Fourth Journey (MS 107/3/1-2)
3rd November 1779
transcription
[page 15]
[3rd November 1779]
den 3
gepasseerde nagt schoon weer westelyk koeltje en koel geweest dese morgen schoon helder weer niet so warm. s'morgens even oost, wat wolkig door den dag en west
vertrokken met den dag zuidwaards langs de rivier, hier was weer een fraay eilandtje, en na een uur gaans kwamen wy by de eerste kraal der coraquas, leggende aan onse syde van de bomen, sy en wy riepen tabee, synde reeds van onse komst door de bosjemans en enigen hunne die by de twede geissiqua waren, verwittigt, er waren 22 hutten. alles het selfde.
Sag ook enige weinige Caffers phisionomien onder hen, en verscheiden perfect als joden, egter geen hoge neus, hiete twe van hen moses en aron daar sy wel, mede in hun schik waren.
sy smeren sig met roode verf met vet waar in zy blinkende stuk gestotene klippen doen als mica. dit krygen sy van de brinas of caffers. de rivier agter koeroemena, hiet nouw karena, is niet wel so groot als garie, en agter deselve weer een groter (so groot als garie) die ook in de west zee loopt, de briquas komen maar door het geissiqua pad, en de rivier af, het andere is bosjeman land.
vertrokken na de middag zuid op de poort in tussen het voorn: gebergte, daar de rivier met een zuidwest draay, doorloopt. hiete dese plaats de coraquas poort. in den ingang 600 treden breed, moesten digt langs het water en schuins langs vele grote ronde klippen gaan leggende er een klein klippig eilandtje met enige doornbomen in de poort. eer wy er ingingen kwam ons een gedeelte der twede verdeling deser coring eis kraal tegen, met een middeljarig man, middelmatig van postuur, tatabe caboe genaamt hunne kaw waup of kaw kauwp. na de tabe gaf hem een pyp tabak, en sy keerden met ons te rug, een uur van de eerste verdeling deser coringas was de poort en na een quartier er in quamen wy in een opene plaats, daar de craal aan het trekken was, sullen morgen de rivier wat af trekken. dus waren hunne hutten niet heel opgeslagen, sy waren ook 20 hutten hadden tamelyk schapen rundvee en bokken. dog de eerste
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hadden veel vee verstoken, so als onse hottentotten seiden
wy ruilden voor tabac, melk, dog sy wilden ons geen schaap of bok geven. dog bragten een slagtkoe, die wy niet namen. terwyl ik er by de eersten was, kregen er twe twist, en na hunne kirries, namen sy pyl en boog, dog ik liet hun seggen dat ik niet hebben wilde dat sy vogten, toen lieten sy het staan. ik ruilde hier voor wat kralen een briquas bereid hartebeest vel (caros), wordende met verrotte schape en beeste hersenen bereid. en het hair er afgeschrapt, sag ook enige beestevellen carossen even als by de caffers. hier syn vele honden en groter, als de andere hottentots honden swemende sommigen naar ons ras van honden. had genoeg te doen ons volk in order te houden zynde seer verstoord, dat de hottentotten de beesten wegstaken, en hun geen schaap of beest aanboden.
translation
[page 15]
[3rd November 1779]
The third
Fine weather last night; a cool westerly breeze and it was cool this morning, fine and clear. Not as hot again. A soft east wind in the morning, somewhat cloudy during the day with wind from the west.
Departed at daybreak south along the river. There was another beautiful island here and after an hour’s going we came to the first kraal of the Koraquas on our side of the trees. We called “tabé” to each other for they had already been informed of our coming by the Bushmen and by a few of them who had been at the second Geisiqua kraal. There were 22 huts, all the same. Saw a few that had slight Caffre traits in their physiognomy. Several were exactly like Jews; but no high nose. Called two of them Moses and Aaron and they were very contented with this. They smear themselves with red paint and grease in which they put shining, broken fragments of stones such as mica. They get this from the Brinas or the Caffres. The river beyond the Koeroemana is called Nouw Karena. It is not as large as the Garies and beyond it there is another greater one, as large as the Garies, which also runs into the sea in the west. The Briquas only come through by way of the Geisiqua road and so along the river. The rest is Bushman land.
Departed southward after midday through the defile between the afore-mentioned mountains where the river flows through with a turn to the south west. Called this place Koraquaspoort. It was 600 paces wide at the entrance; we had to go close beside the water obliquely around many large, round stones. There was a small, stony island with some thorn trees in the defile. Before we entered it a group from the second Goeringneis kraal approached us. A middle-aged man of medium stature called Tatabe Caboe was the Kaw waup or Kawkaup. After saying “tabé” I gave him a pipe of tobacco and they turned back with us. The defile was an hour from the first kraal of these Goeringneis, and after a quarter of an hour in it we reached an open place where the kraal was busy moving house. They will travel some distance down-river tomorrow. Their huts were therefore not completely put away. They too had 20 huts and a fair number of sheep, cattle and goats, although the first kraal
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had hidden many of its animals, as our Hottentots told us. We bartered milk for tobacco but they would not give us any sheep or goats though they did bring us a slaughter-cow which we did not take. While I was at the first, there was a quarrel between two of them. They took to their sticks and to their bows and arrows but I let them be told that I did not want them to fight, whereupon they left off. Here I traded some beads for a hartebeest skin (kaross) which had been dressed by the Briquas who cure it with rotten sheep- and cattle-brains and scrape the hair off. Also saw some cattle-hide karosses exactly just like those of the Caffres. There are many dogs here, and larger than the other Hottentot dogs, thus having a closer resemblance to our breeds of dog. Had enough trouble keeping our people in order since they were very annoyed that the Hottentots had hidden their cattle and had offered us neither sheep nor cow.