Second Journey (MS 107/1/1-2)
24th February 1778
transcription
[24th February 1778]
24
mooy weer z:o: aangename wind.
lieten de paarden agter de schuit door gourits rivier swemmen, die rivier is de grootste met gamtous rivier, van de colonie. dog word somtyds so droog dat se niet loopt.
trok w:n:w: en n w langs desselfs oever, een groo anderhalf uur duinig en zeer zandig. daarna passeerde een tamelyk hoog gebergte in twe uren, alles sand en bosjes.
dit gebergte, komt uit het z:w: en drie uren lang eindigt daar fals rivier in gourits rivier loopt. peilde door de berg op de plaats van pinar synde, noord half w: arriveerde na anderhalf met den avond aan fals rivier op de plaats van enen rensburg. de cours is gecop: n:w: ½ w vyf uren geweest, terrein tot over de bergen meest swaar sand, dog daarna harde gele en rosse klei veel rhinoster bosjes, seer heuvelagtig.
translation
[24th February 1778]
24
Fine weather, a pleasant south-east wind. Let the horses swim across the Gourits River behind the boat. This river and the Gamtous are the largest in the Colony, but sometimes it becomes so dry that it does not flow.
Departed west-north-west and north-west along the bank of the same for an hour and a half. It had dunes and was very sandy. After this crossed a fairly high mountain range in two hours, all sand and bushes. This range comes from the south-west, is three hours long and ends where Vals River flows into the Gourits. Took bearings here from Pinar's farm, on the mountain: north half west. Arrived in the evening at Vals River, at the farm of a certain Van Rensburg. The overall route has been north-west half west, for five hours. Terrain mostly heavy sand until over the mountain, but thereafter hard yellow and reddish-brown clay with much rhinoceros bush and very hilly.