Journals

Fourth Journey (MS 107/3/1-2)

11th October 1779


transcription

[11th October 1779]
11 maandag

't selfde weer dog warmer.
term 54 - 96 - 70

ging met pinar, drie bosjemans vier van onsen bovenlandse hottentotten en myne twe kleinen koerikei en kabas, n: op na de rivier een en een quartier uur gaans door de haries poort. al afdalende, vond de rivier even het selfde, dog wat minder klippen en geleek hier veel na de maas by namur daar hy digt door het gebergte heen draayt, liep hier o: en w: dog al draayende.
en weinig geboomte en vogels, sagen vars rhinoster en oliphants spoor en een groote leeuwespoor vars dog geen dier dieren, sagen twe hippopotamussen in de rivier die beide hun leven lieten. bleven na hun boven komen wagten, dat met de eerste meer dan drie uren na de dood duurde; seer verschillende somtyds, mogelyk door de groot of kleinheid, vet of magerheid. langs dese rivier was op vele plaatsen soute uitslag en model had by camaggas goed sout by een kuil langs de rivier geraapt. schoon het water nooyt hier brak word. sag de bosjemans over de rivier swemmen, dat sy doen met een dood stuk willigenhout tussen de benen en van de ene klip na de andere, pinar deed sulks ook, en de bosjemans met syn geweer en kruid.
bleef aan dese syde, myne brete nemen, also de honden gisteren tegen de astrolabium gelopen hadden, vond egter de observatie goed, observeerde de barometer, kreeg 28 duim 8 tienden dus 1060 voet boven de zee 't selfde als by de klipbank, ook 't selfde weer, dit toond dat de rivier hier weinig val heeft, en men met de barometer op geen 2 of 300 voet accuraat meten kan. het vlakke hoge gebergte legt een half myl aan de over zyde, egter ook schurfde klippige onegale bergen aan weersyden schynbaar door instorting geformeert. en lager als het hoge land.

[page 47]
keerde in den agtermiddag na de wagen terug; was seer verwondert over de kleine kabas die maar drie voet en 4 duim hoog is, (koerikei is vier voet hoog.) hy droeg de kopere maatstok van de barometer, en was altoos digt by my als een hond, schoon ik seer hard marcheerde en het seer warm was, hy was seer attent op alles, en deed alles om in myne gunst te komen. het sand by de rivier was so warm dat de voeten door de solen branden, kwam seer dorstig by ons graafwater

translation

[11th October 1779]
11 Monday

The same weather but hotter.
Thermometer: 54-96-70.

Went with Pienaar, three Bushmen, four of our highland Hottentots, my two lads Koerikei and Cabas northwards to the river. It was one and a quarter hour’s going downhill through the Haries-poort. Found the river just the same here, but there were somewhat fewer stones and it looked much like the Meuse at Namur where it winds through the mountain. Here it flows east and west but winding all the time. There are few trees and birds. We saw fresh rhinoceros and elephant spoor and the tracks of a large lion, fresh, but none of these animals themselves. Saw two hippopotamus in the river both which both lost their lives. We remained watching for them to come up which, with the first, took more than three hours after it died. This sometimes varies very greatly; possibly depending on whether they are large or small, fat or thin. In many places along this river salt there are patches of salt on the ground. At Camaggas Model had collected good salt at a pool beside the river, although water never gets brack here.
Saw the Bushmen swimming across the river; this they do with a piece of dead willow-wood between their legs, going from one stone to the next. Pienaar also did this and the Bushmen with his gun and powder.
I stayed on this side to take my latitude. Even. Although the dogs had run onto the astrolabe yesterday I found that the observation was accurate after all. Read the barometer and got 28 inches 8 tenths, therefore 1060 feet above sea level. The same as at “De Klipbank”. The same weather as well. This shows that the river has very little fall here and that it is impossible to take accurate measurements with the barometer to within 200 or 300 feet. The high, flat range is about half a mile on the other side. Indeed there are also rough stony mountains on both sides, apparently formed by subsidence, and lower than the high plateau.

[page 47]
Returned to the wagon in the afternoon. Was most astonished at young Cabas who is only three feet four inches high (Koerikei is four feet high). He carried the copper measuring stick of the barometer and he was always as close to me as a dog although I walked very fast and it was very hot. He paid close attention to everything and did everything to win my favour. The sand at the river was so hot that it burned through the soles of my shoes. Came very thirsty to our dug-out water-hole.