-east wind fails, so that neither the south-east wind nor even the equator is reached, and so the crossing of the equatorial region is delayed over many days, in unsteady winds and great downpours. |
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Modd bynag, cawsom ni afael ar y gwynt deheu-ddwyrain, yn mhen y pedwar diwrnod, ac yr oedd yn lled gryf, fel nad hir y buom cyn cael yn rhydd o hono, a dyfod i ledred Penrhyn y Gobaith Da. Cawsom rai dyddiau heb ond ychydig wynt ar ol ein dynesiad at y Penrhyn, yr hwn sydd a’i ledred yn 32 gradd 22 mynyd i’r deheu, a’i hydred yn 18 gradd 24 mynyd 24 eiliad i’r dwyrain, ac yn sefyll ar y pen mwyaf deheuol i arfordir Affrica. Gan nad aethom i hydred y Penrhyn, ni chawsom yr amrywiaeth o weled glan na thir, heblaw ynys Madeira, o’n hymadawiad a chulfor Iwerddon, hyd oni ddaethom i olwg Australia. Saif Madeira yn y lledred 32 gradd 43 mynyd 50 eiliaid i’r gogledd, a’i hydred 16 gradd 38 mynyd 2 eiliad i’r gorllewin; gwelsom megys arlliw yr ynys o bell ffordd, wrth ein myned at y cyhydedd. Y Penrhyn Gobaith Da sy le tra adarog; saethodd y cadben a’r meddyg gryn lawer o ednod, a chan y dodant fâd, ac weithiau ddau, i’w cyrchu oddiar y dwfr i’r llong, ceid gryn ddifyrwch yn ceisio dal y rhai byw, er eu clwyfo, trwy redeg o’u hol ar y bwrdd. |
Nonetheless we got hold of the south-east wind in four days, and it was fairly strong, so that it was not long before we were past it and came into the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope. We spent several days with but little wind after our approach to the Cape, which lies at latitude 32 degrees 22 minutes south and longitude 18 degrees 24 minutes 24 seconds east, and stands at the southernmost point of the African coast. As we did not reach the longitude of the Cape, we did not enjoy the variety of visible land or coast, apart from the island of Madeira, between our departure from the Irish Sea and our first sight of Australia. Madeira lies at longitude 32 degrees 43 minutes 50 seconds north, and latitude 16 degrees 38 minutes 2 seconds west; we could see the shadowy outline of the island from far off as we sailed toward the equator. The Cape of Good Hope is a place abundant in birds; the captain and the doctor shot a good many, and they would put a boat out, and sometimes two, to fetch them from the water onto the ship, whereon much sport was had trying to catch the live but wounded ones, chasing after them on the deck. |
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Wedi i ni hwylio yn dra phell i’r dehau oddiwrth y Penrhyn, daethom i hinsawdd hynod oer, ac i afael gwynt nerthol, yn ol ein dysgwyliad; a chan fod y gwynt yn rymus a theg, rhaid oedd mynych gwtogi’r hwyliau, a’u helaethu drachefn, pan y gwynt yn ysgafnhau, tuag at roddi pob chware teg i’r llong fyned yn ei blaen. |
Having sailed very far to the south of the Cape, we came into remarkably cold weather, and caught a mighty wind, as we had expected; and the wind being powerful and fair, the sails had often to be shortened, and then spread again when the wind eased, so as to give the greatest advantage to the ship’s progress. |
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Tra difyrus ydyw bod mewn llong, gydag awel fywiog o’i hol, pan y byddo digon o nerth dwylaw o’i mewn, ac yr oedd genym ni gyflawnder o ddwylaw yn yr ymfydwyr, fel na byddai eisiau i’r morwyr wneuthur nemawr ar y bwrdd, heblaw rhoddi pen rhaff un o’r hwyliau yng ngafael yr ymfudwyr, pan achos yn galw, a cheid ugain neu ddeg ar hugain o honynt yn rhedeg gyda’r cyfryw ar hyd y bwrdd, gan grochfloeddio fel dynion, a thynu fel ceffylau, hyd oni weld yr hwyl i’w lle ar ysmiciad. |
It is most diverting to be on a ship with a lively breeze behind it and plenty of hands aboard, and we had an abundance of hands in the emigrants, so that there was little for the sailors to do on deck, but to entrust the emigrants with the end of a rope when the need arose, and twenty or thirty of them would run with it along the deck, yelling like men and pulling like horses, till the sail fell into place in the wink of an eye. |
