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Adseinid newydd dyddorol a gwirioneddol drwy’r wlad, yn y dyddiau hyny, am dri o ddynion; daethai dau o honynt o Loegr yn ddiweddar, y naill, gyda’r “Sarah Sands,” a’r llall, gyda’r “Great Britain.” Y dywediad oedd, eu bod yn ymadael yn aflwyddiannus o gloddfeydd eraill, ac iddynt alw yn Ballarat; iddynt yno gael twll a adawyd gan eraill; er ei fod eisioes yn ddeg troedfedd a thri ugain i lawr, y penderfynasant ei waelodi; ac iddynt hwy yno daro wrth y darn mwyaf o aur a glybuwyd erioed sôn am dano. Cyhoeddai y papyrau newyddion, fod y darn aur hwnw yn pwyso cant a phedwar ar ddeg ar hugain o bwysau, ac ychydig ownsiau dros ben hyny. Dywedodd un o’n hymfydwyr, yr hwn a’i gwelodd yn fuan ar ol ei godi, ei fod yn debyg ei ffurf i glun dafad. |
True and interesting news resounded through the land in those days, of three men; two of them had recently come from England: one on the “Sarah Sands,” and the other on the “Great Britain.” It was said they had been unsuccessful at other diggings, and had called at Ballarat; that they had taken there a hole abandoned by others; and though it was already seventy feet down, they decided to bottom it, and struck the biggest piece of gold ever heard of. The newspapers revealed that it weighed a hundred and thirty-four pounds, and a few ounces over that. One of our emigrants, who had seen it after it was raised, said it was similar in shape to a sheep’s leg. |
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Er nad oedd ein cyflog yn gyfartal, o ddeg swllt yr wythnos, i’r un a gawsom yn y tyddyn cyntaf, eto tynnid ein serch yn fawr at ein meistr presennol, gan ei hynawsedd a’i sirioldeb bob amser, a chan y cadwai le gwych ac ymborth da i’w ryfeddu. Lladdent ddwy ddafad bob yr eilddydd. Pan y lladdem fustach, saethem ef yn ei ben a phelen o ẁn. Cyn i gloddfeydd yr aur ddenu’r dynion, arferent ferwi cannoedd o ddefaid i lawr, at gael eu gwêr. |
Although our wage, of ten shillings a week, did not compare to what we got at the first farm, we had great affection for our present master, because of his geniality and constant cheerfulness, and because he kept a splendid place with wonderfully good food. They killed two sheep every other day. When they killed a bullock, they shot it in the head with the bullet of a gun. Before the goldfields lured men, they used to boil hundreds of sheep down, to make tallow. |
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Y mae’r tir a wrteithiwyd, ac a lafuriwyd yn Australia, yn cynnyrchu cnydau toraethog o wenith, haidd, ceirch, ŷd Indiaidd, maip, yng nghyda phob math bron o wreiddiau, a ffrwythau porthiant dyn ac anifail. Nid yw gwellt yr haidd a’r gwenith ond cwta; tra gwellt y ceirch yn debyg ei hyd i’r unrhyw yn Nghymru ac yn Lloegr. |
The cultivated and fertilized land of Australia produces bountiful crops of wheat, barley, oats, Indian corn, turnips, and almost every kind of root and fruit that nourishes man or beast. The blades of the wheat and the barley are short; but those of the oats are similar in length to any in Wales and England. |
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Pan edrychir ar ëangder y wlad, a bod ugeiniau o filltiroedd yn ordöedig gan goedwigoedd, gellir dyweyd nad oes braidd ddim o’r tir wedi ei drin; ac nid ymddengys y tyddynod mawrion, yng nghanol y fath arwynebedd o goed, ond megys ambell i gae yma ac acw wedi ei lafurio. Y tyddynod ydynt nodedig o radlawn; deg punt y flwyddyn oedd ardreth ein meistr, am ddeg milltir o dir: er hyny, fel yr arloesai ef, ac eraill, yn mlaen, gan fwyhau tir eu cynnyrch, rhaid hefyd yw codi yn yr ardreth yn gyfattebol. |
