Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792 Hendrik Swellengrebel jr. editie G.J. Schutte bron Hendrik Swellengrebel jr., Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792 (ed. G.J. Schutte). Van Riebeeck-Vereniging, Kaapstad 1982 Zie voor verantwoording: http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/swel004brie01_01/colofon.htm © 2010 dbnl / G.J. Schutte II Hendrik Cloete, omstreeks 1788. Die randskrif lui: ‘Het is van U Tobak daar ik zoo smaakelijk van zit te rooke aan de ommer Tafel.’ Anonieme potloodtekening, 33 × 21 cm, Swellengrebel-versameling. Hendrik Cloete, about 1788. The circumscription reads: ‘It is your tobacco I am smoking with such enjoyment at the card table.’ Anonymous pencil sketch, 33 × 21 cm, Swellengrebel Collection. Lys van illustrasies - list of illustrations Titelplaat/Frontispiece 1. Anonieme potloodtekening van Hendrik Cloete/Anonymous pencil sketch of Hendrik Cloete Bladsy ii/Page ii 2. Portret van Heinrich Swellengrebel/Portrait of Heinrich Swellengrebel Bladsy 148/Page 148 3. Die kraal van Kaptein Ruyter/The village of Chief Ruyter Bladsy 149/Page 149 4. Die renosterjag by die Klein Visrivier/The rhinoceros hunt at the Little Fish River Bladsy 180/Page 180 5. Detail van die renosterjag by die Klein Visrivier/Detail of the rhinoceros hunt at the Little Fish River Bladsy 181/Page 181 Hendrik Swellengrebel jr., Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792 IX Voorwoord Hoewel die verskillende komitees van die Van Riebeeck-Vereniging altyd uitgeblink het deur die hoeveelheid koöperatiewe inspanning wat aan die Vereniging se uitgawes gewy word, meen ek dat die huidige boekdeel selfs in daardie opsig uitsonderlik mag heet. Nadat dr. Schutte, wat 'n senior dosent in die subfakulteit Geskiedenis van die Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam is, sy klaargemaakte manuskrip voorgelê het, was daar nog heelwat te doen. 'n Engelse opsomming moes van die hoofteks gemaak word en dr. Schutte se inleiding moes in Engels en Afrikaans vertaal word. Verder moes ander bykomende en verduidelikende materiaal asook die voetnote in Afrikaans vertaal word. Bowendien moes sommige van die annotasies uitgebrei word. Al hierdie take moes met groot haas voltooi word. Alhoewel ons verskeie onvoltooide manuskripte gehad het, was daar geen manuskrip gereed om vir die 1982-deel te gebruik nie. Daar is dus besluit om dr. Schutte se manuskrip af te rond om te verseker dat ons hierdie jaar 'n uitgawe sou hê. Die feit dat hierdie taak vinnig voltooi moes word, het Raadslede onder groot druk geplaas en almal het gewilliglik hulle deel tot die taak bygedra. Veral moet ek dr. Anna Böeseken bedank wat, ten spyte van baie ander verpligtings, sonder onderbreking aan die Engelse opsomming van die Nederlandse teks gewerk het totdat sy dit gereed gehad het, maandelank voordat ek gedink het dit moontlik sou wees. My bewondering vir haar nougesetheid en wetenskaplikheid is sonder perke. Dan moet ek ook professor Robertson bedank wat die manuskrip op sy gewone kundige en deeglike manier nagegaan het, wysiginge voorgestel het en bykomende inligting, waar nodig, in die teks en in die voetnote verskaf het en ook voorstelle gedoen het ten aansien van die Engelse vertaling. Professor Roy Pheiffer, sowel voor as na 'n besoek aan die buiteland, waar hy trouens deel van sy verlof bestee het aan samesprekings met dr. Schutte in Amsterdam en Hilversum, het gewilliglik al die vertalings in Afrikaans versorg en daarby ook die inleiding in Engels vertaal. Tydens my afwesigheid oorsee het hy by my die taak oorgeneem om die materiaal wat van die ander medewerkers aan die voorbereiding van hierdie deel binnegekom het, te orden. Hy het toe goedgunstiglik die hele manuskrip in sy finale vorm gekontroleer en by die drukker besorg. By geleentheid het ek en professor Webb en professor Pheiffer sommige van die netelige probleme in verband met hierdie manuskrip in laasgenoemde se kantoor saam sit Hendrik Swellengrebel jr., Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792 X en bespreek en ek moet professor Webb bedank vir sy raad en bystand. Die taak om alles te koördineer is grootliks verlig deur die doeltreffende hulp van my eie sekretaresse, mev. J. Sellicks, wat haar ook 'n deskundige getoon het in die ontsyfering en foutlose oortik van handgeskrewe veranderinge wat 'n potensiële bron van verwarring was. Die proefleeswerk is gedeel deur dr. Böeseken, professor Robertson, professor Pheiffer en ek, aangesien dit verdere vertraging sou beteken het as die proewe na die redakteur, dr. Schutte, in Nederland gestuur moes word. Hiervoor is ek baie dank verskuldig aan hierdie pligsgetroue Raadslede, soos vir al die ander werk wat hul gedoen het. Die Vereniging mag hom gelukkig ag dat ons sulke toegewyde en gewetensvolle Raadslede het wat ook nog wetenskaplik en entoesiasties is. Dit is aan hulle ywer, naas dié van dr. Schutte self, te danke dat hierdie boekdeel nou aan die lede van die Vereniging aangebied kan