Journals

Third Journey (MS 107/2)

27th December 1778


transcription

[27th December 1778]
27

donder weer lugt noordelyk wind hier en daar donderbuyen
barome: 25 ­ 3. term: 70 ­ 86 ­ 65
na een donderbuy. en frisse west wind die hier altyd komende uit de wester zee de lugt verkoeld

noord van hier de visrivier vier myl noord agter visriv: sakrivier vyf myl noord van Coetse lopen de riet riv al in rinoster riv: dewelke ontfangt riet rivieren, noord van coetse.
low heeft rhinosters gesien met de hoorn voorover 3 v lang en een uitstaande vel punt.
peiling van de berg z w t w een ¼ uur gaan van louw de plaats van nel n:w: 3 g n: hantams berg n:n:w: 2 gr. n 4 myl. de plaats van van zyl n w t n 4 gr n
hoge drie punten de onder rogge v: de middelste w n.w. 2¼ myl de toorn. 2½ myl n:n:o:
piet van Zyl oliphants riv na gissing w:n:w:
neus riv een ¼ n w: loopt in doorn riv en dan in oliphants riv by gerret nieuwhout Comp: drif. wegdraying der sakrivier n op na oranjes of hartebees r: van hier n: t o:

veeltyds rypt den oogst doodt in dese streken, en kunnen de inwoonders zelden boomvrugten teelen.

translation

[27th December 1778]
27

Thundery sky. Northerly wind. Thunderclouds here and there. Barometer 25 ­ 3. Thermometer: 70 - 86 - 65 degrees After a thunderstorm there is always a fresh west wind which, coming from the sea in the west, cools the air.

The Fish River is north of here. Four miles to the north behind the fish River is the Sak River. Five miles north of Coetzee, the Riet River already runs into the Rhinoster River, which takes in the Riet River, north of Coetsee. Louw has seen rhinoceroses with horns over 3 feet long and with a protruding fold of skin.
Bearings from the mountain, south-west to west, quarter of an hour’s travel from Louw’s: Nel’s farm, north-west 3 degrees north; Hantamsberg, north-north-west 2 degrees north, four miles; Van Zyl’s farm, north-west by north, 4 degrees north; the three high peaks of the Onder Roggeveld, the middle one west-north-west two and a quarter miles; “The Tower”, two and a half miles north-north-east; Piet van Zyl, Oliphants River, estimated, west-north-west; Neus River one and a quarter north-west (it flows into the Doorn River and then into the Oliphants River at Gerret Nieuwhout’s, Compagniesdrift.) The Sak River makes a bend to the north up to either the Orange or the Hartebeest River, from here north by east.

Frost often kills the crops in these parts and the inhabitants can seldom cultivate fruit trees.