Journals

Fifth Journey (MS 107/4)

21st November 1785


transcription

[21st November 1785]
21 maandag

van nagt sterk uit den W en n w gewaayt en wat geregent. de wagen kwam om elf uuren gister avond hier en spanden om den swaren donker uit, dog reed met de maan voor den dag weer weg, hoorde dat myn nieuwe hond overleden was door de sware hette, en chagrin mogelyk van syn oude meester verlaten te hebben.

[page 4]
vertrok onder een sagte koele regen een quart na vyven en quam quart na seven langs de vogel valey die aan de linker hand leggen bleef, na op 5 quartier mars de thans droge Coopmans rivier gepasseert te hebben, ten quart voor agten by de rode sands cloof dewelke na een half uur de kleine bergrivier die er door loopt gepasseert te zyn en nog een haff uur was er door (die kloof is eng) sy loopt met weinig draayen z:o en n:w:, schoon men hier enige angles saillians en rentrens vind is dese cloof seker dus niet door het water geformeert, door dien de fors van het water die er nodig nodig geweest was om die diepe naauwe groef door dese keten te maken (en die dan een zee moet geweest zyn die de gehele rodesands district goudeni ect. moet overdekt hebben
eerder de hele keten mede sou gesleept hebben, als hier eenige in en uitspringende hoeken regulier gemaakt hebben, arriveerde langs de fraaye plaats van enen de wet ten half tien desen morgen by de H: Predicant Kuis
prepareerde om morgen op de hoogste top deser bergen te gaan, bragt dus myn barometers in order vond de hoogte van dese Pastory boven de zee 925 voet Engels.

[page 4a]
regen weer tot 9 uur s'morgens
oostelyk lugtje tot in het rode sand kwam was het warm. passeerde gisteren en van daag veel sandig en gravier land
goede gelyke weg meest 50 voet breed, sag veel hasen en patrysen
de keten bergen eer men by de rode sands Cloof koomt loopt seer laag te niet, dan schiet er een andere wortel uit en tussen beiden is de cloof
de strata van dese grofe granit hangen egter aan weerssyden een egale helling na het z:o: af.

term: 67 ­ 84 --71
tegens den avond iets zuidelyk lugje
koel en helder

translation

[21st November 1785]
Monday 21

It blew strongly from the west and north-west tonight and rained a little. The wagon arrived here at eleven o’clock yesterday evening and unyoked because it was very dark. But continued on its way before dawn in the moonlight.
Heard that my new dog had died on account of the great heat. Possibly also from grief at losing its old master.

[page 4]
Departed at quarter past five in a soft, cool rain and arrived at quarter past seven beside the Voëlvlei which I kept to my left; after an hour-and-a-quarter’s march having passed the now dry Koopmans River arrived at Rodesandskloof just before a quarter to eight. Another half hour and I had crossed the Little Berg River which flows through the kloof and after another half hour was through the kloof itself which is narrow and runs from south-east to north-west with few bends.
Though one does find a few angles sailliants and rentrants, this kloof was certainly not created by water, since the force of water necessary to form the deep, narrow gorge through this mountain range would rather have carried away the whole range itself than have made these few receding and advancing angles so regular. [added in the right column:] And in that case the water must have been a sea that covered the whole Rodesand district, Goudeni etc

Travelling through the beautiful farm of a certain De Wet I arrived at the minister Kuis’s at half past ten this morning. Made preparations to go to the highest point on these mountains tomorrow. I therefore put my barometers in order. Found the height of this parsonage to be 925 English feet above sea level.

[page 4a]
Rainy weather till nine o’clock in the morning.
Light easterly breeze until I reached the Rodesand. It was hot
Yesterday and today I went through much sandy and gravelly country. A good level road, mostly 50 foot wide. Saw many hares and partridges. Before one reaches the Rodesandkloof the range of mountains becomes very low and then falls away completely. Then another spur pushes out from it, and between them both is the kloof. These strata of rough granite hang in fact on both sides of a equal slope toward the south east.
Thermometer:
67
84
71

Towards evening a light, somewhat southerly, breeze, cool and clear.