r66 ORIGIN OF CERTAfN SOITII AFRUAX I'LACK NAMKS. 



Stavorintis visited the Cape in 1774-5. 



Supposing Mr. T.eibl)randt"s contention to l)c correct, it only 

 means that the relation of the names iMuizenlieri;- to the animal 

 is one degree further removed — for that William Aluys himself 

 pecognised that his surname was derived from the animal is 

 obvious from the a])pearance of the three mice on his hatch- 

 ment and one on the crest. We need have no surprise at this 

 origin of his surname, for neither Mous nor Rat. nor for that 

 matter Cat. are unknown as Rnglish surnames.* 



The origin of the place-name being forgotten, Folk-Etymol- 

 ogy has intervened, and to give the name a meaning, some 

 resemblance to a mouse or mice has been seen or imagined in 

 the rocks on the mountain's summit. 



Lieutenant Patersont s]:)ells the name " Moesen Rerg." 

 Lichtenstein is the only early writer whom I have found, who 

 .spells it " Muysenburg." 



Duivelsberg, which Knglish Africanders have turned into 

 Devil's Peak, it has been said, is a corruption of Duivenberg 

 (Dove or T'igeon Mountain^ and that it received this name 

 because of the numerous doves and pigeons of which it was the 

 haunt. This suggestion appears to be one of comparatively 

 late date, for except in a few recent works, T have not found it 

 anywliere in ])rint, nor anything that would support it as far 

 back as I liave been able to trace the name. The suggestion 

 aj)pears to be a bit of Folk-Etymology originating in well- 

 intentioned scru])les or ignorance as to the how or why of the 

 name. 



The two names W'indberg and Duivelsberg seem to have 

 run concurrently for some time — the former being apparently 

 the older; for Kolbeni calls it "DerW'ind- oder Teufelsberg " ; 

 then in " Historische Beschryving der Reizen," etc., printed by 

 Pieter de Hondt, 1749, the name "Duivelsberg" is stated to be 

 a sailor's name for the mountain (" Den Matrooz genoemd 

 Duivelsberg," p. 201.) 



Thunberg.§ whose book a])i)eared in this edition 22 years 

 after his visit to the Cape, calls it " The Devil's Mountain (Duy- 

 velsberg)"; and on a ma]) undated, but apparentl}' at the latter 

 part of the iSth cenlurv, this note is to l)e found: — 



The Devil's Hill, supposed to be so called from the furious wiuds thai 

 issue froui thence when tlie top is covered with a white cloud. 



If it is a sailor's name as suggested above, it would, most 

 likely, refer to " the furious winds that issue from thence," but 

 tt mav, at the same time, be reminiscent of a name which the 

 Cape itself is said to have borne at one time, %nz., " Capo l>i 



* Vide iJardsley's " EuKlish Surnames.'' 



t " Narrative of I-'our Voyages" ( i/Sy). ''1. 



j " Beschreibuns des Vorgeburj^cs dor (iuteu itoffnung" (I7-I5)- -210. 



§ 1 (I7Q5). loi. 



