Fourth Journey (MS 107/3/1-2)
24th November 1779
transcription
[24th November 1779]
24
in den morgen z:o: met son om, dog weinig, sterk z:w: in den nagt. Schoon dog seer warm weer
reed weder boven langs, om beter weg, in de klipkoppen met den dag met Cabas vooruitgaande, om te sien waar wy met de wagen door konden, en om een dier koppen, sonder na cabas te sien, omgaande. bevond ik, weder by de wagen komende, dat die jonge weder weggelopen was, en sekerlyk de dag te voren ook, en dat de bosjeman hem gedwongen had, om weder by my te gaan, dat singulier was, sy hadden myn vuur opgesogt om my in den nagt te vinden, en die bosjeman had my nooyt gesien, synde cabas op onse uittogt met pinars hottentotten langs de rivier en eerst by haries by my gekomen, en sig uit sig selfs, aan my geattacheert.
[page 30]
hielden middag by onse vorige uitspanplaats de gelukkige val. sond een hottentot terug na samoep omdat myn centuron met pistool en jagtmes, had laten leggen. spanden met sons ondergank in om de koele maneschyn, reed het selfde padt tot het honingnest, daar na bragt de wagen boven het even heuvelagtige vlakke veld langs, spannende om elf uren s'avonds tegen over de klipplaat uit, spaarde hier mede de wagen en coupeerde drie uren. Sond de ossen na het water der rivier aan klipplaat.
translation
[24th November 1779]
24
South-east wind in the morning, veering slightly with to the west. Strong south-west wind in the night. Weather fine but very hot.
At dawn rode higher up again in the stone koppies to get a better road, with Cabas going ahead to see where the wagon could get through. Going round one of these small hills and not seeing Cabas, I found, when I came got back to the wagons, that the lad had run away again, and certainly the previous day as well; and that the Bushman had forced him to come back to me, which is most unusual, having sought for my fire at night in order to find me. In addition this Bushman had never seen me before, Cabas having previously been with Pienaar’s Hottentots along the river on our outward journey, first coming to me at Garies and attaching himself to me there of his own accord.
[page 30]
Paused at noon at our previous outspan, The Lucky Fall. Sent a Hottentot back to Samoep because I had left my belt with hunting-knife and pistol behind.
Yoked in at sunset to take advantage of the cool moonlight. Rode on the same road to the bees-nest and then brought the wagon over the gently hilly, generally flat, countryside. Outspanned at eleven o’clock in the evening opposite the Klipplaat. In this way spared the wagon and gained three hours. Sent the oxen to water at the river at Klipplaat.