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Nid oedd tô uwch ein penau i ddyrnu, ond ar gae noeth, mewn awyr agored, ar ben byglen o dan y ceirch, wrth ochr y dâs. Gafaelais yn y ffust, gan feddwl dechreu dyrnu y tro cyntaf erioed; a dywedodd Jack, “Bob yn ail gnoc yr ydym i daro, Hugh.” “O’r goreu,” ebe finnau. “Pe byddai i mi, gyda’r ffust yma,” meddwn i, “ddygwydd taro fy mhen, cawn fy nghlwyfo yn erwinol.” “O, paid di ag ofni hyny, ebe Jack, “gâd i’r ffust chwareu a throi yn dy law, a dos yn mlaen yn hŷf, ac ni bydd fawr berygl i ti wneuthur hyny.” Aethym at y gwaith, yn ol y rheol a osododd Jack o fy mlaen, a dyrnu a churo, fel dau beiriant yr oeddym am ennyd; ond wrth i mi feddwl yn ystyriol fod y fath ddarnau chwyrnellog o brenau yn chwyrlïo uwch fy mhen, arafais ychydig; a’r canlyniad oedd i mi ddyrysu ergydion Jack, a tharawo’r ddwy ffust yn eu gilydd, a thrugaredd a arbedodd ein penau. Wedi dyrnu am ychydig ddyddiau, daethym i fedru’r gwaith yn lled wych, fel na ddygwyddodd ond un anffawd drachefn. Pan oeddem wrthi yn wyllt, a’r haul yn hynod o boeth, daliwyd fi gan yr un ofnau, ac ataliais fy offeryn yn sydyn; a’r pryd hyny daeth pen y ffust yn erbyn ochr fy mhen, a rhoddodd i mi glewtan erchyll. |
We had no roof over our heads for the threshing: we were in a bare field in the open air, on top of a tarpaulin under the oats, beside the stack. I took hold of the flail, thinking to begin threshing for the first time ever; but Jack said, “Every second stroke is mine, Hugh.” “All right,” I said. “If I were to strike my head with this flail,” I said, “I’d be severely injured.” “Oh, don’t worry about that,” said Jack, “let the flail play and turn in your hand, and go ahead boldly, and there’s not much danger of you doing that.” We went at it, according to the rule Jack had given me, and threshed and beat like two machines for a while; but when I started to pay attention to the whirling pieces of wood whizzing over my head, I slowed a little; and the consequence was that I interfered with Jack’s stroke, and threw the two flails together, but mercifully, our heads were spared. After threshing for a few days, I became quite good at it, so that there was only one more accident. While we were hard at it under an unusually hot sun, I was taken by the same fear, and stopped threshing suddenly, and the end of the flail struck the side of my head, giving me an awful clout. |
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Pan yn cludo’r gwair at y dâs, ar y tyddyn hwn, gwnaethom ychydig fwdylau mawrion o lawer o rai bychain: yna, dodasom raff go fawr am un o honynt a’i lledu gan adael i un ran lithro i lawr o’r tu ol i’r mwdwl, a’r rhan arall am ei ganol; wedi hyny, dodem ddau neu dri o ychain yn rhwym wrth y rhaff tu ol, a ffrwynau yn cyrhaedd o’u penau i law Jack, yr hwn a eisteddai ar ben y mwdwl, a thynid y mwdwl at y dâs, yn y dull hwnw, yn hynod o ddi golliant: felly, nid oedd eisiau pedrolfen, ond am ychydig cyn gorphen pen y dâs. |
When we were carting hay on this farm, we made a few large haycocks out of many small ones. We would put a rather large rope around one of them and stretch it, letting one part of it slip down from behind the haycock, with the other part around the middle of it; then we tied two or three oxen to the back rope with bridles leading from their heads to Jack’s hand. Jack sat on top of the cock, which was pulled to the hayrick in this way, with remarkably little loss: so there was no need for a wagon, but for a little before finishing the rick. |
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Canmolodd y garddwr Jack, am yrru bustych, wrth y meistr; a gofynodd yntau, “Ai tybed y gallwn ei anturio, gyda llwyth o wlân, i Geelong?” a dywedodd Jack, “Yr wyf yn sicr o wneyd y tro, syr.” |
The gardener recommended Jack to the master for driving bullocks; and the master asked, “Could I entrust him with a load of wool for Geelong, I wonder?”. Jack said, “I’m sure I’ll do, sir.” |