In view of the great size of the country, and the scores of miles covered by forests, one can say that hardly any of the land is cultivated; and on the larger farms, surrounded by such forests, it seems that only a few fields here and there are worked. The farms are remarkably cheap; our master’s rent was ten pounds a year, for ten miles of land: but as he, and others, did further clearing, increasing their productive land, they were required to pay a correspondingly greater rent. |
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Pen y ddwy wythnos, neu ddeufis o gwbl a ddaeth, a therfynasom ein hamser yn y tyddyn ar nos Sadwrn; ond tu ag at gael yr holl ddydd o’n blaen, i fyned gan belled a Geelong, cysgasom y noswaith honno yn ein llety arferol. Y lle ydoedd gyfleus i wneyd gwely cysurus, pe cawsem ond ychydig wrthbanau. Dangosodd y cogydd garedigrwydd mawr trwy roddi benthyg sachau i’w dodi arnom am wythnosau: eithr wedi i Jack a minnau ddyrnu’r ceirch, cymerwyd y sachau i’w cynnwys, fel nad oedd genym drachefn namyn llechu mewn gwellt, fel adar a’u penau yn eu plyf, trwy’r nosweithiau dilynol. Bu’r garddwr, yr hwn a’n llywyddai cyn dyfod yr arolygwr newydd, yng nghloddfeydd yr aur rhyw dro cynt, a llwyddodd i ennill naw cant o bunnau; ac aflwyddodd ei hun drachefn, trwy ei gwario mewn byr amser; ond gan y bwriadem ni fyned i Ballarat, cyfododd awydd ynddo yntau i ddiangc, a myned gyda ni, er ei fod wedi ymrwymo i aros gyda’r meistr hanner blwyddyn yn hwy. Trwy feddwl y buasai’r garddwr yn gyfarwyddyd mawr i ni, a ninnau heb erioed weled cloddfeydd aur, nid mwy ei awydd ef i’n canlyn, na’n llawenydd ni o’i gael. Gan mai i Geelong yr oeddem i fyned, a derbyn ein cyflogau, a’n ffordd o’r tyddyn yno yn bymtheg milltir ar hugain, gofynodd y garddwr pa hyd yr arosem yn y dref, cyn cychwyn i Ballarat: a’n hateb oedd, mai o ddeuddydd i dri. “Wel,” ebe yntau, “y mae pentref bychan o fewn naw milltir i yma, a elwir Mash; dywedaf wrth fy meistr fod arnaf eisiau myned yno i brynu dillad; a phan y byddoch chwi yn dyfod o’r dref, galwch yma, ond cofiwch mai wedi i’r dydd hwyrhau, a byddaf, erbyn hyny, wedi myned dros ben fy meistr.” |
The fortnight passed, or two months in all, and we finished our time at the farm on a Saturday evening; but in order to have the whole day ahead of us to get as far as Geelong, we slept in our usual lodging that night. It was a comfortable place to make a bed, if one had a few blankets. The cook showed great kindness in lending us sacks to put over us for weeks: but after Jack and I had threshed the oats, the sacks were needed for those, leaving us again with no cover but straw, like birds with their heads in their feathers, for the remaining nights. The gardener, who had directed us before the arrival of the new overseer, had been on the goldfields some time before, and managed to make nine hundred pounds; but he had undone himself, spending it all in a short time. When he heard that we intended to go to Ballarat, the desire to leave arose in him as well, although he had undertaken to stay another year with the master. Thinking the gardener would be an excellent guide for us, who had never seen a goldfield, we were as eager to have him as he was to come with us. As we were going to Geelong first to collect our wages, and it was twenty-five miles away, the gardener asked how long we would be staying there before setting out for Ballarat: two or three days was our answer. “Well,” he said, “there’s a little village within nine miles of here, called Ma[r]sh;4 I’ll tell the master I want to go there to buy clothes; and when you leave the town, call here—but after dark, mind—and by then I’ll have beaten the master.” |
