Beschryvinge van de Kaap der Goede Hoope. Deel I

[p. X]

Voorwoord

Die Raad van die Van Riebeeck-Vereniging het heelwat moeilikhede ondervind in sy pogings om 'n herdruk te besorg van die beskrywing van die Kaap die Goeie Hoop wat in die vyfde en laaste deel van François Valentyn^* se omvattende Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën verskyn. Dat hierdie moeilikhede uiteindelik te bowe gekom is, is geheel en al te danke aan die toegewyde pogings van die mense wat ek in hierdie voorwoord vermeld.

Alhoewel eksemplare van Valentyn se lywige oorspronklike werk uiters skaars is, is die inhoud van deel vyf al lank onder Suid-Afrikaanse historici en taalkundiges bekend, en is dit al uitvoerig as bronnemateriaal gebruik; dit ten spyte van die feit dat Valentyn ruimskoots van die werk van ander skrywers gebruik gemaak het, en dikwels hulle eie woorde gebruik het, soms mét erkenning, soms daarsonder. Hy het byvoorbeeld uitgebreid gebruik gemaak van Peter Kolb[e] se Caput Bonae Spei Hodiernum. Ander werke wat hy gebruik of eenvoudig in syne opgeneem het, was Reizen van Nicolaus de Graaff, Simon van der Stel se joernaal van sy 1705-ekspedisie, asook Dapper se Naukeurige Beschryvinge der Afrikansche Gewesten, Commelin se Begin ende Voortgang van de ... Oost-Indische Compagnie en ander. Deskundiges besef al lank dat Valentyn se eie waarnemings in verhouding slegs 'n klein deel van die teks uitmaak. Wyle prof. Serton wys in sy inleiding daarop dat die gebruik om bronne te erken nie in die tyd toe Valentyn geskryf het in dieselfde mate as verpligtend beskou is as wat vandag die geval is nie, en die feit dat hierdie en ander bronne gebruik is, doen nie afbreuk aan die waarde en belangrikheid van dié werk nie.

Inderdaad het wyle prof. P. Serton, van 1956 tot 1963 lid van die Raad van die Vereniging en medewerker by die Vereniging se uitgawe van die Daghregister van Jan van Riebeeck en van The Narrative and Journal of Gerald McKiernan (V.R.V. no. 35, 1934), soveel belang geheg aan die Valentyn-teks wat oor die Kaap gaan, dat hy dit by die Vereniging vir herdruk aanbeveel het en aangebied het om as redakteur op te tree. Dit was in 1957. Die Raad het sy aanbod met dank aanvaar en prof. Serton het sy taak met behulp van 'n fotokopie van Valentyn se teks aangepak.

Voor sy dood in 1963 het hy reeds 'n groot aantal van die voetnote klaar gehad, hoofsaaklik dié vir die eerste deel, wat strek tot aan die end van Simon van der Stel se joernaal, en het hy ook al 'n inleiding geskryf wat hier feitlik

* Voetnoot: Alhoewel dit moderne gebruik is om Valentyn se naam ook met ‘ij’ te skryf, is die skryfwyse van die naam soos dit op die oorspronklike uitgawe se titelblad voorkom om praktiese redes in hierdie uitgawe gevolg.

[p. XI]

Foreword

The Council of the van Riebeeck Society encountered many difficulties in its efforts to issue a reprint of the description of the Cape of Good Hope which appears in the fifth and last part of François Valentyn's^* comprehensive Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën. That these difficulties have finally been overcome is due entirely to the devoted efforts of the people I mention in this foreword.