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Yr oedd ar ben mynydd, cyfagos i’r bwthyn lle y bugeiliai’r ail îs-lywydd, adeilad fawr, yn yr hwn yr arferent gneifio, cadw gwlân, a’i barotoi i’w anfon i Loegr a’i werthu: anfonwyd Jack, ac un arall, i’r fan hono, gyda phedrolfen a bustych gan bob un, i lwytho am Geelong: ac amryw o honom ninnau i’w cynnorthwyo. Wrth ddyfod i lawr y mynydd, rhag i’r fen fyned yn rhy gyflym, ar ol y bustych, byddem yn rhwymo coeden fawr o’r tu ol i’r fen, ac felly arbed y bustych. |
On top a of a mountain, near the shepherd’s hut where the second mate was, there was a large building in which the shearing was done, and where the wool was kept and prepared for transport to England for sale: Jack and another man were to this place, each with a wagon and bullocks, to load the wool for Geelong: and several of us were to help. Coming down the mountain, lest it should go too fast and overtake the bullocks, we tied a large piece of wood to the back of the wagon, and so spared them. |
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Ennillodd Jack ei glod am ei fedrusrwydd gyda’r bustych, fel gyda phob peth arall o waith amaethydd, er ei fod yn orchwyl yn galw am amynedd mawr. Tybid yno mai angenrheidiol ychwanegu at amynedd, ddawn y rhêg: ymddangosai hefyd i mi fod yr anifeiliaid wedi eu cynnefino gymmaint a chlywed rhegfeydd arswydus, fel na ddangosent nemawr duedd i dynu eu llwyth o’u bol oddieithr llefaru wrthynt araeth ysgeler teulu y felldith. |
Jack won praise for his competence in handling the bullocks, as with every other kind of farmer’s work, though it was a task requiring great patience. It was thought necessary there to add to patience the talent for swearing: but it seemed to me that the animals were so used to hearing dreadful curses that they showed little inclination to pull their load unless the worst sort of language was used. |
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Gwelais amryw o frodorion y wlad yn dyfod heibio i’r tyddyn hwn, ac yn gwneyd eu trigfan yn gyfagos atom am ddyddiau. Gwelais ar un tro deulu o honynt yn dyfod a’u penau duon, wynebau a gwallt, wedi eu llychwino a’u gorchuddio â rhyw ddefnydd tebyg i galch, yr hyn yw eu galarwisg hwynt; a’r achos o’u galarwisg y pryd hwnw, oedd eu bod newydd roddi terfyn ar fywyd eu mham, megys gweithred o drugaredd o herwydd ei myned yn rhy hên a musgrell i ganlyn eu crwydriadau. Bu y teulu hwn gerllaw i ni dri neu bedwar diwrnod, yn parotoi eu harfau i erlyn ac i ddial ar y dyn du, ag oedd wedi lladd baban iddynt ychydig yn flaenorol. Galwant faban Picinini, ac yr oedd un o’u Picinini gyda hwynt y pryd hyny: gwelais ei fod weithiau mewn sach, ar lawr, yn gwingo fel ci. Ni cheir esmwythder ynddynt nes dial gwaed, trwy hela llofrudd hyd oni laddont ef: a’u hofferyn lladd dyn, neu greadur arall, i ymladd, ac i ryfela, yw ffon hîr flaenfain, tebyg ei dull i waewffon, wedi ei llunio o bren caled. Nid hoff ganddynt weithio, a’u prif orchwylion yw dal “Parrot’s cock a toos” fel eu gelwir, a chraeduriaid cyffelyb i cwningod a enwir Oppossums. Dringant goeden yn dra chyflym, drwy gymeryd bwyell fechan yn y naill law, a thori tamaid yn uwch, i ddodi llaw yn y twll, ac felly yn uwch o hyd nes cyrhaedd pen y goeden. Taflant eu pigffyn yn hynod o gywir i bell ffordd at eu nôd. Pan wedi lladd Oppossums, tynnant eu crwyn ymaith, gwnïant y rhai hyny wrth eu gilydd, gwnant gwrlid hardd a chynhes o honynt, a gwerthant y cwrlid, i’r neb a’i pryno, am oddeutu punt. Anaml y gwelir neb o honynt hwy yn gwisgo un felly, am mai gwell ganddynt hwy, os ei gael, yw gwrthban, a dyna ydyw prif ddilledyn y meibion a’r merched duon. Un o’u gofyniadau cyntaf yn ein tyddyn ni oedd am hen wrthban; ond gwelir gan rai, ag y sydd yn mynych gyrchu i’r trefydd, amrywiaeth gwisg, megys hên gorph-beisiau (coats) duon. Rhai meddwon i’w rhyfeddu ydynt; llyngcant wlybyroedd meddwol fel eu gilydd, yr oll a gaffont afael arnynt. Nid yw’r llywodraeth yn caniatau i neb werthu diferyn iddynt, a phan eu canfyddir yn feddwon, rhaid mai rhyw ddyn gwyn a fu yn negesydd i’w brynu iddynt. Yr ail dro i mi fyned i Geelong, gwelais haid o bobl y gwrthbanau, meibion a merched, yn feddwon chwil, gan grochfloeddio a llefain drwy eu gilydd, fel creaduriaid cynddeiriog, a gwrthbanau rhai o honynt gylch eu traed, nes, felly, yr oedd eu holl gyrph yn noethion. Canfyddir balchder yn eu plith hwythau, trwy fod y rhai a chanddynt hen gotiau duon, yn meddwl eu hunain yn llawer mwy gwŷr na’r lleill. |
