Journals

Second Journey (MS 107/1/1-2)

3rd January 1778


transcription

[3rd January 1778]
3

met den dag de drift willende doorryden, wygerden de ossen de steilte op te trekken, sodat de wagen drie a vier reisen byna omsloeg, na selfs byna twe uren besig geweest te zyn het pad te graven, trokken de wagen eerst te rug, en toen raakten wy er op. vervolgden onse vorige wagen coers en passeerde de grote visrivier, een klein uur zuidelyk van botas zynde het water niet diep maar snel.
arriveerden met den agtermiddag op onse vorige plaats van Jacob erasmus. gepasseerde nagt koud geweest weinig gedawt. en koud betrokken weer den gehelen dag forsse n:n:w: wind den gehelen dag. zond na prinslo om myn terug gelaten goederen.

translation

[3rd January 1778]
3

When we wished to travel through the drift at daybreak, the oxen refused to go up the steep bank, with the result that the wagon nearly overturned three or four times. Only after busying ourselves for almost two hours digging the road, we first pulled the wagon back, but then we reached the top. We followed our previous wagon-route and crossed the Great Fish River less than an hour south of Botha’s, where the water was not deep but rapid.
In the afternoon we arrived at Jacob Erasmus's farm, where we had been before. It was cold last night with a light dew. Cold overcast weather, the wind fresh north-north-west all day. Sent to Prinsloo for the things I had left behind.