Third Journey (MS 107/2)
30th October 1778
transcription
[30th October 1778]
30
schoon weer stil. met sonrysing weste wind die tegen avond fors z:o: weird term 52 t 80 d: t. [blank]
vertrok w op na tys de beer eerst z w op door een cloof van een half uur, so dat byna uit de bergjes quam daar by pretorius ingang daar na west t z na esterhuis, 3 uur rydens met ossewagen. bevond hier brete 32 9t. trok west op na tys, vier ur ossewagen. alles caro. klippig misenbriantimums. veel grote euphorbias spin:
peiling van tys de beer. meintjes o:z:o: 3 gr. zuid. 5½ myl meintjes had my een bergje getoont dog de beer lag iets noordelyker charles marais o t n 5 g:o:, esterhuis o. piet pretorius o t z 2 g o: punt van de berg waar de verdere coers gaat w t z 4 gr z. daar de buffels rivier zyn oorsprong neemt o:t:n dan loopt hy west tot omtrent de plaats van hop een myl in het n t o van hier. barometer gaf hier verbet: 26 9. 2840
[in margin:] zag enige weinige spring bokken by de beer loopt de buffelrivier daaronder karika de grote hagedissen die ook in het water komen heden hier veel Ćamģaro
translation
[30th October 1778]
30
Fine weather. Calm. Wind from the west at sunrise. At evening a strong south-east wind developed. Thermometer 52 degrees to 80 degrees and fell to [blank]
Departed west to Tys de Beer’s. First south-westerly through a kloof for half an hour so that we almost came out of the mountains there at the entrance to Pretorius. Thereafter west by south to Esterhuysen, a journey of three hours with the ox-wagons. Took latitude here: 32 degrees 9 miuntes. Departed westerly to Tys, four hours by oxwagon. Karoo country everywhere, stony with mesembryanthemums and many large euphorbias (spinosa).
Bearings from Tys de Beer’s: Meintjes, east-south-east 3 degrees south, 5½ miles (Meintjes had shown me a hillock but De Beer is somewhat more to the north); Charles Marais, east by north 5 degrees east; Esterhuysen, east; Piet Pretorius, east by south 2 degrees east; the peak of the mountain where our further route runs, west by south 4 degrees south; the source of the Buffels River is east by north, then it runs west roughly to Hop’s farm, a mile north by east from here. With correction the barometer showed 26 inches and 9 tenths, 2840 ft.
Saw a few springboks; at De Beer's the Buffels River is flowing, the Karica below it. The large lizards which also go into the water now come here in great numbers; càmgàro.