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Yn awr, a’r llong wedi myned o’r hinsawdd hafaidd a’r awel araf, ac yn hwylio mewn hinsawdd oer, a gwynt egniol yn bolchwyddo ei hwyliau, hyd oni ymddangosai megys peiriant llawn bywyd yn cwyso’r cefnfor, a’r tònau yn chwarddu iddi groesawiad i’r gyfran bellenig hono o’r byd, dychwelaf yn ol yn fy hanes i grybwyll am ychydig o bethau eraill a ddygwyddodd yn yspaid y fordaith. |
Now, having left behind the summery clime and the gentle breeze, and sailing in cold weather, a vigorous wind swelling our sails and the ship ploughing the ocean like a machine full of life, and the waves laughing their welcome to this remote part of the world, I shall return to my story to describe a few of the other things that happened during the voyage. |
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Y mae yn hysbys fod y llywodraeth Prydeinig yn gofalu am feddygon cymhwys i fyned gyda’r llongau ymfudol fyddo dan ei neillduol ofal, er mwyn gweinyddu y cyfferiau angenrheidiol gogyfer ag anhwyldeb corfforol, os bydd angen yn galw am y cyfryw yn mhlith y bywydau gwerthfawr a ymddiriedwyd i’w gofal gan Ragluniaeth Ddwyfol. Ond, yn wir, er mor graffus ydyw ein llywodraeth wrth ddewis meddygon i anturio gydag ymfudwyr, y mae, er hyny, eithriad i’r dosbarth enwog uchod, fel y cawn sylwi wrth fyned yn mlaen. Ond gallwn ddyweyd yn ddibetrus, y ceir deg meddyg medrus yn y llongau hyn, am un crach feddyg a lithrir i mewn. Felly ni ddylai neb ddigaloni rhag cymmeryd eu cludiad i Australia oblegid y peth a nodwyd. |
It is well-known that the British Government provides for competent physicians to travel with the emigrant ships placed under their special care, in order to minister the necessary medicines for bodily ailments, should there be a need for them among the valuable lives entrusted to their care by Divine Providence. But, to be sure, however wise our government may be in choosing doctors to venture out with the emigrants, there are exceptions among this renowned class whom we may note before continuing. But I can say without hesitation that there are ten able doctors on these ships for each quack who slips through. Accordingly no one should be discouraged from taking their passage to Australia on account of the matter noted. |
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Pan mewn hinsawdd gynnes, byddem yn ymgasglu ar fwrdd y llong, am oddeutu awr, pob prydnhawn Sul, i wrando’r meddyg yn darllen “Y Weddi Gyffredin,” ac un arall yn lle clochydd iddo: a chan wneuthur y gwasanaeth mor debyg ag a ellid i’r dull arferol mewn llan plwyf, dodid allan emyn neu ddau i ganu: ac un o’r ymfudwyr, yr hwn oedd wr eithaf trahaus a chreulon wrth ei wraig, a darawai at arwain y dôn gyda’i chwibanogl, hyd oni byddai’r cyfan yn diaspedain; eithr wedi ein myned i hinsawdd oer, tan y bwrdd yr ymgynnullem, hyd oni chyrhaeddwyd hinsawdd dwymn drachefn. |
When in a warm climate, we would gather on deck every Sunday afternoon for about an hour, to listen to the doctor reading “The Common Prayer,”, another man acting as his sexton: and to make the service as like as possible to the usual procedure in a parish church, a hymn or two was handed out for singing: and one of the emigrants, who was most contemptuous and cruel to his wife, would lead the singing with his whistle, till all resounded; but after we had entered the cold climate, we would gather below deck, until we reached warm weather again. |
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Marwodd pymtheg o blant bychain ar y fordaith, a’r rhan amlaf o honynt yn fabanod, wedi eu geni yn y llong: yn fuan ar ol eu trengu, dodid darn o liain, a’i wnio, o’u hamgylch, ac amryw bwysau o dywod ynddo. Yn mhen ond ychydig oriau, cyfodid hwy ar estyllen, i orphwys ychydig ar ochr y llong; darllenai’r meddyg y gwasanaeth angladdol; a chan gynted ag y deuai at y gair priodol, cyfodid y naill ben i’r estyllen, ac i lawr a’r bychan, gan ymlithro dros y pen arall, i halltog grombil y fynyddog dòn. |
