| 1760 | Jacobus Coetzee (Jacobus Coetsé Jansz) is probably the first "white" to cross the !Garib River (Great River: later named Oranje River in honour of the Royal Dutch House by Robert Jakob Gordon). He reaches Dabegabis, north of Warmbad (Nama: |Aixa-aibes) in Great Namaqualand. He reports about the high social order of the self-sufficient Nama groups and their rich livestock (including cattle) as well as the abundance of game (elephants, rhinoceros and hippotamus in the Oranje River). Fragmentary as these notes are, they do give a clear impression of independent, resourceful and traditional African societies. |
| 1761 | Hendrik Hop, together with the surveyor Carel Frederik Brink (first map of the southern interior) and the botanist Johannes Andreas Auge, reaches the Chamob (Löwen River) and the Fish Rivers. The objective of this expedition to find the Damroquas (Dama, probably Ovaherero as mentioned by Jacobus Coetzee the year before), is not achieved. Hop reports in his diaries the occurrence of copper resources, the peaceful character of the visited Nama groups, their rich livestock and their trade with iron products and glass beads. He uses a route east of the Great Karas Mountains. He treks from Ramansdrift, later called Compagniefurt, at the Oranje River via Sandfontein to the Hom River, from there via Alurisfontein to Warmbad, and further via Gorechas to the Draay River (Kainab River), which is reached on 11.10.1761. From there he treks to Klipkuyl (Klip Fontein or Robber Henrick’s Place, the ||Hawoben capital at Narudas) and Patensie Hoek (Naos) and further to the Buffels River (Gausob River). At 22.11.1761 Hop reaches the farthest point of this journey at Keerom (Gründorn at Brauss) at the Chamob River. Hop does not mention ||Khauxa!nas but the possible founder of ||Khauxa!nas, Klaas Afrikaner, is mentioned in a South African document. |
| 1770 | The Nama Chief |Hanab #Ô ||nâimab dies. His successor is !Gaob |Hanamab. |
| 1777 | Robert Jakob Gordon visits the Oranje River. |
| 1778/79 | Hendrik Jacob Wikar explores the area around the Oranje River (formerly called the !Garib River). He mentions the leader of the Red Nation, !Gaob |Hanamab under whom the Nama controlled area stretches from the upper Fish River to the Oranje. |
| December | William Paterson explores the
Oranje River area accompanied by Sebastiaan Valentijn van Reenen and Klaas Afrikaner. Klaas Afrikaner is at Warmbad. |
| 1780 | Kido Witbooi (or #A-||êib) is born in Pella (?), South Africa. |
| 1784 | François le Vaillant travels in the vicinity of the Oranje River. His claimed trips to the north of the Oranje River must be regarded as imaginary. |
| 1784-86 | The British expedition under Home Riggs Popham visits Angra Pequeña and mentions the padrão. |
| 1785 | The first "white", Guilliam Visagie, settles at #Nu#goaes (Swartmodder, present-day Keetmanshoop). |
| 1786 | The British vessel "Nautilus" under the command of Thomas Bolden Thompson surveys sections of the coastline between Angra Pequeña and the Oranje River mouth. Thompson has secret orders from the Admiralty to find a suitable place on the Namibian coast to open a strategic port and start a penal colony, as Great Britain has nowhere to send convicts after losing its American colonies. In the end, not Namibia, but Australia is elected. |
| Circa 1790 | Ovaherero leader Ua Tjirue Tjamuaha is born at Otjikune. Jonker Afrikaner (or |Hara-mûb) is born at Groot Vlakte in the Cape Colony. His father is Jager Afrikaner (1760-1823) and his grandfather is Klaas Afrikaner. |
| 1791/92 | Willem van Reenen and Pieter Brand explore the south as far north as the vicinity of Rehoboth and the Auas Mountains (between 17.09.1791 and 20.06.1792). They travel from Ramansdrift at the Oranje River on a route between the Little and Great Karas Mountains to #Nu#goaes (Swartmodder, present-day Keetmanshoop). From there they travel via the Fish River and the Lewer River to the places of Rehoboth and "|Ai-||Gams" ("fire water" in Nama), present-day Windhoek. Brand also visits the Swakop River. They report about the occurrences of copper and gold in these areas. |
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