27th September 1779

transcription

[27th September 1779]
27

't selfde weer en wind seer warm.
de orange rivier een en een half myl o n. van ons brete

barometer 2550 voet
term 67 - 100 - 84.

gisteren kwam een bosjeman by my een middelmatig fris jong kaarl, hy had het wagenspoor gevonden en sulks nooyt gesien hebbende was hy het uit nieuwsgierigheid nagevolgd, hy kwam vrypostig by my en seer vriendelyk, had nooyt een blanke gesien en was verwondert over myn baard; hy verhaalde my dat hy eens een zeekoei gekwetst had en denkende dat hy gevallen was, was hy hem op het lyf gelopen, die hem beide de armen in den bek en seer gebeten had dog dat twe van syn makkers hem ontset hadden. hy toonde my sware littekens en seide my dat als een Zeekoei lopen wil, in 't begin geen mensch hem ontloopt, dog wel op den duur, dog moet dan een hartloper wesen. des hottentots naam was uijsita. gaf hem wat tabak en hy vertrok seer content; dus swerven sy van het ene graafwatertje na het ander
dese bosjemans syn seer vriendelyk dog waren grote vyanden der namacquas, hadden enig vee van hun genomen, en sy seiden dat het was omdat sy in hun land met vee waren komen leggen. sy syn seer fier en grootshartig. enigen gingen met my klippen soeken, en waren verheugt dat ik te vreden was over hun.
peilde de coers der basters daar vicar twintig dagreisens verder als hier de rivier mede op geweest is o:t z: ½ z leggende de waterval half weg: o: ½ z: de Compagnies drift w:n:w: 8 mijl.

translation

[27th September 1779]
27

The same weather and wind. Very hot. The Orange River east north of us, one and half miles.
Thermometer: 67-100-84
Barometer: 2550 feet.

Yesterday a Bushman came to me: of middling stature and a healthy young fellow. He had found the wagon-tracks, and having never seen anything like them, he followed them out of curiosity. He came to me boldly and was most friendly, had never seen a white man and was astonished at my beard. He told me he had once wounded a hippopotamus and thinking that it had fallen it dead, he walked onto its body. It caught both his arms in its mouth and bit him very badly but, he said, two of his companions had set him free. He showed me heavy scars and told me that if a hippopotamus wishes to run, in the beginning no man can outrun it, but but over a long distance it was possible, though it would have to be a good runner. This Hottentot’s name was Uijsita. Gave him some tobacco and he departed very content. Thus they roam from one small excavated water-hole to another. These Bushmen were very friendly but were great enemies of the Namaquas, stole stock from them and said that it was because they had come into their country to graze stock. They are very proud and magnanimous. Some came looking for stones with me and were very happy that I was pleased with them.
Plotted the route of the Basters with whom Wikar went twenty days’ journey up the river from here: east by south half south; the waterfall lying half-way east half south: The Company’s Drift west-north-west 8 miles