Although copies of Valentyn's original and voluminous original work are extremely rare, the contents of part five have long been known to South African historians and linguists and have been used extensively as source material; this despite the fact that Valentyn made extensive use of the work of other writers, often using their very words, sometimes with and sometimes without, acknowledgement. He, for instance, made extensive use of Peter Kolb[e]'s Caput Bonae Spei Hodiernum. Other works he used, or simply incorporated, were, Reizen van Nicolaus de Graaff, Simon van der Stel's journal of his Namaqualand journey and Starrenberg's journal of his 1705 expedition, as well as Dapper's Naukeurige Beschryvinge der Afrikaensche Gewesten, Commelin's Begin ende Voortgangh van de ... Oost-Indische Compagnie and others. It has long been realised by scholars that Valentyn's own observations form only a small proportion of the text. As the late Prof. Serton points out in his introduction, at the time Valentyn wrote the practice of acknowledging sources was not considered as imperative as it is today, and the fact that these other sources have been used does not detract from the value and importance of this work.

In fact the late Prof. P. Serton, a member of the Council of the Society from 1956 until 1963, who had been a collaborator in the Society's edition of the Journal of Jan van Riebeeck and also in the Narrative and Journal of Gerald McKiernan (V.R.S. No. 35, 1934) attached so much importance to the Valentyn text dealing with the Cape that he recommended it to the Society for reprinting and offered to act as editor. This was in 1957. The Council accepted his offer with gratitude and Prof. Serton commenced his work with the help of a photo-copy of the Valentyn text.

Before his death in 1963 he had already completed a good many of the footnotes, mostly those for the first section up to the end of the journal of Simon van der Stel, and had already written an introduction which is pub-

* Footnote: Although in modern usage Valentyn's name is spelt also with an ‘ij’, the spelling ‘Valentyn’ (as on the title page of the original edition) has been retained in this edition for practical reasons.

[p. XII]

onveranderd geplaas word. Daarbenewens het hy begin werk aan 'n opsomming in Engels.

Die Raad het besluit om nietemin voort te gaan met die publikasie, desnoods met onvolledige annotasie. Daar is ook besluit dat die publikasie in sy geheel, saam met die voltooide Engelse opsomming, tewens die vorm van 'n huldeblyk aan wyle prof. Serton sou aanneem. Mnr. A.J. Tromp, personeellid van die Suid-Afrikaanse Biografiese Woordeboek in Kaapstad en toevallig 'n oud-student van prof. Serton, het ingestem om die biografiese en algemeen-historiese voetnote te voltooi. Op 31 Mei 1969 is mnr. Tromp egter ook oorlede, sonder dat hy die geleentheid gehad het om hierdie taak te voltooi.

Intussen het dit, by wyse van 'n gelukkige toeval, in 1965 onder die Raad se aandag gekom dat majoor Ronald Raven-Hart van Durban sy eie volledige vertaling van deel vyf van Valentyn in Engels gemaak het, heeltemal onafhanklik van die Van Riebeeck-Vereniging, en dat hy bereid was om dit aan die Vereniging vir publikasie beskikbaar te stel. Bowendien het hy sy veelvuldige voetnote aangebied, wat 'n belangrike aanvulling by prof. Serton se aantekeninge was. Toe die Raad in 1966 die vertaling en aantekeninge ter insae ontvang het, is daar onmiddellik besef watter uitstekende en akkurate weergawe van die oorspronklike werk majoor Raven-Hart se vertaling was en hoe waardevol sy aantekeninge was. Die Raad het tereg gevoel dat majoor Raven-Hart se bydrae tot hier die publikasie van soveel belang was dat redakteurserkenning aan hom toegekom het.

Dit verdien spesiale vermelding dat hierdie vertaling van deel vyf van Valentyn die eerste volledige vertaling is wat in Engels gepubliseer word, hoewel gedeeltes soos The Namaqualand Journey of Simon van der Stel deur prof. Gilbert Waterhouse vertaal en in 1932 gepubliseer is en Hoofstuk 5, oor die Hottentotte, wat byna geheel uit Dapper se Naukeurige Beschryvinge der Afrikaensche Gewesten geneem is, uit Dapper vertaal is in The Early Cape Hottentots ... van Schapera en Farrington (V.R.V. no. 14, 1933).

