- Robert Jacob Gordon
Robert Jacob Gordon (
29 September 1743 Doesburg ,Guelderland -25 October 1795 Cape Town ), was a Dutch explorer, soldier, naturalist and linguist of Scottish descent.ummary
Robert Jacob Gordon was the son of Maj. General Jacob Gordon of the
Scots Brigade (1572-1782) in the service of the Netherlands. Although of Scottish descent, Robert Gordon's allegiance and service lay with theNetherlands . He joined the Dutch Light Dragoons as a cadet in 1753 and enrolled at theUniversity of Harderwijk in 1759. Here he studied in thehumanities and soon proved to be of exceptional intelligence with diverse interests. He served at first with theScots Brigade and later joined theDutch East India Company , rising to the rank of colonel and commanding the Cape garrison between 1780 and 1795. He went on more expeditions than any other 18th-century explorer of southern Africa. Of the six journeys he undertook, only four between 1777 and 1786 are covered by journals discovered in 1964. He was responsible for naming theOrange River , introducingMerino sheep to theCape Colony and for the discovery of the remains ofBartolomeu Dias 'spadrão atKwaaihoek in 1786. In addition to French, Dutch and English, he spoke Hottentot and Xhosa.During 1772-73 Robert visited the Cape Colony and met Thunberg and
Francis Masson . They undertook a trip on foot exploring the mountains between Cape Town andFalse Bay . He returned to the Cape in 1777 with the rank of Captain, and was made Commandant of the Dutch garrison in 1780.First trip : 1773 - 1774
Besides his excursion with Thunberg and Masson, Gordon undertook one long journey during this period at the Cape, but there is no known record of his route.
econd trip : 6 October 1777 - 8 March 1778
Setting out with William Paterson, the botanist, collector and affable companion, who soon turned back due to illness, and Johannes Schumacher/Schoemaker, an artist, Gordon left Cape Town for
Swellendam . From there via Plattekloof to Beervlei and on to present-day Aberdeen. He continued across theSneeuwberg to a point slightly west ofColesberg . He then roughly retraced his outbound route as far as the Sneeuwberg, the heading south-east to Cookhouse, from where he made various forays to meetXhosa chiefs.One of Gordon's goals on this trip was reaching the
Groote River , doing so by going north up theGreat Fish , Tarka and Vlekpoort rivers to the confluence of the Groote River with the Caledon.Schoemaker accompanied Gordon on all his journeys, producing a fine record of their travels and causing present-day confusion as to which sketches are his and which Gordon's. Gordon was a diligent recorder of data such as altitude, compass headings and hours travelled and other information which he would later incorporate in a great map he planned. Paterson recorded that one of his aims on this trip was to meet with
Xhosa chiefs near present-daySomerset East .For most of his journey he followed a well-travelled route, sometimes joined by others going the same way. His equipment was carried by a single wagon, while he was on horseback, ranging across the veld, observing, recording and occasionally hunting.
Third trip : September - October 1778
This trip was made in the company of Governor van Plettenberg to the north-eastern frontiers of the Colony.
External links
* [http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/age/people/Gordon/ Robert Jacob Gordon - Patrick Cullinan]
References
*"Botanical Exploration of Southern Africa" - Mary Gunn & L.E. Codd (AA Balkema, Cape Town, 1981)
*"Robert Jacob Gordon 1743-1795: The Man and His Travels at the Cape" -Patrick Cullinan (Winchester Struik, Cape Town, 1992)
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