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Boreu Sul canasom yn iach â phawb yn y tyddyn, heb sôn am ein bwriad i ddychwelyd am y garddwr, a rhoddasom ychydig arian, bob un, i’r cogydd, am ei garedigrwydd attom tra yno; a chawsom ninnau ddigon o fwyd i’n cynnal hyd i Geelong. Cychwynasom oddeutu naw y boreu, a chyrhaeddasom o fewn pum’ milltir i’r dref, cyn yn hwyr iawn: ond gan na ddewisem anturio i’r dref y nos honno, rhag y buasai’r gwarchodwyr yn dyfod i’n croesholi, a’n cael yn euog o ddiangc o ryw long, ac iddynt felly ein carcharu, gwnaethom dân yn y lle hwnw, i ferwi dwfr, a ddygasom mewn tyn o bell ffordd, ac i wneyd tê. |
On Sunday morning we bade farewell to all at the farm, not mentioning our intention to return for the gardener, and we each gave a little money to the cook, for the kindness he had shown us while we were there; and we were given enough food to last us till Geelong. We set off about nine in the morning, and got within five miles of the town before it was very late: but fearing to venture into it, lest we be questioned by the police, found guilty and gaoled for deserting a ship, we made a fire where we were, to boil water, which we had brought in a tin, and to make tea. |
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Llecyn carregog oedd hwnw o’r greadigaeth fawr yma, ac ni chawsom ond cerryg yn welyau, ac ond cerryg yn dri gobenydd, ac etto, ar gerryg, cysgasom yn drwm, o herwydd ein bod yn flinedig gan y daith. |
This part of the great creation was a stony one, and we had only stones for beds, and only three stones for pillows, and yet, on stones we slept well, being weary from travel. |
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Gyda thorriad y wawrddydd, boreu Llun, cychwynasom am y dref; ac erbyn i ni ddechreu cerdded, teimlasom i’r matras cerryg wneyd ei argraff ar ein hesgyrn. Pan o fewn dwy filltir i’r dref, aethom at dŷ, a adeiladwyd o goed, i ofyn a gawsem wneyd tyniaid o dê ar eu tân, a chaniatawyd ein cais. Wedi bwyta, a ni mewn lle cyfleus i gael dwfr cynhes, eilliodd Jack a’r ail îs-lywydd eu barfau; a minnau, hyd yn hyn, heb fod ddigon o hyd yn Jerico yn anadlu’r awyr i fod angen torri barf ar fy wyneb. |
At the break of dawn on Monday morning we set off for the town; but as we started to walk, we felt our stony mattress making its impression on our bones. Two miles from the town we went to a wooden house to ask if we could make tea over their fire, and our request was granted. After eating, Jack and the second mate were able to get warm water to shave their beards; but I had not yet breathed the air of Jericho long enough to need shaving. |
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Wedi i’r ddau fedi ymaith eu barfau, a blew eu cernau yn llwyr, aethom yn mlaen drachefn: yr oedd genym fochau tewychion, trwy y bu i ni gael digon o fwyd da yn y tyddynod. Teimlai’r yr ail îs-lywydd oherwydd ei fochau wrth ddynesu at y dref, a dywedai y buasai’n dda ganddo pe wedi gadael i flew ei gernau dyfu, ac heb eu torri ymaith, “O herwydd,” eb efe, “hawdd i bawb wybod, wrth ein gweled fel hyn, mai rhai wedi diangc ydym.” Ac yn wir, dau a golwg ysmala arnynt oeddent hwy, trwy fod ganddynt gyrph mawrion, a gwynebau mawrion ac iachus, gyda gwisgoedd morwyr, ac heb flewyn ar eu cernau. |
