Second Journey (MS 107/1/1-2)
24th January 1778
transcription
[24th January 1778]
24
gepasseerde nagt sterk gedauwt, in den morgen mistig opklarend weer stil, nu en dan een z:o: lugt. zeer heet.
vertrok west aan na het sogenaamde galgenbos door en byna tot louri rivier gereden te hebben al het zelfde berga berg en bossig terrein als gisteren, kregen wy weder klei tot digt by gamtous rivier. waar het zand wierd. van marais tot louri rivier is drie uren, en van daar tot gamtous rivier ook drie, dog de weg seer bergagtig, dus met vele draajen. gamtous rivier, hiet in hottentots ťer 'qua synde kaauw dag rivier. zy loopt van heel ver uit de karika, wy vonden haar so diep en aan het groejen dat de wagen er niet door kon, de stroom was so snel dat ik er van omvergedreven wierd, willende proberen om er door te gaan, het bed der rivier held hier sterk, de breete was by de drift omtrent 40 passen. cours vandaag west. seer heet weinig z:o: lugtjes.
de kleine rivier loopt een half uur eer men aan gamtous rivier komt west in deselve. komt uit de hoge ruggens aan de regterhand, als men van louri rivier na gamtous rivier gaat
translation
[24th January 1778]
24
A heavy dew last night. Misty in the morning clearing up. Calm weather, a south-east breeze now and then. Very hot.
Departed westward towards and through the so-called Galgenbos and having ridden almost as far as the Louri River with everywhere the same mountainous and woody terrain as yesterday, we again encountered clay until we were close to the Gamtous River where it became sandy. From Marais to Louri River it is three hours, and from there to Gamtous River another three, but the road is very mountainous and thus has many bends. In Hottentot Gamtous River is called Ter Qua meaning 'Cold Day River'. It comes from a great distance, out of the Karika. We found that it was so deep and overgrown that the wagon could not get through. The current was so strong that I was swept away when I wanted to try to cross it. The bed of the river was very steep here. The width was about forty paces at the drift. Route today was west. Very hot. A few breezes from the south-east
The Klein River flows west into the Gamtous River half an hour before one comes to the same. It comes from the high ridges on the right as one is going to the Gamtous River from the Louri River.