I saw several of the country’s natives passing this farm, and making their camp near us for days. Once I saw a family of them come with their black heads, faces and hair covered with some powder like chalk, which was their mourning dress; the occasion of such dress at that time was that they had just ended their mother’s life, as an act of mercy on account of her becoming too old and feeble to follow their wanderings. This family stayed near us three or four days, preparing their weapons to pursue and take revenge on the black man who had killed one of their babies a little before. They call a baby a “Picinini”, and they had one of their “Picinini” with them at that time: I saw it sometimes in a sack on the ground, wriggling like a dog. They can never rest until blood is avenged, by hunting a murderer down and killing him: their instrument for killing a man, or any other creature, and for warfare, is a long sharp-pointed stick, similar in form to a spear, made of hard wood. They are not fond of working, and their chief occupations are catching “Cockatoo parrots” as they are called, and creatures resembling rabbits called “Opossums”. They can climb trees very quickly, by taking a small axe in one hand and cutting out a piece above them, so that they can put a hand in the hole, and pull themselves higher till they reach the top. They can throw their pointed sticks a long way and with remarkable accuracy. After killing opossums, they skin them and sew the skins together to make handsome warm cloaks, which they sell for about a pound to any one who will buy them. The natives themselves are seldom seen wearing such cloaks, preferring a blanket, if they can get one, and that is the chief garment of the black men and women. One of their first requests at our farm was for an old blanket; but some who frequent the towns can be seen with a variety of garb, such as old black body-coats. They are marvellous drunkards; they swallow intoxicating liquors indiscriminately, everything they can get hold of. The government does not permit any one to sell them a drop, and when they are seen intoxicated, one can be sure some white man has been their intermediary to buy it for them. The second time I was in Geelong, I saw a gang of the blanket people, men and women, roaring drunk, shouting and screaming at each other like mad creatures, the blankets of some of them about their feet, leaving them entirely naked. Pride can be seen among them, as those with old black coats think themselves much greater men than the others. |
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Pan yn myned i ymladd a’u gilydd, dodant flaenau eu pigffyn mewn math o sudd a ddefnyna allan o rai coed yn yr hâf. Chwyliant am hên gostrelau gwydr, ac wedi eu brâs dori cnöant y darnau yn fân rhwng eu dannedd, a gosodant y swrwd gwydr ar flaenau lleithion y pigffyn. Gwneir blaen pob pigffon yn fachog; yr hwn a draidd i gnawd dyn gyda rhwyddineb: ac os na bydd un yn ddigon cyflym i droi y ffon heibio, ar ei dyfodiad, gyda’r peth sydd ganddynt i amddiffyn eu hunain, i mewn i’r cnawd y mae’n lled sicr o fyned, gyda’i gwydr a’i glud, a deil ei gafael, fel bach yn safn pysgodyn. Eithr weithiau dilynant eu hen arfer, yr hon oedd gan eu henafiaid cyn bod y gwydr; sef, trochi blaenau eu pigffyn mewn gwenwyn; ac ond i hwnw gael at waed unrhyw greadur, andwyir yr holl gyfansoddiad yn ddiattreg. |
