Second Journey (MS 107/1/1-2)
15th December 1777
transcription
[15th December 1777]
15
met den morgen fris weer helder dog op de bergen nog donkere overblyfsels, de wind oost. reden door de rivier die wel snel liep dog niet diep of breed was, kwamen by de wagen droogden zo veel wy konden. en vervolgden onse cours n:w: t n passeerden een krants daar de visrivier digt langs loopt, daar wy de wagen moesten vast houden, gelukkig zonder omvallen. naar een uur arriveerden op een plaats van van stade aan de linker oever der visrivier, hadden van eergisteren avond, al gebroken en caro velde losse rosse grond, met Channa bosjes, misembriantimums en euphorbias, sagen weer aan de bergen de voornoemde euphorbia boom, daar men zegt dat de hottentots hun ergste vergift uit halen.
peilde de hoek der Com of sneeubergen in het z z oosten, en onse gehele cours van kruger n w t n onse verdere coaurs aan de kop van een berg by de tarka n:o: t n de visrivier loopt hier om de hoek der sneeuwbergen, dewelke hier noord oost uitschiet dan z w en z. tot na voorn erasmus. dan noord ten westen nog 12 a 14 uren daar hy in diverse spruiten uit de sneeubergen niet ver van eenen meintjes en willem burgers, digt by de Rhinoster berg die van de andere zyde der sneeuwbergen gesien heb; koomt, dog krygt nog spruiten uit de bergen aan dese zyde der voornoemde rode bergen. de tarka komt zo ver ik hier kon pylen uit het n:o: en loopt een half uur n:t:o: van hier in de visrivier, dewelke hier met vele draajen z o door de kom loopt. tot dat phrens rivier met hem zuid aan loopt.
gingen in de visrivier met een kleine zegen vissen, vongen enige vissen die als een grote harder waaren als in de kleine visrivier. er waren vele wilgebomen zo als men in gelderland hiet rysweerden hout, daar men hoepels van maakt. de barometer gaf 27 - 2½ . vertrokken om half vyf, noordoostelyk langs de linker oever der tarka reden eerst wat o:n:o: toen noordelyker en quamen met zons ondergank, daar wy de tarka passeren moesten, dese rivier
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had als allen steile oevers dog was smal en niet sterk lopend veel kleinder als de visrivier, zy liep hier regt uit den n:o: na het z w, zo gezegt is in de visrivier.
passeerden de zelve gemakkelyk en spanden de donker invallende aan de overzyde uit. sloegen de tent op. onse gecoppelde cours van van staden is n:o:t:n: twe uren distantie. het terrein gebroken veld losse rosse kleigrond meest weinig rysende grond vele muise gaten, ganna bosjes, doornbosjes, en misembriantimums. het weer continueerde goed en koel z:o: en in den avond z: wind.
douw gepasseerde nagt met een heldere maneschyn
translation
[15th December 1777]
15
Clear, cool weather at dawn but the remnants of dark clouds on the mountains. The wind east. We rode through the river which was still running fast but it was neither deep nor wide, and we dried ourselves off as well as we could when we reached the wagon. We then followed our route north-west by north and passed a cliff beside which the Fish River flows closely where we had to hold hard on to the wagon which fortunately did not overturn. After an hour we arrived at a farm of Van Stade's on the left bank of the Fish River. Since the evening of the day before yesterday we have had broken and karoo-like country, loose red soil, with ganna bushes, mesembryanthemums and euphorbias. We again saw the aforementioned euphorbia tree on the mountains, from which, it is said, the Hottentots extract their most deadly poison.
Took bearings from the corner of the basin to the Sneeuberg mountains in the south-south-east and our whole route from Kruger, north-west by north. Our further route will be north-east by north to the tip of a mountain near the Tarka. At this point the Fish River runs around the corner of the Sneeuberg range, which here extends north-east and then south-west and south to the aforementioned Erasmus. The river then goes north by west for a further 12 to l4 hours to where it flows in various streams out of the Sneeuberg mountains not far from a certain Meintjes and Willem Burger, who are close to the Rinosterberg, which I saw from the other side of the Sneeuberg range. But it also receives more streams from the mountains on this side of the aforementioned Rodeberg mountains. So far as I can determine here, the Tarka comes from the north-east and flows from this point half an hour north by east into the Fish River, which runs south-east through the basin with many bends until the Phrens River joins it, running south. We went and fished the Fish River with a small net. Caught some fish, as we had in the Little Fish which were like a large mullet. There were many willow trees like the ones called 'rysweerden hout’ in Gelderland from which hoops are made. The barometer showed 27 inches 2½ tenths. Departed at half past four in a north easterly direction along the left bank of the Tarka. First travelled somewhat east-north-east then in a more northerly direction and at sunset reached the place where we had to cross the Tarka. This river
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had steep banks like all the rivers but was narrow and not running fast; much smaller than the Fish River. It runs directly from the north-east to the south-west here and, it is said, into the Fish River. Crossed the same easily and outspanned on the other side with the twilight falling. Pitched the tent. Our direct course from Van Staade was north-east by north, a distance of two hours. The terrain is broken country, loose reddish-brown clay soil. Mostly slowly rising ground. Many mouse-holes, ganna bushes, thorn-bushes and mesembryanthemums. The cool, good weather continued. The wind south-east and in the evening south. Dew and bright moonshine last night.