When the two of them had finished harvesting their whiskers, we went on again. Our cheeks were fat from all the good food we had eaten on the farms. The second mate’s cheeks troubled him as we approached the town, and he said he should have been glad to let his whiskers grow, “Because,” he said, “any one seeing us like this could easily tell that we’re deserters.” And indeed, the two of them were a comical sight, with their big bodies and big, hearty faces, and dressed as sailors, with not a hair on their chins. |
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Modd bynag, cyrhaeddasom y dref oddeutu wyth o’r gloch y boreu; ac ni ddaeth neb o’r gwarchodwyr i holi dim arnom; ond ar ol i ni dderbyn ein cyflogau, cyfarfu un o’n hymfudwyr a ni ar yr heol, a dangosodd i ni y lle yr oedd amryw o’r un dosparth yn cyfanneddu. |
At any rate, we reached the town about eight o’clock in the morning; and no police came to interrogate us; but after we got our wages, we met one of our emigrants on the road, and he showed us where several of his fellows were living. |
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Aethum i dŷ, lle yr anneddai hen wr o’r Alban a’i deulu, a daeth amryw o’r ymfudwyr yno attom, i ymddyddan yng nghylch ein crwydriadau yn y wlad ar ol ein diangc o’r llong; a thaflu tros ein helyntion y buom am rai oriau. Yr oeddent fel o unfryd calon yn llawenhau wrth ein clywed, gan edrych arnom megys ar rai wedi cyfodi o feirw yn fyw; ond yr oedd ganddynt oll eu gorchwylion i’w cyflawni, a gohirwyd yr ymddyddan hyd yr hwyr. Crydd oedd hen wr y tŷ, a gweithiai i mewn ar y pryd; yr oedd ei annedd ef, yr un fath a’r rhan amlaf o dai Geelong, wedi eu gwneuthur o goed, ac yno y gwnaethom ein trigfan tra yn y dref. Maintioli y tŷ oedd fychan, heb un llofft uwch ben ei lawr, a’i ardreth yn ddeg swllt ar hugain yr wythnos. |
We went to a house where an old man from Scotland lived with his family, and a number of the emigrants came to see us, asking us about our wanderings in the country after our escape from the ship; and we expanded on our adventures for several hours. They were all delighted to hear from us again, treating us as if we were the risen dead; but they all had their duties to perform, and the conversation was adjourned till the evening. The old man of the house was a cobbler, and was working at home at the time; his house was built of wood, like the majority of houses in Geelong, and we made it our residence while we were in the town. It was small in size, with no upstairs, and the rent was thirty shillings a week. |
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Wedi i ninnau, yn ein tro, holi ychydig ar yr hen wr, am y pethau a ddygwyddodd iddo ar ol ein hymadawiad a’n gilydd, dywedodd iddo fod yn y gloddfa, a gwneyd yn weddol dda; eithr iddo ef syrthio am ddyddiau i feddwdod ofnadwy, a thrwy hyny ddyrysu ei synwyrau, a da iddo gael eu hadferiad. Ar ol ymddyddan dros hanes yr hen wr, rhoddasom arian yn llaw y wraig, iddi fyned a phrynu bwyd i ni, a difyr y treuliasom y dydd Llun hwnw. |
When we in our turn asked the old man about his experiences since last we saw him, he told us he had been on the goldfields, and done fairly well; but he had fallen for days into awful drunkenness, confusing his senses thereby, and it was well that he had recovered. After talking with the old man, we gave his wife some money to buy food for us, and spent the Monday pleasantly. |
