Fourth Journey (MS 107/3/1-2)
28th December 1779
transcription
[28th December 1779]
28
seer warm 't selfde weer en wind, met den dag deinsig aan den horisond, en opkomende donderwolken.
passeerde de namacqua craal, daar honing bier dronk. dat goed was. na twe uren rydens arriveerden op de plaats van j. coetse. hoogte 3400 voet, ging op een der hoogste toppen der camies, hier een half uur vandaan, schoon deinsig peilde, en
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nam de hoogte die 5265 voet Engels bevond. sag dat dit gebergte maar met weinig laagte, van koebieskows berg gescheiden is. (bleskops fonteins berg op twe derde van hier.) en dan hoog vlak land van 't n:o: door 't oosten na die berg heeft.
windhoeks berg z: 2 gr west. maskamma z. 3 g: O. (onverbeterd compas)
P van Zyl z: ½ w: herelogement ook noord van koebieskow grote soutpan o t z: 20 uur. verder oost grote watervaley soet water half dag reisen smalste breete. synde ovaal. Engelbregt n:w: mond van kouwsi n:w: t n: 4 gr n. groene riv: mond w:t:z: 4 gr: z: spoegrivier w:n:w: koperberg n: t w: ½ w: koebieskow z:o: Juffer ryk, bokkeveld. z:z:o: 1 g: o. bitter riv: w: 8 gr: n: men vind seer lekker water op kamies of grasveld berg.
keerde weder na J. koetse daar bleef slapen, dese kop was boven meest gladde cos. weinig kwarts op dit gebergte. boven op lagen vele grote losse bonken. stieten er enige na beneden. die het effect kregen, als canon kogels. veel blesmollen op dit gebergte, en Zebras.
translation
[28th December 1779]
28
Very hot. The same weather and wind. Hazy on the horizon at dawn and thunder clouds coming up.
Passed the Namaqua Kraal where I drank honey beer which was good. After travelling for two hours came to J. Coetsee’s farm, height 3400 ft. Went to one of the highest peaks of the Camies which is half an hour from here. Although hazy, took bearings
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as well as the height which I found to be 5265 English feet. Saw that this range is separated only by a small plain from the Koebieskouwsberg (Bleskopfonteinberg is two thirds of the way from here) and there follows a high flat plateau running behind that mountain from the north-east through to the east.
Uncorrected compass. Windhoeksberg:, south 2 degrees west; Maskamma, south 3 degrees east; P. van Zyl, south half west; Herenlogement, also north of Kobieskouw; large salt-pan east by south, twenty hours; a large vlei of sweet water further east, at its narrowest half a day’s journey, it is oval; Engelbrecht, north-west; Kouwsie River mouth, north-west by north, 4 degrees north; Groen River mouth, west by south, 4 degrees south; Spoeg River, west-north-west.; Koperberg, north by west half west; Koebieskouw, south-east.; Mistress Ryk, Bokkeveld, south-east 1 degree east.; Bitter River, west eight degrees north. On the Kamies Berg or Grasveldberg one finds very good water.
I turned back to J. Coetsee’s where we spent the night. This peak was mostly smooth Cos. Little quartz in this range. On top lay several, large loose lumps of rock. We pushed some of them down which had the effect of cannon-balls. There are many blesmols in these mountains, and zebras.