Journals

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

29th December 1779


transcription

[29th December 1779]
29

reed de berg westlyk af passeerde wilgenhout rivier com, loopt in groene riv: daarna in myn vorig pad na grabies en vygemand gebergte kwam, daar de eerste oorsprong der groene rivier is, hiet eerst Comnees, daar na Comnaas dan garies.
de swart doorn rivier komt van de oostsyde by lelifontein hiet daar hartebeest rivier. kouwsi begind, aan de noordsyde dier hoogte. by de hottentotten.
na seer ongelyk pad vier uur rydens vonden wy de wagens by de klipvaleys uitspanplaats, waar seer brak water.

[page 44]
sagen twe varsche leeuwe spooren die voor ons de berg af waren gegaan. sy doen Coetse somwylen schade aan paarden en vee en willen niet voor 't stel komen. de vader van Capt: Wildschut hiet pluto en is over de 100 jaren oud. hy was aan de garabees, daar nu een deel der kraal lag. Sag maar 10 strohutten op de berg.

gepasseerde nagt betrokken en enige regendroppen moet in het hoge land gedondert hebben. dese dag betrokken donderweer lugt. s'morgens de wind noord, s'middags west.

spanden om een uur in en na vele draayen, langs en over ouwtees bitter riviertje dat hier ontspringt en in zee als het uitwatert, loopt 3 myl benoorden groene rivier sliepen aan het selve na ses uren ossewagen rydens. al af dragend. klei en bosjes veld. sagen een dikke pofadder in de weg leggen dien wy doodsloegen, was byna een arm dik en drie voet lang. is langsaam in de beweging bruin geel gevlamd en seer giftig.

translation

[29th December 1779]
29

Rode down the mountain in a westerly direction, passing the basin of the Wilgenhout River (flows into Groen River) and thereafter joined my previous route to Grabies and the Vygemand mountains, which are the principal source of the Groen River. It was first called Comnees, then Comnaas and finally Garies. The Swartdoorn River comes from the eastern side of Leliefontein; it is called the Hartebeest River there. The Kouwsie begins at the Hottentots on the northern side of these heights. After a four hour-ride on a very uneven road we found the wagons at the Klipvlei outspan, where the water was very brack.

[page 44]
We saw the fresh tracks of two lions that had come down the mountain before us. They sometimes cause losses to Coetse’s horses and cattle and do not allow themselves be trapped. Chief Wildschut’s father is called Pluto and is over a hundred years old. He used to live at Garabees where there is still part of the kraal. Saw only ten straw-huts on the mountain.

Overcast last night with a few drops of rain. There must have been thunder on the uplands.
A thundery, overcast sky today. The wind north in the morning and west in the afternoon.

We inspanned at one o’clock, and after many turns along and across the Ouwteesbitter rivulet, which rises here and, when flowing, runs into the sea three miles north of the Groene River, we slept at the same after six hours’ travel with the ox-wagons, all downhill, clay and shrub-veld. We saw a fat puff-adder lying in the road which we killed. It was nearly as thick as an arm and three foot long. Is slow in its movement, flecked a brownish-yellow and very poisonous.