Die Raad het dus besluit om die Valentyn-teks tesame met die volledige Engelse vertaling te publiseer, met die voetnote in Afrikaans. Om praktiese redes is daar besluit om die werk in twee dele uit te gee. Die verdelingspunt is arbitrêr gekies, en die eerste deel eindig net na die teks van Simon van der Stel se ontdekkingsreis na die Koperberge.

Die Raad het ook in 1969 'n aanbod van dr. W.J. de Kock, 'n lid van die Raad en Hoofredakteur van die Suid-Afrikaanse Biografiese Woordeboek, om as eindredakteur op te tree en om die voetnote te voltooi veral dié van biografiese en algemeen-historiese aard, met dank aanvaar. Daar is besef dat dr. De Kock nie die geleentheid sou hê om die reisroetes van Simon van der Stel en Landdros Starrenburg ter plaatse te bestudeer nie, hoe wenslik dit ook

[p. XIII]

lished here almost completely unaltered. In addition he had begun work on an English summary.

The Council decided that they would nevertheless proceed with the publication, even if necessary with incomplete annotations. It was also agreed that the entire publication with the completed English summary would at the same time take the form of a tribute to the late Prof. Serton. Mr. A.J. Tromp of the staff of the Dictionary of South African Biography in Cape Town, and incidentally a past student of Prof. Serton's, agreed to complete the biographical and general historical annotations. On the 31st May 1969, however, Mr. Tromp also died without having had the opportunity to complete this task.

In the meantime in 1965, by remarkable good fortune, it was brought to the attention of the Council that Major Ronald Raven-Hart of Durban had made his own complete translation in English of part five of Valentyn, quite independently of the Van Riebeeck Society, and that he was prepared to make it available to the Society for publication. In addition he offered the Society his numerous footnotes which formed a significant complement to Prof. Serton's annotations. In 1966 when the Council received the translation and notes for inspection it was immediately realised what an excellent and accurate reflection of the original work Major Raven-Hart's translation was and how valuable his notes were. The Council justifiably felt that Major Raven-Hart's Contribution towards this publication was of such great importance that acknowledgment should be made to him as editor.

It should be emphasised that this is the first complete English translation of part five of Valentyn ever published, although portions such as The Namaqualand Journey of Simon van der Stel had been translated and published by Prof. Gilbert Waterhouse in 1932 and Chapter 5 on the Hottentots which is taken almost entirely from Dapper's Naukeurige Beschryvinge der Afrikaensche Gewesten had been translated from Dapper in Schapera and Farrington's The Early Cape Hottentots ... (V.R.S. No. 14, 1933).

The Council accordingly decided to publish the Valentyn text with the complete English translation and with the notes in Afrikaans. For practical reasons the decision was taken to publish the work in two volumes. The point of division was chosen arbitrarily, and the first volume ends just after the text of Simon van der Stel's journey of discovery to the Copper Mountains.

The Council also gratefully accepted the offer in 1969 of Dr. W.J. de Kock, a member of the Council, and editor-in-chief of the Dictionary of South African Biography to act as the final editor and to complete the annotations particularly those of a biographical and general historical nature. It was understood that Dr. De Kock would not have the opportunity to study the travel routes of Simon van der Stel and Landdrost Starrenburg, in more detail

[p. XIV]

al was. In verband met plekname bly daar dus nog enkele vrae oor wat opgelos sou kon gewees het as dr. De Kock plaaslik ondersoek kon ingestel het. Nadat dr. De Kock 'n aansienlike deel van die werk met sy gewone presiesheid en onberispelike wetenskaplikheid voltooi het, maar voordat hy die tyd gehad het om die hele taak af te maak, is ook hy in 1970 skielik oorlede. Voor sy dood het hy selfs vir die voorsitter 'n konsep-voorwoord by die publikasie voorberei, en ek het van heelwat van hierdie voorwoord gebruik gemaak. Hy meld daarin dat hy die ‘vrywillige hulp van persone in die Staatsargief en elders, wie se name hieronder genoem word of wie se bydraes in die voetnote erken word’, ontvang het. Aangesien ek nie oor 'n volledige lys van die name van hierdie persone beskik nie, wil ek graag namens die Vereniging my verontskuldiging aanbied aan diegene wie se name onwetend weggelaat word.

