Ngaba Ngumthi Ngokwenene?
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EOSTRELIYA
IMITHI yaseOstreliya ekhula ematyholweni, ibonakala ingenamtsalane kwaye ingathandeki. Xa zingani iimvula uyatshaza, xa sele ukhulile awuqheleki amasebe awo ayaphokela. Abantu balapha bomthonyama bakholelwa ukuba lo mthi waqalekiswa ukuze ube nje.
Xa isengamagatya le mithi mihle kwaye iyabukeka. Kodwa njengokuba ikhula, iziqu zayo ezingwevu ziyaxanda, zibe zikhulu. Ngowe-1837 uGeorge Grey owayengumkhenkethi wabhala wathi ngale mithi: “Ikhangeleka ngathi iyagula.” Kutheni yahluke kangaka le mithi kweminye, yaye kutheni ithandwa kangaka ngabantu bomthonyama?
Mihle Xa Isengamagatyana
Le mithi iyazikhulela eMadagascar, eAfrika, nasemntla ntshona weOstreliya. Nangona kumazwe amaninzi ibizwa ngokuba ziibaobab, kudala abantu baseOstreliya basebenzisa igama elithi boab. Abathwa babekuthanda ukuwashunqulela amagama—kuba xa bewabiza aphelele babesoyikisela ukuginya izinambuzane ezazisoloko zibabhuza. Ngenxa yeso sizathu, balishunqulela igama elithi baobab languboab, eli gama litsha laba yinxalenye yesigama sabo.
Le mithi ikwabizwa nangokuba zidead rat. Kutheni ibizwa ngegama elingathandekiyo ngale ndlela? Xa umgama, le mithi ivelisa iintyatyambo ezifana neempuku ezifileyo ezijinga ngemisila. Xa iintyatyambo zityumkile okanye zenzakele, zikhawuleza zibole zize zitsho ngesankqange sevumba elifana nelenyama ebolileyo. Noko ke, xa zisempilweni, ezi ntyatyambo ziba nkulu, zibe mhlophe zitsho ngevumba elimnandi.
Zenzelwe Ukuphila Kwiimeko Ezimaxongo
Le mithi ikhula kakuhle kummandla oyinkqantosi waseKimberley, eNtshona Ostreliya nakwiphondo elingummelwane laseMantla. Apha kuhlala kusina, nangona ingan’ ixesha elide, kuze kome emva koko.
Le mithi kudala ikho. Iphila ixesha elide. UD. A. Hearne osisazinzulu sezityalo uthi: “Nokuba lo mthi uye watshiswa ngumlilo okanye uye wagawulwa udla ngokuqhubeka ukhula, emva kokuba uye waphila.” Wolek’ umsundulu esithi: “Lo mthi womelele kangangokuba, ukuba awugawulwanga ngokupheleleyo, uyaqhubeka ukhula ngokungathi akukhange kwenzeke nto.” Omnye umthi owawuza kuthunyelwa kwamanye amazwe wafakwa emgqomeni omkhulu iingcambu zawo zanaba zaya emhlabeni.
Xa le mithi ikhula kufutshane nonxweme, kwimixawuka enamatye okanye kumathafa anentlabathi, idla ngokukhula ngaphezu kweminye imithi. KwiHewu laseKimberley, eminye yale mithi ikhula ilingane neemitha ezingama-25 okanye ngaphezulu size nesiqu sawo siphantse sibe sikhulu ngendlela efanayo.
Into ewenza ube mkhulu lo mthi ngamanzi. Lo mthi uthambile ufana nesiponji yaye ngenxa yaloo nto uyakwazi ukugcina amanzi amaninzi. Emva kokuba uye wafunxa amanzi emva kweemvula, isiqu salo mthi siba sikhulu. Njengoko kuqalisa ixesha elomileyo uyancipha ubuyele kwisiqu sawo sangaphambili.
Ngexesha lasebusika elibandayo, eminye imithi incedwa kukuvuthuluka kwamagqabi. Kodwa amagqabi alo mthi avuthuluka xa sele buphakathi ubusika. Njengokuba ixesha lasebusika lisiya ngasekupheleni uyadubula kuze kuvele amagqabi amatsha. Xa abantu balapha bebona lo mthi udubula bayazi ukuba likufuphi ihlobo, ngenxa yoko bawubiza ngokuba yikhalenda.
Iintyatyambo zivela ebusuku kuphela, imini enye kuphela emva kokuphuma kwelanga ngemini elandelayo ziyabuna. Ekugqibeleni ezi ntyatyambo ziba ziziqhamo ezinexolo eliqinileyo, eziwela emhlabeni zize zophuke emva koko iimbewu zazo isasazeke.
