12th February 1778

transcription

[12th February 1778]
12
ging in den morgen op de berg die naar de landkant ligt en zag dat de Camnassi berg ver van de kaughas berg gescheiden is, lopende de rivier langs de z en z w syde der berg. peilde toverwaters cloof in het swarte gebergte noord half west 7 a 8 uren distantie. van de berg komende bevond my gansch niet wel, met veel duiseligheid in het hooft. de wind is tegen middag fris z:z:o: geworden warm weer. het wild in de lange cloof is rhebokken

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hartebeesten enige oerebis, en patrysen: dog niet overvloedig. in de kaugha houden nog enige leeuwen sag enen lindequast of linde que, welker de leeuw in de duim sterk gekwetst had, den 16 dec laatsleden, vader en zoon hadden drie leeuwen vervolgd, dewelke enige hunner beesten doodgebeten hadden.
de zoon had er een het kakebeen stuk geschoten, waarop een der anderen vervolgd wordende op hen aankwamen, de vader had syn geweer in de muil van de leeuw en het geweer ketste, waarop de leeuw hem in de duim en in de loop van het geweer beet, en hy van een schuinste vallende de leeuw, over hem heen viel, de soon toelopende om de vader te ontsetten, struikelde en in het vallen ging de schoot los. hierop liet de leeuw de vader en sprong op de soon, die hem de kolf van het geweer in den muil stiet, en door de leeuw tegen een klip gedreven zynde, hem dus van sig hield, sodat de leeuw geen asem kunnende scheppen of uit pyn, hem geen kwaad kon doen en hun volk met geweeren en honden ziende aankomen nam hy de vlugt. de gekwetste leeuw is 14 dagen daar na door de soon voor het stel gedood.

translation

[12th February 1778]
12

In the morning went up the mountain which lies on the landward side and saw that the Camnassi mountain is separated by a great distance from the Kaugga range, and that the river flows alongside the south and south-west side of the mountain. Took bearings on the Toverwaterkloof in the Swartberg range: north half west at a distance of seven to eight hours. Coming down from the mountain found that I was not at all well, very dizzy in the head. The wind became a fresh south-south-east toward noon. Hot weather. The game in Langkloof are

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rhebok, hartebeest, some oribi and partridges, but they are not abundant. There are still some lion in the Kaugga. Saw a certain Lindequast or Lindeque who had been badly wounded in the thumb by lion on 16th December last year. Father and son went in pursuit of three lion which had killed some of their cattle. The son shot one of them, breaking its jaw, whereupon one of the others that they were pursuing came to them and the father stuck his gun into its mouth but the gun did not fire. At this the lion bit the barrel of the gun and the father in the thumb. He then fell down a slope and the lion fell on top of him. The son going to free his father, stumbled and the gun went off as he fell. At this the lion left the father and sprang onto the son who stuck the stock of his gun into its mouth. He was driven against a rock by the lion but held it off in this way. Because the lion could not draw breath or because of its pain, it was not able to harm him and, seeing their people approaching with guns and dogs, it took flight. Fourteen days after this the wounded lion was killed in a trap by the son.