Fourth Journey (MS 107/3/1-2)
22nd December 1779
transcription
[22nd December 1779]
22
goed weer z:o: s'morgens, met de son rond
ging op een bergje en peilde gedane coers n:o: kweekfontein of sterke gift o: 3 g z: heip o:n:o: koperberg z: camies z: 2 gr o: Engelbregt z:
myn kleine jonge Cabas. nu ons de rivier en syn landstreek ziende verlaten, deed alles wat hy kon om weg te lopen, (schoon hy nu so ver door een onbekend en weinig waterhoudende veld moest gaan. voor de rest kunnen zy leven van hagedissen muisen en andere veldkost.) dog ik paste seer naauw op willende hem eerst de kaap laten zien. dog nu by dese plaats zynde moet hy de bergen der grote rivier gekent hebben, dus terwyl met peilen besig was, geen andere kanst siende, liep hy uit al zyn magt de
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klippen af, en sou weg geraakt zyn, dog de bastert klaas die by my was, liep hem na en hinderde hem, die als een klipspringer de andere hoogte opliep om er over te komen, dus kroop hy in een dasjes gat en een andere hottentot van de plaats komende op ons geroep so haalde hy er hem uit. waarna Claas hem enige slagen met een riem gaf dog sodra cabas uit syn handen kwam liep hy na my toe en klom my met handen en voeten op het lyf, waarna ik hem van slagen bevryde en hem nogmaals seide, dat hy maar de caap moest sien en dat ik hem dan na syn land te rug sou sturen.
vertrok met den avond noord zuid op na koperbergs cloof tot daar caro rivier de draien neemt en daar na iets links af met een draay na 't n:o: als myn vorig pad, na silverfontein plaats van Jan van den hever. eerste en twede neigenaas distantie half myl. arriveerde sonder iets te breken dit klippig pad af, met maneschyn, en na 14 uren wagen rydens aan silverfontein; nog al 't selfde gebergte.
translation
[22nd December 1779]
22
Good weather; south-east wind in the morning, veered with the sun.
Went up a small mountain and took bearings on the route we had followed. Kweekfontein or Sterke Gift: east, 3 degree south; Heip: east north-east; Koperberg south.; Camies south. 2 degrees east.; Engelbregt: south.
Seeing that we were leaving the river and his country, my little lad Cabas did everything he could to run away (even though he would now have to go through an unknown and almost waterless country; nevertheless they can live off lizards, mice and other food from the veld). But I kept a close eye on him because I wanted to let him first see the Cape. While we were at this place however, he must have recognised the mountains of the Great River; thus while I was taking bearings, seeing no other chance, he ran off down the stones with all his might
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and would have been lost if the mixed-race Klaas, who was with me, had not run after him and stopped him as, like a klipspringer, he ran up the opposite hill to get over it and then crept into a dassie hole, by calling to another Hottentot who was coming towards us from the farm. He thus pulled him out, after which Klaas whipped him a few times with a leather strap and as soon as Cabas was out of his hands, he ran to me and climbed up my body, hand over foot after which I saved him from the beating and told him again that he must only see the Cape and that I would then send him back to his country.
Departed south in the evening to the Koperbergskloof where the Karoo River makes a turn and a little after that, went left with a turn to the north-east as I did on my previous route to Silverfontein, the farm of Jan van den Hever. (The first and second Neigenas are half a mile apart.) Arrived at Silverfontein in moonlight after travelling for fourteen hours with the wagons; without anything breaking on the stony road. Still the same mountains.