Fifteen young children died on the voyage, most of them infants born on the ship: soon after they passed away they were wrapped in a piece of cloth, which was filled with several pounds of sand and sewn up. A few hours later they were lifted up on a board to rest a little while at the side of the ship; the doctor read the funeral service, and as soon as he came to the proper word, one end of the board was raised, and the little one slid over the other end and down into the salty depths of the mountainous sea. |
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Marwodd hefyd un wraig, a chanddi wr a phlant i alaru eu colled ar ei hol. Gan ei bod yn fam a gwraig, ac yn ymadael a’r fuchedd hon yn hwyr y prydnhawn, amlygodd swyddogion y llong barch i’w theulu drwy beidio a’i bwrw i’r dyfnder cyn hanner nos; yr hyn oedd lawer hwy o amser nag a ganiatwyd i neb o’r plant bychain. |
A woman died as well, with a husband and children to mourn her loss. As she was a wife and mother, and left this life late in the afternoon, the ship’s officers paid respect to her family by not casting her into the deep until midnight, which was a much longer time than was granted to any of the little children. |
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Pan ddaeth yr îs-lywydd i chwilio am ryw ddau o’r morwyr i gynnorthwyo yng nghladdedigaeth y wraig, hwy a ddangosasant gryn lawer o gyndynrwydd: dywedai un, “Dos di, hwn a hwn, gyda chorph yr hen greadures, buaswn i yn myned yn union, oni bai na fedraf rywsut gynnyg ar y fath beth.” Yna, attebai hwn a hwn, gan ddywedyd, “Yn wir, ni bu neb erioed mor sal a mi gyda gorchwyl o’r fath, dos di, fy machgen i,” a throi at un arall; gyda hyny, dyna yr un arall yn codi ei ysgwyddau, ac yn atteb, “Dyn byw, ni allwn ni ddim cysgu am nosweithiau pe dygwyddai i mi ymyrraeth a neb marw.” Ac fel hyn bu i’r îs-lywydd fod am beth amser yn ffaelu a chael gan neb ei gynnorthwyo i roddi y marw allan o olwg. Ond o’r diwedd, er na ofynwyd am ychwaneg na dau, eto aeth pedwar; a llithrwyd y wraig, yr un modd a’r plant bychain, dros yr estyllen i’r dyfnder mawr, a’i phriod yn cyd-alaru a’i phlant, am un na welant mwy yn nhir y rhai byw y tu hwnt na thu yma i’r cyhydedd. |
When the first mate went to find two of the sailors to assist in the interment of the woman, they displayed a good deal of reluctance: one said “You take the old creature’s body, so-and-so, I’d do it at once, but somehow I daren’t attempt such a thing.” And so-and-so answered, saying, “Indeed, there was never any one as ill suited as I to such a task: go, my lad,” and he turned to another; with that, the other one shrugged his shoulders and said, “Man alive, I couldn’t sleep for nights if I interfered with someone dead.” And things went on like this for some time with the first mate unable to get help from any one to put the corpse out of sight. But eventually, though no more than two were sought, four came forward; and the woman was slid, in the same way as the children, over the board into the great deep, her husband mourning along with his children, for one they would not see again in the land of the living, on this side of the equator or the other. |
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Gan yr ystyrid y meddyg yn un anfedrus, cymerodd rhai o’r morwyr fantais, o dro i dro, yn ystod y fordaith, gan haeru eu bod yn glaf er nad oeddynt gleifion, i’r dyben o gael peidio a gweithio am rai dyddiau; ac er na feiddiai y meddyg ddywedyd nad oeddynt afiach, eto efe a fynnai roddi iddynt ychydig flinder trwy eu gwaedu yn eu breichiau, neu ddodi sugliain cryf ar eu hochrau, at adfer eu hiechyd iddynt yn ol: eithr dalient i haeru eu bod yn glaf er y driniaeth honno. |
The doctor being considered incompetent, some of the sailors took advantage, from time to time during the voyage, claiming to be sick when they were not, to avoid working for several days; and though the doctor dared not say they were not ill, still he gave them a little trouble of his own by bleeding their arms, or applying strong plaster to their sides, to restore them to health: but they continued to claim they were sick in spite of this treatment. |