Fourth Journey (MS 107/3/1-2)
14th November 1779
transcription
[14th November 1779]
14
Schoon koel weer wind z. met den morgen en door den dag oost dog weinig, en warm.
hieuwen middag tegen over ogoqua eiland. deed drie schoten dog zy kwamen niet by ons, de rivier was omtrent drie voet hoger als in onse optogt, schoon nog even aan het vallen, marcheerden tot agter de grote kliprug digt by hautaws. onse ossen agter die ruggens om gaande was het half tien, dog met maneschyn eer sy kwamen.
hebbende ik hun ten teken een vuur aangestoken en drie schoten gedaan, passeerde 5 bosjemans hutten desen middag die er sedert onse optogt gekomen waren, sy kwamen by ons, het voorste hunner giftpylen kan omgedraayt worden, om sig niet te kwetsen en het gift langer te bewaren sy hadden dat kleine weerhaak puntje niet dat die agter sneeuwberg hebben.
eiheep toonde my elf pylschoten dat sy door opensneyden en uitsuigen genesen, dus is het sterkste gift hier geneesbaar. in den oorlog, syn zy wreed tegen hunnen [annotated on page 25:] gevangenen, sy slagten se even als de beesten, sy sneiden hun den buik open, steken de hand er in, en trekken hun de grote aar af, latende hun so leggen sparende selden vrouwen of kinderen. dus doen de moetjoana ook.
translation
[14th November 1779]
14
Fine, cool weather. Wind south in the morning then east throughout the day, but light and warm.
Spent the noon at Ogoqua Island. Fired three shots but they did not come to us. The river was about three feet higher than on our outward journey though still falling. Tramped to the back of the large stone-ridge close to Hautauws. Our oxen having gone around the ridges, it was half past nine and already moonshine before they arrived, – I had lit a fire as signal for them and fired three shots. We passed five Bushman huts this afternoon which had come there since our outward journey. They came to us: the tips of their poisoned arrows can be turned around so as not to hurt themselves and to preserve the poison longer. They did not have that small barb that those behind the Sneeuberg have. Eiheep showed me eleven arrow-wounds that had been healed by cutting them open and sucking at them. Thus the strongest poison is here curable. They are cruel to their prisoners in war [inserted on p.25:] and slaughter them like cattle. They. They cut their bellies open, put their hand in pull the main artery off, leaving them to lie like that. They seldom spare women or children. The Moetjoana do the same.