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Boreu dydd Mawrth, daeth i chwythu yn nerthol, fel nas gallem oddef allan, am fod y llwch, megys cymmylau tewion, yn ein dallu. Hefyd, er fod yr hen wr, gyda’r bapyr, a’i gorn glydio, yn prysur bapyro ei barwydydd coed, gan ymdrechu cadw y llwch allan, bu ei holl ymdrech a’i ddyfais yn aflwyddiannus i geisio cadw Meistr Llwch o’i fwthyn: canys ymwthiai y llwch, gan chwirlïo, drwy rhyw gilfach neu gilydd o hyd; gwnaeth ei lwybr yn hwylus at welyau yr hen greaduriaid; arllwysodd ei hun arnynt, a gordduodd eu gwrthbanau yn debyg i arglwyddesau pobtai: deuai attom ar giniaw ac ar dê, a dyfrithai y bwrdd yng nghyda’r cyfan arno; gwnaeth yr ymenyn yn ail i swp o barddu; a’r hen wraig, yr hon oedd led fyddar, a waeddodd yn uchel, gydag ychydig ffyrnigrwydd, “Ni waeth i mi beidio ymdrechu glanhau peth fel hyn, yr un olwg fydd arno yn y fynyd.” Ymdrechasom, ein trioedd, i yfed tê yn gywraint, a gwaghâu y cwppanau yn dra chyflym, ond ni buasai yn llawer gwaeth peidio, chwedl yr hen wraig, canys byddai trwyth tew o lwch yn ein haros ar waelodion y llestri; a pharhau a wnaeth y ddryghin ar hyd dyddiau Mawrth a Mercher. |
On Tuesday morning a powerful wind rose up, blowing great clouds of blinding dust, and making it unbearable to be outside. And though the old man busied himself applying glue and paper to his wooden walls, trying to keep the dust out, all his efforts failed to deny Master Dust entry into his little home: for it continued to insinuate itself through some gap or other, and made its easy, swirling way to the beds of the old creatures; it emptied itself onto them, and blackened the blankets over like bakehouse ladies: it came to us at dinner and at tea, sprinkling the table and everything on it; it made the butter like a lump of soot; and the old woman, who was half deaf, cried aloud, with some fierceness, “I may as well not trouble to clean a thing like this, it’ll look just the same in a minute.” We made an effort, the three of us, to drink our tea gracefully, and empty the cups quickly, but we might as well not have, as the old woman had said, because a thick infusion of dust awaited us at the bottom; and the foul weather continued through Tuesday and Wednesday. |
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Boreu Iau, gostegodd y dymhestl, a thawelwch mawr oedd dros yr holl fröydd; gan hyny, daeth merched yr hen bobl gyda ni allan, i ymweled a chariad Jack, yr hon a wasanaethai mewn tŷ capel Bedyddwyr o fewn y dref. Eu carwriaeth a ddechreuodd yn y llong, beth amser cyn cyrhaedd o honom Port Philip; ond cafodd ei dynhau, yn serch Jack atti, y noswaith cyn ein diangc, drwy iddi roddi deuswllt yn ei ddwrn. Ar ol i ni gyrhaedd y làn wrth ddiangc, tynnodd Jack y ddeuswllt o’i logell, a dywedodd, “Nid o ran gwerth yr arian, ond edrych yr ydwyf ar y teimlad cynhes sy ganddi ataf; a byddaf,” ebe Jack, “yn sicr o gofio’r greadures fach eto am hyn.” Ac felly y gwnaeth Jack gofio, fel y sylwaf eto, wrth fyned yn mlaen. |
On Thursday morning the storm died away, a great calm falling over all the districts; and the old couple’s daughters came out with us, to visit Jack’s sweetheart, who was serving at a Baptist chapel in the town. Their courting began on the ship, some time before we reached Port Phillip; but it was tightened, in Jack’s affection for her, the night before we escaped, when she put a florin in his hand. After we got to shore during our escape, Jack pulled the florin from his pocket, saying, “I’m keeping this not for its money value, but to remind me of the warm feeling she has for me; and I’ll be sure,” said Jack, “to remember the little creature yet, for this.” And so Jack did remember, as I shall yet note, as we go on. |
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4 Bacchus Marsh? |