When they are going to fight each other they put the ends of their pointed sticks in a kind of sap that runs from certain trees in the summer. They look for old bottles, and after roughly breaking them, chew the pieces finely between their teeth, fixing the resulting grounds of glass to the moistened ends of their weapons. This makes the head of each stick hooked, so that it can pierce the flesh of a man with ease: and if one is not quick enough to turn such a weapon aside before it hits its mark, with whatever means of defence is at hand, it will surely enter one’s flesh, with its glass and its glue, and catch hold like a hook in the jaws of a fish. But sometimes they follow the practice of their ancestors, that is, they dip the tips of their weapons in poison; and if that only finds the blood of any creature, it will destroy the whole constitution immediately. |
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Gofynasom un tro i un o honynt, yn y tyddyn cyntaf y buom ynddo, a fyddai ef gystal a dangos i ni eu dull yn taflu eu pigffyn at eraill, ac ar yr un pryd yn amddiffyn eu hunain, ac efe a wnaeth, gyda pharodrwydd, yn y dull canlynol:—Cerddodd yn gyflym, oddeutu naw neu ddeg o latheni— safodd yno’n ddiysgog.—Gafaelodd yn ei bigffon, a’i fraich aswy ar ei hyd, tra ei law ddehau ar ei glust ddehau, yn gafael ar fôn y bigffon—chwareuodd y ffon rhwng ei ddwylaw—crynodd, a chwyrnodd yn uchel—a chipiodd ddarn o bren, ar amrantiad, oddiwrth ei ystlys, i ddangos dull hunan amddiffyniad. |
Once at our first farm we asked one of them if he would be good enough to show us how they threw their spears at someone while at the same time protecting themselves, and this he readily did in the following manner:—He stepped forward quickly, about nine or ten yards, and stood still.—He took hold of his spear, with his left arm lying along its length, and his right hand at his right ear, holding the base of the weapon—he let it play between his hands—he brandished it and roared loudly—and in an instant, snatched a piece of wood from his side, to show the method of self-defence. |
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Ni thaflodd ef ei bigffon at unrhyw nôd, ond yn unig dangos y dull o ymladd, o herwydd yr oedd yr hên wr yn wael ei iechyd, ac ar ei ffordd i ymofyn am y Meddyg du, ebe efe. Dywedodd y truan wrthym, mai ei berchenogaeth ef oedd y tyddyn, a’r tir o’i amgylch hyd i filltiroedd lawer, eithr y darfu i’r dyn gwyn ei drais-feddiannu oddi arno ef, a’i gymeryd i’w bobl ei hun. |
He did not throw his weapon at any mark, but only to show the method of fighting, the old man being in poor health and on his way to find the black Doctor, he said. The poor fellow told us that the farm belonged to him, and all the land about it for many miles, but the white man had taken it from him by force, and took it for his own people. |
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Po mwyaf y byddo eu merched wedi ei hollti o gnawd eu mynwesau a’u breichiau ar draws, nes iddo ymdorchi drosodd, prydferthaf eu hystyrir; ond hyderir fod yr amser ar wawrio iddynt gael eu goleuo, ac felly i’w defodau dinystriol ddiflanu. |
The more their women are slit across their breasts and arms, so that the flesh folds over, the more beautiful they are considered; but we trust the time is near when they shall be enlightened, and their pernicious customs dispelled. |
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Ychydig cyn i ni ymadael o’r ail dyddyn, daeth yno arolygwr newydd; a’r garddwr, o ganlyniad, a gollodd ei hawl i lywyddu arnom. |
Not long before we left the second farm, a new overseer arrived there; and as a consequence the gardener lost his right to direct us. |
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Y mae braidd bob tyddyn yn Australia yn cadw lluoedd mawrion o ddefaid; a gwaith mawr ydyw gwylio, a gofalu am dorri ewinedd pob dafad mewn pryd; onid ê, peryglir ei bywyd. Y ddaiar sy galed, ac yn cynnwys rhyw briddell anghytunol a thraed defaid, am na lafuriwyd ond ychydig o dir mewn cymhariaeth; ac o herwydd hyny, tŷf yr ewinedd i faintioli mawr, a megir ynddynt gynrhon, y rhai a fwytânt eu ffordd i’w traed, ac a’u pydrant. Troed-falldod, neu “foot-rot,” ei gelwir: a chan ei bod yn llawn amser ymgeleddu traed y defaid ar ein tyddyn ni, caniatawyd i’r arolygwr newydd gymeryd dynion ato i ddechreu ar hyny o orchwyl. |