Umthi Wobomi
Abantu baseKimberley kudala baphila ngokutya imbewu, amagqabi, iintlaka neengcambu zalo mthi. Ngaphambi kokuba imbewu yalo mthi yome, ivelisa inwebu emhlophe enencasa. Ngamaxesha embalela, abantu balapha batya inkxozi neengcambu ezinamanzi amnandi. Xa kumanzi, maxa wambi lo mthi uba namanzi alapha kuwo nakumasebe awo.
Ngowe-1856, xa amadoda awayehamba noAugustus Gregory awayeye eKimberley aye ahlaselwa sisifo somtshetshaphantsi, abilisa inwebu yesiqhamo salo mthi ukuze enze “ijem” ngayo. Ekubeni inovithamin C omninzi la madoda akhawuleza achacha.
Ukukrwaqula Ngasemva
Kumaxesha angaphambili, le mithi yayisetyenziselwa ukudlulisela izigidimi ngabantu bomthonyama nangabangeneleli abavela eYurophu. Ngowe-1820 inqanawa eyayikhenketha yema kwizibuko laseKimberley ukuze ilungiswe. Babethobela umthetho wokuba kwakufuneka bashiye ubungqina obubonisa ukuba bakhe bema kwelo zibuko, uCaptain Phillip Parker King wakrola umbhalo othi “HMC Mermaid 1820” kwisiqu salo mthi.
Ngelo xesha, uMthi weMermaid, njengoko wawubizwa njalo, ubukhulu bawo babulingana neemitha ezili-8,8. Namhlanje isiqu sawo silingana neemitha ezili-12,2. Nangona umfiliba lo mbhalo kodwa usesisikhumbuzo esabhalwa ngabo bakhenkethi. Izinto ezibhalwe kulo mthi zisabonakala nanamhla oku yaye zibonwa ngabakhenkethi abavela ehlabathini lonke.
Ekufikeni kwabantu baseYurophu le mithi yayisetyenziselwa ukuhambisa iileta, ukuqhuba iintlanganiso okanye iindawo zokuchitha ikhefu. Imihlambi yenkomo yayiphumla ngaphantsi kwale mithi ibizwa ngokuba yiOriental Hotel, Club Hotel, okanye Royal Hotel.
Ngowe-1886 abantu balapha beba iphenyana lendoda eyayivela eJamani uAugust Lucanus, amadoda awayehamba nawo kwafuneka abethe ngezikaTshiwo umgama olingana neekhilomitha ezili-100 ukuya kwidolophu yaseWyndham. Ayewela kwimilambo eneengwenya. Kamva uLucanus wabhala wathi yena namadoda awayehamba nawo bancedwa yincwadi yabakhenkethi ababengaphambi kwabo “abashiya izixhobo zokuchwela ngasePitt Springs ngaphantsi komthi omkhulu, owawunamagama akhe.” Okwammangalisayo kukuba la madoda awukhumbula lo mthi nezixhobo. Emva koko “agawula uthi omkhulu weboab,” aze enza iphenyana ngeentsuku ezintlanu nje kuphela. Ahamba kakuhle ada aya kufika ekhaya ekhuselekile.
Eyona mithi yeboab idumileyo yiDerby neWyndham Prison Trees, yomibini yathiywa ngeedolophu ezimbini ezingekude kuyaphi. Ibali elidumileyo lelokuba le mithi yomibini, ekubeni ngamnye wawo umkhulu ngokwaneleyo, yayiyintolongo ngenkulungwane ye-19. Izazi ngembali aziyithembi le ngxelo. Nangona kunjalo le mithi isenomtsalane kubakhenkethi.
Ubuchule Balo Mthi
Ngaxa lithile abantu babezoba imifanekiso baze babhale imiyalezo esiqwini salo mthi. Noko ke, kule mihla abazobi abasabhali kule mithi kunoko bazoba kwipete zalo mthi, ezilingana neesentimitha ezingama-20 ubude neemitha ezingama-25 ububanzi.
Amagcisa akha isiqhamo salo mthi aze azobe imifanekiso kwipete zawo ezimdaka. Athanda ukuzoba izilwanyana, iindawo zokuzingela, ubuso babantu namanani. Xa egqibile ukuzikrola adla ngokuzithengisa. Zithengwa ngabakhenkethi naziivenkile zasekuhlaleni.
Ewe, lo mthi usenokungabi mde njengomthi womcheya, okanye umkhoba. Kodwa ngendlela eyahlukileyo, lo mthi womelele yaye ubalulekile kubantu abahlala apha, uphakamisa uMdali wawo, mhlawumbi ukwabonisa ukuba unoburharha.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]
Iintyatyambo ziyadubula zize zibune ngobusuku obunye
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]
Ipete elikrolwe umfanekiso wecikilishe