Journals

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

31st August 1779


transcription

[page 27]
[31st August 1779]
31

term 56 - 83 - 60.
het selfde weer en wind dog warm en stiller

dingsdag bleven stil leggen; myn hand wierd so erg dat er de koorts by kreeg, opende de vinger, die veel wild vlees kreeg, met een lancet so dat er veel bloed en etter uitkwam. kon niet gaan door de grote pyn. drie onser hottentotten die van oranjes rivier op de jagt hier na toe gegaan hadden, en welkers vuur wy by de gebroeders bergjes gesien hadden, kwamen hongerig en dorstig by ons, de ene eerst van avond zynde half flaauw by een fontein blyven leggen. dese fontein was ons door nebucadnesar Pedro gewesen een half uur van zee ten z.z:o: de gebroeders, hy hiete hem tancas fontein ook dus de gebroeders.
de menigte grote witte alikruik schelpen die men overal in dit veld vind moeten of van de wilden of van dieren die er op asen, komen, anders souden er so veel doden niet vinden men vind de levidigen selden zynde hunne couleur iets graauw, egter hier en daar onder de euphorbia bosjes, kruipende schielyk in de grond, de menigte zee schelpen die men hier vind zyn zeker alleen van de wilden, en kunnen metter tyt onder de grond raken. onder de Eupharbia, of hier te lande melkbosjes vind men een fungus of champingnon gewas, die tussen een aardappel en kuit van vis smaakt door het kleine saad, is niet onaangenaam word door de hottentotten gegeten en kaniep genaamt. sy groeit ook in het roggeveld. vonden een kleine spin die een nest, de stoffagie, meest als die kapoc vogel nesjes maakt, waar in vele insekten er waaren draden in als dunne sayet dik en seer sterk. koerikei bragt my goede honing dien hy uit gehaald had.

translation

[page 27]
[31st August 1779]
31

Thermometer: 56-83-60.
The same wind and weather but warm and calmer.

Tuesday. Remained lying still. My hand has become so bad that I have taken fever as well. Used a lancet to cut open the finger which had got very bad, so that much blood and pus came out. I cannot travel because of the great pain.
Three of our Hottentots, who had gone out hunting from the Orange River and who were on the way here, and whose fire we had seen at the Two Brothers mountains, arrived hungry and thirsty, one of them only in the evening, having remained half fainted by a spring. This spring was shown to us by Nebuchadnezzar (Pedro) and is half an hour from the sea south-south-east of the Two Brothers. He called it Tancasfontein, and thus the same name to the Brothers. The abundance of big, white snail-shells which are found everywhere in the veld must originate from either from the savages or from animals which feed on them, otherwise one would not find so many dead ones. One seldom finds living ones ; their colour is somewhat grey and one sees them here and there under the euphorbia bushes, crawling rapidly into the ground.
The abundance of sea-shells found here can only come from the savages and with time they can become covered with soil. Under the euphorbias (or what are here called melkbosjes) there is a fungus or growth like a mushroom which has a taste something like that between a potato and fish-roe (because of its small seed). It is not unpleasant and is eaten by the Hottentots and called “kaniep”. It also grows in the Roggeveld. We also found a small spider that makes a nest very like the kapok bird in material in which there many insects. There were threads as thick as thin worsted / silk [sayet] and very strong. Koerikei brought me good honey which he had fetched.