Journals

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

23rd November 1779


transcription

[23rd November 1779]
23

't selfde weer en wind, dog seer helder en warm

[page 29]
passeerde met veel moeite dese klippoort. moetende nog overal aan de weg arbeiden en de wagen vast houden, synde ook nu maar met ons vieren, myn wagen word so slegt in de wielen dat wy de roejen moeten vast binden. Cabas, raakte met den middag weg, zynde zyn craal hier digt by aan de rivier. hielden middag, iets verder als honceib droge en sandige rivier, en reden in den agtermiddag tot tegen over samoep willende ik om de sware weg niet na de rivier ryden, sond de ossen na het water.

met den avond de hemel sonder eene wolk een fraaye totale verduistering van de maan, myn hottentotten waren seer verwondert dat ik hen dat alvoor enige tyd gesegt had. 't speet my geen tydt meter te hebben, synde in en uitgang en de gansche nagt seer helder.
na de uitgang een sterke z:o: wind die met den morgen stiller wierd

in slaap zynde maakte my koerikei wakker, met Cabas, die met een oude bosjeman by my kwam, hy maakte veel vriendschaps tekenen en sei dat hy by syn kraal geweest was, ik gaf de bosjeman wat tabak en te eten en hy ging weg, zeggende dat ik Cabas niet houden wilde als hy niet gaarn mede ging, hy protesteerde dat hy gaarn met my mede wilde, en ging leggen slapen.

translation

[23rd November 1779]
23

The same weather and wind but very clear and hot.

[page 29]
Got through this stony defile with much difficulty. We had to work everywhere on the road and hold the wagon steady there being now only four of us. The wheels of my wagon have become so bad that we have had to tie up the axle-pins. At noon Cabas ran away, his kraal being close by here at the river. We had our midday halt a little beyond Honceib, a dry and sandy river, and in the afternoon went on to just opposite Samoep. As I did not want to travel the heavy road to the river, I sent the oxen on to the water.

In the evening, there was a beautiful total eclipse of the moon, the night-sky being cloudless. My Hottentots were most astonished that I had told them about it some time before. It was a pity I had no time-piece, for both at the start and the finish and throughout the night, it was very clear. At the finish there was a strong south-east wind which became calmer with dawn.

I was asleep and Koerikei woke me with Cabas who had come up to me with an old Bushman. He made many signs of friendship and said that he had been at his kraal. I gave the Bushman some tobacco and something to eat and he went off. I said that I did not wish to keep Cabas if he did not willingly wish to come with me. He protested that he was glad to accompany me and lay down to sleep.