Second Journey (MS 107/1/1-2)
10th January 1778
transcription
[10th January 1778]
10
vannagt nu en dan geregent niets ontwaard, met den dag de wind door het noorden w:n:w, met opklarende lugt frisse wind, hoorde de zee rasen, zodat denk dat het gestormd heeft. trok, omtrent agt uren oost z:o: op nog al over hetselfde hoge ruggig terrein met draayen het wierd allerschoonst weer met deselfde wind met de middag waaren de hoogtens gepasseert, en trokken door langsaam rysende en dalende schone grasvelden hetzelfde terrein als gisteren, geen ene klip en in de laagtens regenwater valeyen, waarin veel eenden en talingen. op de regterhand strekten die hoge bossige ruggen die meer bossig wierden, op de distantie van een groot uur, sig tot de duinen. passeerden vele Caffers cralen, en vele troppen vee en vermaakte my seer met deselven, zy dansten en songen al met de wagen melopende, in den agtermiddag, zagen wy een grote kraal of dorp, en het quam swart van
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Caffers na my toe lopen sy vroegen my om stil te houden dat hun Capitein aankwam, het gene ik deed, wat daar na quamen twe oude gryse mannen, met een grote trop mannen vrouwen en kinders, sy omcingelden my van alle kanten, het waren de twe capteins titi en tsaka, de eerste de broers zoon van oude paro, gaf hun wat tabak sy vroegen waar vandaan quam, en om yser sey dat ver uit het land quam en geen yser had, tsaka die hottentots sprak vroeg om een geschenk dat seide hy groot volk altoos deed als sy by malkander kwamen, gaf ieder Captein een bosje kralen, en het volk kleine stukjes tabac, sy stuurden om melk, dog seide dat de son laag wierd en dat haast had, sy vroegen weer om myn hond. dog dit weigerende liepen sy nog wat me, en keerden toen na hun dorp vervolgden, vervolgden deselfde coers, quetsten een hartebeest en schoot enige eendvogels, arriveerden met sons ondergank by een dorp Caffers. de welke in het begin bang voor my waaren, dog by hen gaande en hun tabac gevende vond hen de vrolikste beste menschen van de wareld
sy toonden my hunne tuinen gaven my melk, en bedelden met veel moderatie. sag hun hunne beesten melken, die seer mak syn, sy praten er eerst tegen als of iemant sonder attentie een gebed rabbelde, dan fluitende, bonden nog tans de agterbenen vast. en melkten dus de man al pratende. de koe ruilde van dese man poemla genaamt een mantje en calabas. en ging na nog met maneschyn door hunne hutten hun singen gehoord te hebben, na de tent terug geconvoyeerd van vier Caffers, dewelke na gerookt te hebben naar hun dorp gingen. dit waren soldaten of volk van Capt: umsella die over de rivier lag. [in margin:] a 12 uren o t n van ons
na een uur in de tent geweest te zyn quam nog een caffer myn een mande melk brengen. myn paard was weggelopen na het caffers dorp. en sy bragten het opstaande voet terug. de hyaena quam digt by ons huilen cours en verheid vandaag agt a negen uren o z o zagen met den middag van een lage berg de mond der visrivier io
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hiete dese plaats na de raad pensionaris bleiswyks valey
translation
[10th January 1778]
10
It rained from time to time tonight. Saw nothing. At daybreak the wind went through the north to the west-north-west, the sky clearing up. A fresh wind. Heard the sea roaring so that I think, that there has been a storm. Departed about 8 o'clock east-south-east, still travelling with bends across the same high, hilly terrain. It became the most beautiful weather with the same wind. By midday we had passed the heights and were going through beautiful grassy countryside, slowly rising and falling, the same terrain as yesterday with not a single stone and in the hollows there were rainwater vleis with many ducks and teal in them. On our right the high ridges, which became more bushy, extended for the distance of a good hour to the dunes. We passed many Caffre kraals and many herds of cattle and I was greatly entertained by the same; they danced and sang, running alongside the wagon. In the afternoon we saw a large kraal or village.
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It was black with Caffres who came to me. They asked me to stop because their chief was approaching, which I did and after this two old, grey men came with a large troupe of men, women and children, encircling me on all sides. These were the two chiefs Titi and Tsaka. The first was the son of old Paró's brother. Gave them some tobacco and they asked where I came from and also asked for iron. I told them that I came from far beyond the country, and that I had no iron. Tsaka, who spoke Hottentot, asked for a present which, he said, was what great people did when they came upon each other. Gave each chieftain a small bunch of beads and the people small pieces of tobacco. They sent for milk but I said that the sun was getting low and that I was in a hurry. They again asked for my dog on my refusing this they walked a little more with us and then turned off to their town. Followed the same course, wounded a hartebeest and shot some duck. Arrived at a Caffre town at sunset. They were afraid of me at first but going to them and giving them tobacco, I found them the merriest and best people in the world. They showed me their gardens and gave me milk and entreated with great moderation. Saw them milking their cattle which are very tame. They talk to them at first, like someone mindlessly rattling off a prayer; then they whistle but they tie up the rear legs nevertheless. And so the man does his milking talking all the while. From this man, who was called Poemla, I bartered a small basket and a calabash. And while the moon was still shining I went back to the tent through their huts, having heard their singing, escorted by four Caffers who, when they had had a smoke, went back to their village. These were soldiers, or people of chieftain Umsella who lived across the river, 12 hours east by north of us. After I had been in my tent for an hour another Caffre arrived, bringing me a basket of milk. My horse had ran off to the Caffre village and they brought it back at once. The hyena came close to us, howling. Our route and distance today has been eight to nine hours east-south-east. At noon today we saw the mouth of the Fish River from a low mountain.
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Called this place Bleiswijksvlei after the Grand Pensionary.