Almost every farm in Australia keeps great flocks of sheep, and much labour is required to watch them, and to take care that their feet are trimmed in good time; if not their lives are imperilled. The ground is hard and full of clods which do not agree with the feet of sheep, only a little of the land being tilled in comparison; and because of this the horns of their feet grow to a great size, and maggots breed in them, eating their way into the feet and rotting them. Foot-rot, it is called: and as it was full time to tend the feet of the sheep on our farm, the new overseer was allowed to take some men to begin the task. |
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Pan ofynwyd i Jack a minnau a oeddem ni yn deall y gwaith o dorri ewinedd defaid, atebodd Jack, “O ydym, buom wrth y gwaith yn y tyddyn o’r blaen!” Nid oeddem wedi aros yn y llall ychwaneg na dwy wythnos; eto, ni fynem i’r meistr na’r arolygwr dybied nad allem bob gwaith a osodent ger ein bron; ac esgus gwych i ddyweyd y medrem, oedd mynegi y bu i ni aros yn y tyddyn arall ryw lawer o amser yn hwy nag a wnaethom. Hysbysodd Jack i mi, nad anwiredd y cwbl o’i ddywediad am dorri ewinedd defaid, am y bu i ddyn, yn y tyddyn o’r blaen, eb efe, ganiatâu iddo wneuthur prawf o’i law gydâg un neu ddwy: ond nid oedd genyf fi heblaw cymeryd ei air. |
When Jack and I were asked whether we were familiar with the work of cutting sheep’s feet, Jack answered, “O yes, we did that on our last farm!” We had not stayed on the other farm more than two weeks; but we did not want the master and the overseer to think we could not do any work put before us; and a good excuse for saying we could was to claim we had stayed on the other farm somewhat longer than we did. Jack told me that what he had said was not entirely untrue, as a man on the last farm had let him, he said, try his hand at one or two: but I have only his word for that. |
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Modd bynag, gyrrasom haid o ddefaid i fuarth, at drin eu traed braenllyd; ac yr oedd eu sawyr braidd yn anoddefol. Aeth Jack a minnau i blith y dynion, a dechreuasom yn arafaidd, gan dynnu siarad ar y rhai agosaf attom, er mwyn gweled eu dull gydag un neu ddwy o’r defaid. |
In any case, we drove a flock of sheep into a yard, to trim their rotting feet; and the smell was almost unbearable. We went among the men and began, slowly, speaking with those nearest us in order to see how they did one or two sheep. |
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Yr oedd yno, wrth y gwaith o dorri ewinedd, glamp o Wyddel, a’i enw Neal, ac yn deall y gelfyddyd, drwy ei fod yn y wlad honno er ys deunaw mlynedd. Yr oedd Neal hefyd yn lwmp byw o ddawn, wedi ei wneyd fel peiriant siarad, a phob amser yn llawn geiriau, fel nad rhaid ymdrafferthu chwilio am destun iddo, heblaw taflu iddo’r testun mwyaf cyfleus i ni, a byddai ei dafod yn troi a chlepian yn ebrwydd, gan baldorddi geiriau allan gyda rhyw lithrigrwydd hyawdledd anarferol. Wrth syllu ar Neal, gwelais ei fod yn trin traed y defaid gyda gryn greulondeb; a thynnai ef yr ewin weithiau ymaith yn llwyr; ond wedi i ni sylwi ychydig ar y rhai o’n deutu dechreuodd Jack a minnau gyda’n cyllill. |
Engaged in this work was a giant of an Irishman, by the name of Neal, who understood it well, having been in that country for eighteen years. Neal was also a living lump of talent, made like a talking machine, and never lost for words, so that it was no trouble to find a subject for him other than to throw him the topic most apparent to us at the time, and his tongue would roll and flap at great speed, as he babbled out words with an uncommon fluency and eloquence. Watching Neal at work, I noticed that he trimmed the sheep’s feet with considerable cruelty, sometimes pulling the horn away completely; but having watched some of those about us a little, Jack and I began to use our knives. |