Daar sal begryp word dat dr. De Kock se ontydige dood die Raad in 'n benarde situasie gelaat het, aangesien die publikasie van die eerste deel vir 1971 beplan was. My voorganger, prof. J. du P. Scholtz, wat die Vereniging gedurende die afgelope sestien jaar so bekwaam en pligsgetrou gelei het, het egter daarin geslaag om die dienste van dr. Edith H. Raidt as eindredakteur te bekom en dié van mnr. R.H. Pheiffer om haar by te staan. Nie net het dr. Raidt die taak in 'n betreklik kort tydjie - en dit ten spyte van 'n swaar las ander verpligtinge - voltooi nie, ook het sy talle ‘losse drade’ wat deur haar verskeie voorgangers agtergelaat is, saamgevat; geen geringe taak nie en een waarvoor alle historici en lede van die Vereniging groot dank aan haar verskuldig is. Sonder oordrywing kan daar gesê word dat, sonder haar vakkundigheid en toegewyde werk die Valentyn-uitgawe ernstig benadeel sou gewees het. Sy is bygestaan deur mnr. Pheiffer wat majoor Raven-Hart se voetnote uit Engels vertaal het, en ook in ander opsigte behulpsaam was soos met die moeisame taak van proewe lees en veral met die kaart van Van der Stel se reis. Mnr. Pheiffer het die dienste van die Departement Aardrykskunde aan die Universiteit van Kaapstad verkry om 'n vereenvoudigde en duidelike weergawe van die kaart te teken, en ons is besondere dank aan prof. W.J. Talbot en mnr. K. Behr, kartograaf, van hierdie Departement verskuldig.

Dr. A. Böeseken, 'n lid van die Raad, het van tyd tot tyd wanneer ons 'n beroep op haar gedoen het, waardevolle raad en bystand verleen. Ons het ook hulp ontvang van mej. Joan Davies, Assistent-direkteur van die Kaapse Argief. Ons is ook dank verskuldig aan prof. A.M. Hugo en dr. Böeseken vir toestemming om na sommige van hulle voetnote in Die Dagboek van Adam Tas (V.R.V. Tweede Reeks no. 1, 1970) te verwys.

Prof. G.S. Nienaber was so vriendelik om die lys Hottentot-woorde wat

[p. XV]

on the spot, desirable as this would have been. There thus remain some queries with regard to place names which might have been solved if Dr. De Kock could have made investigations at the actual places. After Dr. De Kock had completed a good deal of the work, with his usual meticulous and impeccable scholarship, but before he had time to complete the entire task, he too died very suddenly in 1970. Before his death he had even prepared a draft foreword to the publication for the chairman's use, and I have made use of much of this foreword. In it he mentions that he received the ‘voluntary help of persons in the State Archives, and elsewhere, whose names are mentioned hereunder, or whose contribution is acknowledged in the footnotes’. As I do not have the complete list of these people I would like to apologise on behalf of the Society to those people whose names have been unwittingly omitted.

