Fourth Journey (MS 107/3/1-2)
28th September 1779
transcription
[28th September 1779]
28
't selfde weer en wind dog niet so warm.
term: 60 - 96 – 76
[page 38]
sag vandaag voor het eerst, twe oude eini of einiqua, sy hadden beide ieder een bal uitgesneden, de ene de regter en de andere de linker. de overgeblevene bal was iets groter als ordinair en vulde de beurs so dat hy geensins slingerde, sy waren, naugaap en oegaap genaamt synde onder de bosjemans getrout, die hier omtrent lagen en haussa eip genaamt waren, naugaap was by de einiquas gesneden toen hy al volwassen was, en hy seide omdat hy lendepyn hadde en om harder te kunnen lopen, en had vier kinderen en ene vrouw; oegaap was gesneden toen hy een kleine jongen was, het geen door een geschied en niet regulier als de besneidenis, egter syn sy niet verpligt sulks te doen en schijnt tussen een superstitie en oud gebruik in siekte in te zyn; also er by geslagt of anders gemaakt word, altoos twe stuks vee. so lang naugaap heugde was er maar een aan gestorven. oegaap had negen kinderen. 't speet naugaap dat sy sig had laten sneiden dog hy woonde nu onder de bosjemans, die dat nooyt doen. hy was er seer siek van geweest, wilde zyn kinderen niet laten sneiden, hij seide uit laggerny dat hy nu byna een os was. syn vrouw was swanger van haar eerste kind toen hy sig liet sneyden dat door een Caumaap, die sneider by hunne craal was, synde er meest twe die sneyen kunnen, doende dat dikwils velen te samen in de regen tydt vryven sig dan met rode verf. synde ook omtrent juny. sy moeten dan ieder appart sitten sonder dat een vrouw er by mag komen tot sy genesen syn.
oegaap had het eerste lid van de vinger naast de kleine der regterhand afgesneden, voor siekte, ook doen hunne ouders hun dat als sy seer siek zyn. ook een meester meid of meester kaarl. daar syn in ieder kraal by de einiqua, synde de naam alle der kralen, schoon ieder syn aparte naam heeft, die dese rivier op leggen, al so veel die niet de bal uitgesneden hebben, als die gesneden syn. sy seggen dat die te bang zijn, sonder veragt of anders gehouden te worden als de overigen. de vrouwen maken er geen onderscheid tussen en blyft alles het selfde. dit syn alle hottentotten en spreken weinig anders als de namacquas.
hoensing, eib. betekenende Spinnekop, kraal. hiet het volk, Van de einiquas na de rivier dien sy ein noemen, dat byna agter Sneeuwberg aan dese syde der rivier legt, hebbende veel vee. de coraqua leggen iets verder op aan de andere syde der rivier, de hoesing eib sy syn, goede vrienden, met die bosjemans, die met de Sneeuwberg boeren vegten.
daar is klaas en Piet bastart wonende op Pinars plaats, met de welken vicar mede gelopen is, terug gekeert. twe grote dagreisens benoorden hun beginnen de swarte briqua of brinas. sag nog een kouqua of sneyvolk craal ook een einiqua, had by de briquas geweest, en noemde my semica voor hun koorn even als de Caffers. sy hebben te voren de boog niet gebruikt dog nu wel. de kouqua had ook syn linkerbal uitgesneden, en seide dat syn craals volk het allen, uitgesondert enige weinigen die te kleinserig waren, hadden na een oud gebruik hadden. de briquas besneden sig. de rivier die agter de oranje rivier loopt, is van de briquas koeroemena genaamt, loopt uit den oosten en n:w: aan. iets meer noordwestelyk als paralel aan dese rivier. maakten alles klaar om met de maneschyn de rivier oost op te gaan.
Maakten ene wagen klaar en lieten de schuit hier, kunnende niet seer ver met de wagen opryden, daar na nemen wy draagossen. also seer verlang om de sogenaamde briquas te zien.
translation
[28th September 1779]
28
The same weather and wind, though not as hot.
Thermometer: 60-96-76.
[page 38]
Today for the first time saw two old Eini or Einiqua. Both had one testicle cut out, the one on the right and the other on the left. The remaining testicle was slightly larger than usual and filled the pouch so that it did not swing loose at all. They were called Naugaap and Oegaap. They were married and lived with the bushmen who live around here and are called Haussaeip. Naugaap was cut by the Eniquas when he was an adult and he said it was because he had a pain in his loins and because it would make him run faster. He had four children and a wife. Oegaap was cut when he was still a little boy, which was done for an occasion and not regularly, as with circumcision. Indeed they are not duty-bound to do it; and it seems to be partly a superstition and partly an old custom to treat sickness; for they also slaughter or do the “other-making” ceremony, always with two animals. For as long as Naugaap could remember only one had died of it. Oegaap had nine children. Naugaap was sorry he had let himself be cut since he now lived with the Bushmen who never do it. It had made him very ill. He did not want his children to be cut. Laughingly, he said that he was now almost an ox. His wife was pregnant with her first child when he let himself be cut which was done by a man called Caumaap who was the person who did the cutting at their kraal, there being at most two who knew how to cut. Very often they did this together in the rainy season; they rub themselves then with red paint, this being also around June They must then each sit apart without letting any woman come to them until they are healed.
The first joint of the finger next to the little finger on Oegaap’s right hand was cut off, because of illness; this too is done by their parents alif they are very ill, and also by a specialised maiden or youth. In each kraal of the Einiqua (which is the name of all the kraals though every kraal has its particular name) which lie on this river there are as many who do not have the ball cut out as those who do have it cut. They say that those are too scared, but do not despise them or consider them to be different from the others. The women make no distinction between them and everything stays the same. These are all Hottentots and their speech varies only slightly from the Namaquas.
Hoensing-eib, meaning Spider Kraal, is the name of the group the Einiquas at the river, which they call the Ein, who live almost from the back of the Sneeuberg on this side of the river, and have much stock. The Coraqua live somewhat further up on the other side of the river. The Hoensing-eib, are good friends of the Bushmen who fight with the Sneeuwberg farmers. Klaas and Piet Bastart, with whom Wikar went on his travels, have returned there, living on Pienaar’s farm.
Two good days’ journey to the north of them the black Briquas or Brinas begin. I also saw a Kouqua (from the cutting-peoples’s kraal) who is also an Einiqua; he had been to the Briquas and told me they called corn semica, just as the Caffres do. Earlier they did not use the bow but now they do. The Kouqua also had his left ball cut out and said that all the people in his kraal had this done according to an old custom, excepting only a few who were too timid. The Briquas practice circumcision.
The river that runs behind the Orange River is called Koeroemena [Kuruman] by the Briquas. It runs from the east to the north-west and somewhat more north-westerly than parallel to this river.
We are making everything ready to go east up-river at moonlight. We are making a wagon ready and are leaving the boat here since we are not able to travel very far with the wagon; after that we are taking pack-oxen. Am longing very much to see the so-called Briquas.