word. Ons is dank verskuldig aan mnr. Colin Cochrane, Direkteur van die Drostdy-Museum, vir die hulp wat hy met die vier illustrasies verleen het. Ek moet daarop wys dat die Verklarende Woordelys geensins bedoel is om volledig te wees nie. Die bedoeling is slegs om die lees van die tekste in 'n mate te vergemaklik. Die woorde is gespel soos hulle in die teks voorkom en die betekenisse wat gegee word, is slegs dié wat van toepassing is in die konteks waarin die betrokke woord voorkom. FRANK R. BRADLOW VOORSITTER Hendrik Swellengrebel jr., Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792 XI Foreword Although the various committees of the Van Riebeeck Society have always been distinguished by the amount of co-operative effort that goes into the Society's books, I think the present volume must be an exceptional one even in that respect. After Dr. Schutte, who is a senior staff member of the Sub-faculty of History at the Free University of Amsterdam, had submitted his finished manuscript there was still a great deal to be done. An English Summary had to be made of the main text and Dr. Schutte's introduction had to be translated into English and Afrikaans. Furthermore, other preliminary or explanatory matter and the footnotes all had to be translated into Afrikaans. In addition some of the annotations had to be expanded. All these tasks had to be completed at great speed. Although we had several incomplete manuscripts, no complete manuscript was available to use for the 1982 volume. Hence it was decided to work on and complete Dr. Schutte's manuscript in order to make sure that we had a volume this year. The fact that all this had to be done quickly imposed a great strain on members of our Council, all of whom willingly assisted in doing these tasks. I must particularly thank Dr. Anna Böeseken who, despite many other commitments, worked continuously on the English summary of the Dutch text until she had completed it many months before we thought this was possible. My admiration for her conscientiousness and scholarliness is unbounded. Then, I must also thank Professor Robertson who in his usual erudite and thorough manner examined the manuscript, suggested alterations and contributed further information where necessary to the text and footnotes, as well as making suggestions for the English translation. Professor Roy Pheiffer, both before and after a visit overseas, where he had, indeed, spent part of his leave in consultation with Dr. Schutte in Amsterdam and Hilversum, very willingly did all the translations into Afrikaans and, in addition, translated the introduction into English as well. During my absence overseas he took over from me the task of co-ordinating the material which flowed in from the others whot collaborated in the preparation of this volume. He was then kind enough to check and hand the manuscript in its final form to the printer. On occasions, Professor Webb, Professor Pheiffer and I have sat in Professor Pheiffer's office discussing some of the thorny problems connected with this manuscript and I must thank Professor Webb for his advice and assistance. The task of co-ordination was immensely lightened through Hendrik Swellengrebel jr., Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792 XII the efficient help of my own secretary, Mrs. J. Sellicks, who also showed herself expert in deciphering and faultlessly re-typing handwritten alterations which were a potential source of confusion. The proof reading was shared between Dr. Böeseken, Professor Robertson, Professor Pheiffer and me, as it would have caused further delays if these proofs had to be sent to the editor, Dr. Schutte, in Holland. I am deeply grateful to these conscientious members of our Council for this as well as all else they have done. The Society is indeed fortunate that we have such dedicated and conscientious Council members who are also scholarly and enthusiastic. It is due to their efforts in addition to those of Dr. Schutte himself that the volume can now be presented to the members of the Society. We are indebted to Mr. Colin Cochrane, Curator of the Drostdy Museum, Swellendam, for the assistance with the four illustrations from his museum. I must point out that the Verklarende Woordelys is by no manner of means intended to be exhaustive. Its purpose is only to facilitate the reading of the texts to some extent. The words are spelled as in the text, and the meanings given are only the ones applicable in the contexts in which they appear. FRANK R. BRADLOW CHAIRMAN Hendrik Swellengrebel jr., Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792 1 Inleiding Vertaling deur prof. dr. R.H. Pheiffer Die laaste kwart van die agtiende eeu vorm 'n besonder belangrike tydvak in die Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis.1. Die VOC-nedersetting aan die Kaap die Goeie Hoop het sedert die stigting daarvan in 1652 sterk uitgegroei in omvang en inwonertal, en as verversingspos en maritieme basis het dit geweldig in betekenis toegeneem.