Second Journey (MS 107/1/1-2)
9th October 1777
transcription
[9th October 1777]
donderdag den 9
bleven rondsom vergelegen botaniseren. sag een grote copere capel op de schapenberg. dog konden hem niet krygen doordien in een gat kroop. hy was omtrent de vyf voet lang en bruin geel van couleur, *[in margin:]*hy word voor een van de vergiftigste in dit land gehouden
vongen enige fraaje hagedissen, en planteden enige fraaje wilde bloemen in de waals tuin, om voor ons te bewaren. passeerden doordien het nu en dan regende de tyd met een bonte bok te meten dewelke dit niet dan met geweld verdroeg, schoon hy zo tam was dat hy ons naliep en onder de papieren ging snuffelen, zynde de wilde bontebokken die in troppen niet ver van de rivier zonder ends lopen, zeer wilt.
[annotated on page 5:] Maat van een hiergenaamde bonte bok die uitgetekent heb zynde een van het vrouwelyk geslagt en nog niet volwassen, zynde gepasseerde september een jaar oud geweest, omtrent 25 uur oost van de Caap geworpen.
hy had geen lange hairen aan de knie der voorbenen, hy hadde traangaten (larmiers) negen ringen om het laagste der hoorens. dog de negende onder het hair.
| voet rynlands | |||
| voet | duymen | ||
| lengte van snuit tot het begin der staart | 4 | 5 | ¼ |
| lengte van syn kop | 1 | 2 | ¼ |
| lengte van syn horens | 0 | 10 | ½ |
| distantie tussen de horens boven aan | 0 | 5 | ½ |
| tussen de horens by de basis | 0 | 0 | ⅞ |
| lengte van de ooren | 0 | 6 | ½ |
| hoogte van vooren | 2 | 10 | ½ |
| hoogte van agteren | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| lengte van de staart die wit is, onder met swarte tamelyk lange hairen aan de buiten zyde beset | 1 | 0 | ½ |
| lengte van syn nek | 1 | 0 | ½ |
| dikte agter zyn voorpoten | 3 | 0 | ½ |
| voor zyn agterpoten | 3 | 0 | ½ |
| dikte van de nek agter de ooren | 1 | 3 | ¾ |
| dikte van de kop agter de hoorens | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| distantie tussen de ooren en horens | 0 | 2 | ¾ |
| tussen de horens en oogen | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| lengte van de snuit tot de oogen | 0 | 7 | ½ |
| omtrenk van een hooren by de basis | 0 | 5 | ¼ |
veel rosse swarte gryse hairen omtrent drie duim lang rond de onderlip en enige weinige rond de bovenlip.
[annotated on page 5:]
de 9
betrokke lugt thermometer om 8 uur
Smorg: 56 z w labbere om 3 uur agterm: regen lugt
58½ frisse Z W wind regen in de bergen ook in de laagte
tegen den avond sterke z oost.
translation
[9th October 1777]
Thursday the 9th
Overcast sky. Thermometer 56 degrees at 8 o'clock in the morning. Weak south-west wind.
58½ degrees at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Rainy sky. Fresh south-west wind and rain in the mountains as well as the valleys. A strong south-east wind towards evening.
Stayed around Vergelegen and botanised. Saw a large copper cobra on the Schapenberg but could not catch it because it went into a hole. It was about five foot long and a brownish yellow in colour. It is considered to be one of the most poisonous in this country. We caught some beautiful lizards and planted some beautiful wild flowers in De Waal's garden to be looked after for us. Because it kept raining intermittently we passed the time by measuring a bontebok, which it did not suffer this without a struggle even though it was so tame that it walked after us and went sniffing among the papers. However the wild bonteboks that run in flocks not far from the Sonderend River are very wild.
Measurement of what is here called a bontebok which I have drawn. It was a female and still not fully grown, being a year old last September. Born about 25 hours east of Cape Town. It had no long hair on the knees of its forelegs. It had tear-ducts (larmiers). Nine rings around the base of the horns, the ninth however under the hair.
| Rhineland feet | |||
| feet | inches | ||
| Length from the nose to the beginning of the tail | 4 | 5 | ¼ |
| length of its head | 1 | 2 | ¼ |
| length of its horns | 0 | 10 | ½ |
| distance between its horn at the tops | 0 | 5 | ½ |
| [distance] between the horns at the bases | 0 | 0 | ⅞ |
| length of the ears | 0 | 6 | ½ |
| height at the front | 2 | 10 | ½ |
| height at the back | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| Length of the tail which is white, and covered with black rather long hairs beneath on the outer sides | 1 | 0 | ½ |
| length of its neck | 1 | 0 | ½ |
| girth behind the forelegs | 3 | 0 | ½ |
| before its hind legs | 3 | 0 | ½ |
| breadth of the neck behind the ears | 1 | 3 | ¾ |
| breath of the head behind the horns | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| distance between the ears and the horns | 0 | 2 | ¾ |
| between the horns and the eyes | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| length from the nose to the eyes | 0 | 7 | ½ |
| circumference of a horn at its base | 0 | 5 | ¼ |
many reddish black grey hairs about three inches long around the lower lip and a few around the upper lip.