7th January 1779

transcription

[7th January 1779]
den 7

peiling op bokkevelds berg. 5 inhoeken na de zee kant waarvan Coebe en maskamma bergen de laatsten zyn in een halve maan
goed weer w wind term 62 ­ 86 ­ 75
men siet in van dese hoogte alles lage caro gele kleigrond. het eind der roggevelt en hantam bergen in het [?oost].
de grond begin by de hantam te breken
[in margin:] potklei riv: droog goun à tussen doorn riv en ćamdeni en graaf water dese bosjemans maken netten van senuwen van dieren net als de onsen ider draagt er een om het lyf om als hy wild schiet in te bergen draagt dan over schouder.
plaats van mostert bokkefontein een 3 quart myl in het oost van van zyl hantam o z o 2 gr o 7 a 8 myl.
roep niet berg o z o 2 gr z hoek van roggeveld of liever uitschietende hoeken onder roggevelt z:o: 7 a 8 myl. coebe berg z 4 myl.
mascamma z ½ w 2 gr. w. eind der bergen of windhoek na oliphants riv daar hy in zee loopt z z w: waaronder de troetroe Z W: bidouw hoek z:z:w: van zyl aan oliphants riv: z:w: troetroe, 5 myl camies berg 8 a 9 myl, en na gissing n:w: half noord. barometer op Swellengrebels fontein eer men de berg na de caro afdaalt 27 ­ 3
‘t Selfde weer en wind mistig dauw gepasseerde nagt.

‘t bokkevelt is agt myl lang n:o: en z:w: scheid uit agter de Coebe en 5 myl breed twe doorn riv aan ieder eind die niet ver van zyl in oliphants riv loopen. 5 boeren huisen dog 10 plaatsen by wed ryke de grote en soute valey de laatste brak. arriveerde na 16 uur rydens ossewagen door de caro by troetroe riv: slegt water hier. een uur houd de steiltes op by Juffer ryk na vier en een half uur rydens de leeuwen dans droog riv: geen water als by troetroe en slegt. de bergen scheiden hier volkomen uit. het land tot na Camies bergen die niet hoog zyn seer laag. barometer in dese caro by troetroe 29 d ­ 5 tiendens. dus al de bergen in brinks kaart oneigen.
de paarden liepen terug dus stuurde 2 hottentotten terug en bleef hier.

translation

[7th January 1779]
7th

Took bearings on the Bokkeveldsberg, five protuberances on the sea side, of which the Coebe and the Maskamma mountains are the last in a half moon.
Good weather, west wind. Thermometer: 62-86-75
One sees from these heights that everything is low yellow Karoo-clay soil; the end of the Roegevelt- and Hantamsberg in the [?east] . The ground begins to break up at the Hantam.

Mostert’s fam Bokkefontein, is three-quarters of a mile to the east of Van Zyl; Hantam, east-south-east 2 degrees east, seven to eight miles. Roep-Niet moutain, east-south-east, 2 degrees south; spur of the Roggeveld, or rather the protruding spurs below the Roggeveld, south-east, seven to eight miles; Coebe Mountain, south four miles; Mascamma, south half west, 2 degrees west; end of the mountains (or Windhoek) at the Oliphants River where it runs into the sea, south-south-west; among these the Troetroe, south-west; Bidouw Hoek, south-south-west; Van Zyl’s at the Oliphants River, south-west; Troetroe, five miles; Camiesberg eight to nine miles at a guess, north-west, half north. Barometer at Swellengrebelsfontein before one descends the mountain to the Karoo, 27 inches and 3 tenths.

The Potklei River is dry; Gouna, between Doorn River and Camdeni is a dug-out water-hole.

These Bushmen make nets just like ours from the sinews of animals; each wears one on his body and uses it to put game that he shoots into, and then carries it over his shoulder. The same weather and wind; misty; dew fell last night.

The Bokkeveld is eight miles long, north-east and south-west (it runs out behind the Coebe) and is five miles wide. There are two Doorn Rivers at either end which run into the Oliphants River not far from Van Zyls. There are five famers’ dwellings, yet ten farms. At the widow Ryck the Grootvlei and the Salt-vlei, the latter brack. Arrived after sixteen hours' travel with the ox wagon through the Karoo at the Troetroe River. Bad water here. After an hour the steep hills stop at Mrs Ryck's. After four and a half hours, Leeuwendans, a dry river; no water, and just as bad as at the Troetroe. The mountains stop here completely. The land up to the Camiesbergen, which are not high, is very low. The barometer in this Karoo-veld at Troetroe, 29 inches and 5 tenths. Thus all the mountains shown on Brink’s map are wrong. The horses went back; therefore I sent two Hottentots back and stayed here.