15th February 1786

[page 36]
[15th February 1786]
15

ging w.z.w. t’strand. vond een half uur van obervatorium een rif klippen waarop ysere canons een 18 en een 6 of 8 ponder, waaren seer verroest so dat er niet aan bekennen konde van letters, na drie uren fris langs strand gereden te hebben meest sand dog hier en daar riffen met klippen sag een laag dog lang eiland in zee
gis 1½ a 2 myl van t’strand rondom met nog klippen boven water om ringt hetgeen ik voor doddingtons rock herkende, alwaar de menschen van dat schip een ander gebouwd hebben en na Mosambique overgestoken zyn etc.
hier by zyn hoge witte sandduinen
het wierd seer donker door de vuur rook van ons volk die by den eland vuur gemaakt hebbende het gansche veld in brand raakte.
keerde met den avond terug

[page 36a]
n b. ons volk had een elands(canna) bul geschoten

schoon weer wind z.o. fris
term 60 ­ 80 ­ 70

sagen vandaag seer veel hartebeesten (bubalissis)

eer wy aan t’strand quamen vonden een extra soete fontein die uit hoge sand duinen kwam en digt by zee in de klippen uitquam, hiete die na myn twe jongste soons, pieter en ottos, duin fonteinen.

[page 36]
[15th February 1786]
15

Went west-south-west along the shore. Half an hour from the observatory found a stony reef on which there were iron cannon, an eighteen- and a six- or eight- pounder. They were badly rusted so that it was impossible to make out any of the letters.
After three hours' brisk ride along the shore, which was mostly sand but with stony ribs in places, I saw a low though long island in the sea. I estimated it to be 1½ to 2 miles from the shore. There were yet more rocks surrounding it above water. I recognized this as being Doddington’s Rock and this was where the people from that ship built another boat and crossed to Mozambique etc. There were high, white sand-dunes at this place. It became very dark because of the smoke of our party who having made a fire near the island, set the whole countryside alight.
Returned in the evening.

[page 36a]

N.B. Our people shot an eland (Canna) bull.

Fine weather. Fresh south-east wind.
Thermometer: 60-80-70.

We saw very many hartebeest (Bubalis) today. Before we reached the shore we found a particularly sweet spring which came from high sand-dunes and flowed into the sea among the rocks. Called it Pieter’s-and Otto’s-Duinfontein after my two youngest sons.