Journals

Fourth Journey (MS 107/3/1-2)

17th November 1779


transcription

[page 27]
[17th November 1779]
17.

oostelyke koeltje seer warm.

bleef na myn volk wagten. en ging by de kraal, die om des wagens wil, digter by de eerste spruit was komen leggen.
sy waren my al vroeg met melk, wesen besoeken. ons volk had hier intussen drie seekoejen geschoten allen so als wy op onse togt. seer mager, om de droogte. sy waren besig om een keissji of gat, daar sy t'wilt in vangen, te maken. enige wyven groeven het met stokken uit, en employeerden, de grond die rood en rotsig was, om die eerst met een klip te stuk te stampen, daarop een rond vel uit te siften, daar sy dan hunne potten van kneden en bakten, zynde niet seer hard dog goed tot gebruik en om in te koken.

[17th November 1779]
17

helder, mooy weer dog seer heet, schoon de wind al vroeg kwam en sterk blies, weder met de son omgedwarld,

pinar arriveerde met enigen van ons volk. de bosjemans by de Camagga hadden drie van onse beesten met assagayen gekwetst, hebbende deselve in de bomen langs de rivier bekropen. dit doet ons denken dat sy ons voorleden gemist slagtbeest genomen hebben.

translation

[page 27]
[17th November 1779]
17

Cool easterly breeze. Very hot.

Stayed waiting for my people. Went to the kraal which had moved closer to the first stream because of the wagons. They had already visited me early with milk. Meanwhile our people had shot three hippopotamus here. Like us from our journey, they were all very thin from the drought. They were busy making a keisji or hole which they catch game in. Some of the women were digging it out with sticks, and were busy pounding first with a stone the soil that was red and rocky, and then sifting it on a round hide. They knead it bake their pots from it, which although not very hard are good to use and to cook with.

[17th November 1779 (repeated)]
17

Fine clear weather but very hot, even though the wind rose early and blew very strongly, it veered once more with the progress of the sun.

Pienaar arrived with some of our people. The Bushmen at the Camagga wounded three of our cattle with assegais, having stalked the same in the trees along the river. This made us think that they had stolen the slaughter-animal we had lost earlier.