Fourth Journey (MS 107/3/1-2)
5th November 1779
transcription
[5th November 1779]
5
goed weer nog westelyk als gisteren.
vertrokken met sons opgang, al zuid op langs de rivier en arriveerden na een uur gaans by de nokukeis kraal.
desen hadden nooyt geen onser colonie gesien, en waren seer bevreesd. dog wy hadden een oude hoeking eis by ons gekregen (hiete hem hansworst, hy sei dit is een ander menschen kind, siet na syn hair, hy komt van verre wees niet bang, hy is goed brengt beesten om te ruilen. hy schreeuwde sig hees.) die babbelde so veel goeds van ons, dat sy tammer wierden, en over de hondert mannen vrouwen en kinderen by ons kwamen. sag hier twe briquas, synde de ene een regte Caffer, so als lang gedagt heb, en de andere een bastert, hunne taal is deselve van de Cosaas, dog een verschillend dialect. en geen ene klap hy was seer verwondert over de woorden die ik in syn taal sprak die hy appart met een seer klein onderscheid nasprak en verstond, dog niet als ik aaneengeschakelt sprak.
vond de brete 29 gr: - 14 min
ging na de middag op een berg daar twe uren van de ene hoogte over de andere ging zuidwaarts op, sag hier de rivier nog twe mylen zuidwaarts stromen en daarna weer zyn o z: o coers nemen. by de noe keis kraal by dese twede verdeling der hoeking eis, loopt een klein rietriviertje uit den oosten in de oranje rivier. het land aan weersyden so ver sien kon was hetselve, dog dit gebergte schoot nog verder langs de noord oever op. Sy bragten ons een slagtbeest te ruilen die om haar het schiet geweer te tonen, daar sy na vroegen met myn bus tegen de grond schoot, dog te hoog geraakt
[page 18]
zynde stond hy weer op en liep, dog wy lieten hem halen en slagten hem, zy schrikten allen sterk op de slag.
translation
[5th November 1779]
5
Good weather; a westerly wind as yesterday.
Departed at dawn, south again and still alongside the river, and arrived after an hour at the Noekoekeis kraal. These people had never seen anyone from our colony and were very afraid. However we had an old man from Hoekingeis with us whom we called Hansworst and he said to them: “This is another child of man; look at his hair! He comes from far. Be not afraid. He is good. Bring cattle for barter!” He screamed himself hoarse. He jabbered so many good things about us that they became tamer and more than a hundred men, women and children came to us.
Saw two Briquas at this place. The one was a true Caffre, as I had long presumed, the other a half-breed. Their language is the same as the Xhosas’, but a different dialect and without any clicks of the tongue. He was most astonished at the words I spoke in his language which he repeated on their own with a very slight variation, and understood; but not if I spoke continuously.
Took latitude: 29 degrees 14 minutes.
Went up a mountain in the afternoon, and then for two hours from one peak across to the other; went south. Saw here that the river runs southwards for another two miles and thereafter resumes its east south-easterly course at the Noekeis kraal. At this second group of the Hoekingeis a small reedy rivulet runs from the east into the Orange River. So far as I could see the country was the same on both sides, but the mountains continue still further on the northern bank. They brought us a slaughter-cow to barter for showing them, with it, how a gun shoots. I shot it down with my gun, as they had asked, but having hit it too high
[page 18]
it got up again and ran off. But we told them to bring it back and we slaughtered it and cut it up. They all were greatly frightened at the shot.