Third Journey (MS 107/2)
8th November 1778
transcription
[8th november 1778]
8
oyevaars gesien. zij verschillen in caracter met de europeaansen. doordien nooyt hun nest heb gesien. men segt dat zy op krantsen in het gebergte houden. en in het geheel niet by huisen of menschen houden. kraajen en havikken meest altoos, als men van uitspan plaatsen vertrek. enige langbenen
(cousies) langs de rivieren dog plagen niet veel. swarte rivier loopt hier in gamka kleine gamka komt uit het platte gebergte oost der tafelberg loopt in grote gamka daar wij. claasen woont ten zuiden daar by de Confluens. de rivier loopt liep op sommige plaatsen op anderen niet dan verliest hy zig in het zand en loopt zypert op anderen wat verder weer uit graauw klein steenagtig sand in alle rivieren. daar gravende vind men water. vele doornbomen myn hottentotten nog niet gekomen. alles het selfde velt
mooy helder weer warm dog z:w: koeltje. term 65. t 86 d t 70.
gamka rivier hier een breed vlak bed. is water in geweest in juny en july met n:w: dog meest dec en jan met donder.
brete
| 90 | 0 | 73 | 45 |
| 16 | 15 |
| declination | |
| 16 | 41 |
| 16 | 15 |
| 16 | 41 |
| **32** | **56** |
peilde we: de beer z:o: ½ myl z. gamka cloof z w 5 myl.
tygerbergs ruggen en coups ruggen onderscheiden.
op den middag fris z.w de gansche Swarte berg streek met wolken als donderweer de gansche dag fris z:w:
Schoot verscheide rare vogels. onder anderen een dier oyevaars die dese met de Europeaansch verschilt. sag met blydschap myn 5 hottentotten in den avondt weder komen: zy hadden in twe dagen niet gegeten, de os was weggelopen. namen den [illegible words] te rug
translation
[8th November 1778]
8
Have seen storks. They differ in character from the European ones in that no one has seen their nests. It is said that they keep to the cliffs in the mountains and in general do not frequent houses, or people; crows and hawks almost always do when one leaves the outspan-places. Along the rivers there are some ‘long-legs’ (cousies) but they do not worry one. The Swart River runs into the Gamka here. The Klein Gamka comes from the flat-topped range east of the Tafelberg; it runs into the Groot Gamka where Wy. Claasen lives, to the south at the confluence. It flows in some places but not in others, disappearing into the sand only to seep out in another place a little further on. There is grey sand with small stones in all the rivers. Digging here one finds water. Many thorn trees. My Hottentots have still not arrived.
Everywhere the same type of veld. Fine clear weather. Hot, but cool wind from the south-west. Thermometer: 65 degrees to 86 degrees falling to 70 degrees. The Gamka River here has a wide, flat bed. There is water in it in June and July when the wind comes from north-west, but mostly during thunderstorms in December and January.
Latitude
| 90 | 0 |
| 73 | 45 |
| 16 | 15 |
| declination | |
| 16 | 41 |
| 16 | 15 |
| 16 | 41 |
| **32** | **56** |
Took bearings: widow de Beer south-east half-mile south; Gamka Kloof, south-west 5 miles. The ridges on the Tygerberg and the Koup are different.
At noon a fresh south-west wind. The whole Swartberg region had what looked like thunder-clouds. The whole day a fresh south-west wind.
Shot various strange birds, among others one of those storks which differ from the European kind. With joy saw my five Hottentots returning in the evening. They had eaten nothing for two days. The ox had run away; they took [several words illegible] back.