It will be appreciated that Dr. De Kock's untimely death placed the Council in an awkward predicament as the first volume was scheduled for publication in 1971. However, my predecessor, Prof. J. du P. Scholtz, who had over the last sixteen years so efficiently and conscientiously guided the destinies of the Society, was successful in obtaining the services of Dr. Edith H. Raidt as the final editor and Mr. R.H. Pheiffer to assist her. Dr. Raidt not only completed the task in a relatively short time, despite being under the stress of other heavy duties, but also ‘tied up the many loose ends’ left by her various predecessors - no small task, and one for which all South African historians and members of the Society are greatly indebted to her. It is no exaggeration to say that without her thorough scholarship and conscientious work the Valentyn publication would have suffered greatly. She was assisted by Mr. Pheiffer who not only translated Major Raven-Hart's English notes into Afrikaans but helped in other ways including the laborious task of proof reading and particularly with the map of Van der Stel's journey. Mr. Pheiffer enlisted the services of the Department of Geography of the University of Cape Town to draw a simplified clear vision of the map and we are especially indebted to Prof. W.J. Talbot and Mr. K. Behr, cartographer, of this department.

Dr. A. Böeseken, a member of the Council, has from time to time offered valuable advice and assistance when we have called upon her. We have also been assisted by Miss Joan Davies, Assistant Director of Archives, and her staff at the Cape Archives. We are indebted to Prof. A.M. Hugo and Dr. Böeseken for allowing us to refer to some of their footnotes in The Diary of Adam Tas (V.R.S. Second Series No. 1, 1970).

Prof. G.S. Nienaber was kind enough to check, correct and annotate the list of Hottentot words which appears in Vol. 2 of this publication.

Botanical assistance was provided by Prof. R.H. Compton, Emeritus

[p. XVI]

in Deel 2 van hierdie uitgawe verskyn, na te gaan, te verbeter en van voetnote te voorsien.

Botaniese hulp is verleen deur prof. R.H. Compton, Emeritus-professor, Departement Plantkunde, Universiteit van Kaapstad, voorheen Direkteur van Kirstenbosch en tans Direkteur van die Botaniese Opname van Swaziland, wat Valentyn se plantelys gekorrigeer het; en deur mej. C. Karsten, wat maj. Raven-Hart gehelp het met die identifikasie van verskillende plante en bome.

Uittreksels uit Valentyn se Deel 4, Boek 5, Hoofstukke 1 en 2, sal by die bylae by deel 2 ingesluit word. Hulle verwys na sy aankoms en vertrek en verskaf ander biografiese gegewens. 'n Register van alle persoons- en plekname en 'n bibliografie met volledige verwysings sal ook ingesluit word.

Verwysings in sowel die Nederlandse teks as die Engelse vertaling, bv. ‘38 B’, verwys na afdrukke in die oorspronklike uitgawe en nie in hierdie boek nie.

Die voetnote van prof. Serton word aangedui met 'n [S] tussen hakies, dié van majoor Raven-Hart met [RH], dié van dr. De Kock met [DeK]. Voetnote wat deur dr. Raidt bygedra is, word nie in die eerste deel spesifiek aangedui nie.

Ten spyte van die moeilikhede bied die Raad met genoeë hierdie dele aan sy lede aan, met die hoop dat hulle 'n uiters waardevolle toevoeging tot ons historiese reeks sal uitmaak.

frank r. bradlow

Voorsitter

[p. XVII]

Professor of U.C.T., department of Botany, formerly Director of Kirstenbosch and now Director of the Botanical Survey of Swaziland, who corrected Valentyn's catalogue of plants, and Miss Mia C. Karsten who helped Major Raven-Hart with the identification of various plants and trees.

In the appendix of volume 2 extracts from Valentyn's Part 4, Book 5, Chapters 1 and 2 will be included. These refer to his arrival and departure and provide other biographical information. A register of all names and place names as well as a bibliography with full references will also be included.

The references in both the original Dutch text and the English translation, e.g. ‘38 B’ refer to the plates in the original edition and not in the present volume.

In the annotations the footnotes of Prof. Serton are indicated by an [S] in brackets, those of Major Raven-Hart with an [RH] in brackets, those of Dr. De Kock with a [DeK] in brackets. Footnotes contributed by Dr. Raidt are not specifically indicated in the first volume.

Despite the difficulties, the Council is pleased to offer these volumes to our members, and hopes that they will form an invaluable addition to our historical series.

frank r. bradlow

Chairman