Fourth Journey (MS 107/3/1-2)
8th October 1779
transcription
[8th October 1779]
den 8 vrydag
schoon weer stil egter niet so warm. met den middag westelyk komende er dampen van de zee of west zyde, met den avond. 't sal na gedagt omtrent de Caap regenen.
term: 61 - 78 - 64.
verlieten de rivier in den agtermiddag, en reden weder een half uur te rug de hoogte op, daar na door 't oosten n:o: en o:n:o: sware klipsandige weg seer opdragende tussen de hoge klipheuvels, grauwe cos met veel mica, alles klipbanken irregulier veel bosjemans gras in de vlaktens, en struiken; mimosas en sterk ruikende giftbomen in de klippen. passeerden een poort afdragende, na dat wy byna op het hoge vlakke veld waren, en het hoge namacqua vlak land ten noorden over de rivier, die als door een afgrond liep, sagen, en spanden om den donker uit. myne honden vongen een aard Jakhals, á genaamt, van de selfde soort so als in 1777 agter de caffers vong. hadden vier en een halve uur gereden, dog swaar pad; dus twe myl o:n:o: ½ n.
n:b: by de rivier in de laagte vind men klei. de einiquas die by my waren verheugden sig, dat hunne landslieden sig so over my souden verwonderen, vooral versogten sy my myn lange hairen by hen los te dragen. waren nu twe mans einiquas, drie wyven van die natie nog een hottentot goede schutter claas barend genaamd en nog vier hottentotten waaronder koerikei, dit met schoemaker was al ons volk, synde de bosjemans met pinar langs de rivier gegaan
hebbende wy hem nu de sesde dag gemist, schoon onse afspraak was den eersten avond byeen te komen. peilde van avond de keicaap of grote rivier dus genaamt schoon hy niet loopt als met donder weer, kwam uit het n:t:w: loopt hier in oranges rivier in het n:n:w: van hier, de ha kamma ook droog riviertje, loopt digter by samoep ook aan de regter oever in de rivier, die van de waterval na het o:z:o: begind te draajen. dese uitspan plaats hieten onse einiquas houc eib. een half uur verder, o: was water somtyds op een klip, dog had nu niet.
translation
[8th October 1779]
The 8th Friday
Fine weather. Calm, but not so hot.
A westerly wind in the afternoon becoming moist from the direction of the sea, or westerly side, in the evening. It can be supposed that it will be raining in the Cape.
Thermometer: 61-78-64.
We left the river in the afternoon and once more travelled back up the hill. Thereafter in an easterly direction: north-east and east-north-eas.t A difficult track of sand and stone, steeply uphill through the high stony hills: grey Cos with much mica. Uneven stone outcrops everywhere, much bushman-grass and shrubs in the flat places. Mimosa and strong-smelling poison trees among the stones. When we were almost at the top of the high plateau we passed a defile sloping away downhill and also saw the high Namaqualand plateau across the river, which here flows as if through an abyss; we outspanned at dark. My dogs caught an aardjakhals or earth-jackal, called an Á of the same kind as I caught beyond the Caffres in 1777.
We had travelled for four and a half hours but it was a difficult track; thus two miles east-north-east half north.
N.B. In the low-lying parts at the river one finds clay.
The Einiquas with me were delighted that their fellow countrymen would be so astonished by me. They asked above all that I should wear my long hair loose when with them. There were now two male Einiquas and three women of that people with us, as well as a Hottentot and a good shot called Klaas Barend. In addition there were another four Hottentots, among them Koerikei and that, with Schumacher, was all our company; the Bushmen having gone with Pienaar along the river; we have now missed him for six days, although our agreement was to meet on the first evening.
Took bearings on the Kaikaap or Great River, thus called although it does not flow except in thunderstorms. It comes from the north by west and flows into the Orange River in the north-north-west. From here, the Ha Hamma, another dry rivulet, runs into the river closer to Samoep and also on the right bank. The river begins to turn to the east-south east-from the waterfall. Our Einiquas called this outspan-place Honc eib. Half an hour further east there is sometimes water on top of a stone but there was none there now.