Fourth Journey (MS 107/3/1-2)
7th December 1779
transcription
[7th December 1779]
7
't selfde weer en wind dog heter.
peilde sandfontein o:z:o: 4,½ myl. het warm bad, noord; de leeuwe rivier loopt met donderweer eene [word cancelled] myl bewesten dese plaats in dese rivier. neemende by een myl van daar een kleine n:w: draaij. Compagnies drift, w: ½ z: 6. myl. hoogte des beds der rivier 900 voet.d. klip fontein z:z:w:.
in den morgen was ik verwondert Cabas te sien aankomen met twe bosjemans, de ene bleek dat syn vader was, en de andere een der bosjemans die my door het gebergte van caboes gebragt had, en wien ik gesegt had dat het my speet dat cabas weggelopen was. de vader sei my, dat hy my cabas weer bragt, dat hy hem geknort had dat hy van my weggelopen was, daar hy gehoord had dat hy het so wel had en dat ik hem gaarn na myn land wilde nemen, cabas was stil en bang, ik vroeg de bosjeman, dat een kleine alarte karel was, of Cabas syn soon was, hy sei, ik heb hem gemaakt, ik vroeg hem of hy my Cabas dan gaf, hy sei ja, ik sey hem dat ik hem na de caap sou nemen en alles laten sien, en als hy weer na syn land wilde, dat ik er hem dan sou laten brengen. hy vroeg om wat kralen en tabak en sei dat sy niet veel eten by de kraal hadden dat dus Cabas beter by my was als by hem. Cabas sei niets, en dus scheiden vader en soon, dit was ten minsten vyf dagen lopens van de craal. de ossen waren weggelopen dus moesten wy dese dag nog hier blyven. enen schoemaker die 10 myl westelyker aan dese rivier legt, kwam by my, en sou mijn wagen met sig nemen, moetende ik daar repasseren.
translation
[7th December 1779]
7
The same weather and wind but hotter.
Took bearings. Sandfontein: east-south-east 4½ miles; Warmbad: north; in thunderstorms the Leeuwen River flows into this river one mile to the west of this place, making at a mile’s distance from there a small turn to the north-west; Compagniesdrift: west half-south, six miles; the bed of this river is 900 ft high; Klipfontein south south-west.
In the morning I was amazed to see Cabas approaching with two Bushmen. One turned out to be his father and the other was one of the Bushmen who took me through the Caboes mountains and to whom I had said that I was sorry Cabas had run away. The father told me that he was bringing Cabas back to me and that he had scolded him for running away from me since he had heard that he been so well treated and that I had greatly wanted to take him to my country. Cabas was quiet and fearful. I asked the Bushman, who was a small, alert fellow, if Cabas was his son. He said ‘I made him’. I asked him if he was giving Cabas to me; he said: ‘yes’. I told him that I would take him to the Cape and would let him see everything, and if he wished to return to his country, I would have him brought back. He asked for some beads and tobacco and said that they didn’t have much to eat at the kraal and that it was therefore better for Cabas to be with me than with him. Cabas said nothing; and thus father and son parted. It was at least five days’ walk from his kraal. The oxen ran away so we had to remain here today. A certain Schumaker, who lives ten miles to the west on this river came up to me and will take my wagon with him, as I shall have to pass by there again.