Ingabe Isihlahla Ngempela Lesiya?

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-AUSTRALIA

IZIHLAHLA zomkhomo, ezibanzi futhi eziyindilinga ezisendaweni eyomile, ezibizwa nangokuthi i-bottle tree, zingase zibukeke ziyinqaba, futhi zizimbi. Njengoba zingenamaqabunga lapho kungenazimvula, izihlahla zomkhomo ezindala azibukeki njengezihlahla, kodwa zifana nesilwane esiyinqaba esinezimpondo ezibheke emkhathini. Inganekwane yaboMdabu base-Australia ithi lesi sihlahla saqalekiswa sabe sesiphenduka sibheka phansi!

Lapho zisencane, lezi zihlahla ziba neziqu ezincane futhi zibe zinhle. Kodwa njengoba zikhula, iziqu zazo ezimpunga ziba zinkulu, zixebuke futhi zibe maholoholo. Ngo-1837, umhloli wamazwe uGeorge Grey wabhala ukuthi izihlahla zomkhomo “zibukeka sengathi zinesifo esithile.” Kungani lezi zihlahla zihluke kangaka kwezinye eziningi, futhi kungani ziyigugu futhi zithandeka kubantu basemaphandleni, kuhlanganise naboMdabu?

Kungcono Ukuba Mfushane

Izihlahla zomkhomo ziyazimilela e-Afrika, eMadagascar nasenyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Australia. Kodwa, nakuba emazweni amaningi zibizwa ngokuthi ama-baobab ngesiNgisi, abase-Australia sekuyisikhathi eside besebenzisa igama elithi boab. Abantu bendawo abathanda amahlaya bathi abaThwa babekuthanda ukufushanisa amagama—ngoba besaba ukugwinya izimpukane ezaziziningi kule ndawo. Ngakho, banqamula igama elithi baobab bathi boab, futhi ngokushesha leli gama elisha lavama olimini.

Izihlahla zomkhomo zibizwa nangokuthi izihlahla zamagundane afile. Kungani zibizwa ngaleli gama elingathandeki? Uma uqhelile, izinhlamvu zalesi sihlahla ezilengayo zifana namagundane alengiswe ngemisila. Futhi, lapho imiqumbe iklayekile noma ilimele, iyashesha ukubola, inuke njengenyama ebolile. Kodwa lapho ziphile kahle, lezi zimbali ziba zinkulu, zibe mhlophe futhi zibe nephunga elimnandi.

Ziklanyelwe Izimo Zezulu Ezeqisayo

Izihlahla zomkhomo ziningi esifundeni esiqhelile saseKimberley eNtshonalanga Australia nasesifundazweni esingumakhelwane saseNorthern Territory. Kulezo zindawo, isimo sezulu siyashintshashintsha kusukela enkathini yezimvula ezinkulu, okuyinkathi emfushane kuya enkathini eyomile.

Kuyinto eyaziwayo ukuthi izihlahla zomkhomo ziqinile. Zivame ukuphila amakhulu amaningi eminyaka. Isazi sezitshalo uD. A. Hearne sithi: “Ngisho nalapho lesi sihlahla sishile, noma sixetshulwe amagxolo ukuze some, sivame ukusinda, futhi ngemva kokulunga kwalowo monakalo, siqhubeke sikhula.”a Siyanezela: “Lesi sihlahla siqine kangangokuba ngaphandle kokuba sigawulwe ngokuphelele, cishe siyoqhubeka sikhula ngendlela evamile.” Esinye isihlahla somkhomo esasizimisele ukuqhubeka siphila esafakwa ekesini ukuze sithunyelwe phesheya, izimpande zaso zaphuma ngezimbobo zekesi zayongena enhlabathini engaphansi!

Izihlahla zomkhomo ezimila osebeni lomfula, emadwaleni noma esihlabathini zivame ukuphakama kunezinye izihlahla. EThafeni laseKimberley, ezinye zalezi zihlahla zingamamitha angu-25 noma ngaphezulu ukuphakama futhi zicishe zilingane ngeziqu.

Imfihlo yobukhulu balesi sihlahla amanzi. Njengesipanji, ukhuni lwesihlahla somkhomo luthambile, lunemicu futhi luyakwazi ukumumatha amanzi amaningi. Ngemva kokumunca amanzi ezimvula ezinamandla, isiqu salesi sihlahla siyakhukhumala. Njengoba inkathi eyomile iqhubeka, kancane kancane sibuyela ebukhulwini baso bangaphambili.

Phakathi nezinyanga zasebusika ezibandayo, izihlahla ezibunayo zisinda ngokuvuthulula amaqabunga. Isihlahla somkhomo senza lokhu phakathi nenkathi ende engenazimvula. Njengoba inkathi eyomile iphela, kuhluma izimbali kukhule nohlaza olusha. Ngenxa yalesi sibonakaliso sokusondela kwenkathi yezimvula, ngezinye izikhathi abantu bendawo babiza lesi sihlahla ngokuthi isihlahla esiyikhalenda.

Izimbali ziqhakaza ebusuku kuphela, zihlale amahora ambalwa, bese ziqala ukubuna lapho kuphuma ilanga. Imiqumbe ikhula ibe yizinhlamvu ezinkulu ezinembewu, eziwela phansi, ziqhekeke, bese kusakazeka imbewu.

Isihlahla Sokuphila

AboMdabu baseKimberley sekuyisikhathi eside bebheka izinhlamvu, amaqabunga, inhlaka nezimpande zalesi sihlahla njengomthombo wokudla obalulekile. Ngaphambi kokuba zome, lezi zinhlamvu ziba nendaphundaphu emhlophe ethambile, emnandi. Ngezikhathi zesomiso, aboMdabu babehlafuna ukhuni lwalesi sihlahla olunemicu kanye nezimpande zaso, ezinomswakama obalulekile. Phakathi nezikhathi zemvula, abomdabu ngezinye izikhathi babethola amanzi ngaphakathi kuso naseziqwini zamagatsha.

Ngo-1856, lapho amalungu eqembu lika-Augustus Gregory elaliya eThafeni laseKimberley ephathwa ukhwekhwe, abilisa indaphundaphu yezinhlamvu zalesi sihlahla enza “ujamu omnandi.” Le ndaphundaphu, enovithamini C omningi, ngokushesha yenza la madoda alulama.

Zembula Umlando

Esikhathini esidlule, izihlahla zomkhomo zaziyizindawo eziwusizo zokubhala imiyalezo kwaboMdabu nakwabaseYurophu ngokufanayo. Ngo-1820 umkhumbi wezinhloli i-Mermaid wama osebeni lwaseKimberley ukuze ulungiswe. Elalela isiqondiso sikaHulumeni sokuba ashiye ubufakazi obubonisa ngokucacile ukuthi wayefikile kuleyo ndawo, uKaputen’ uPhillip Parker King waqopha amagama athi “HMC Mermaid 1820” esiqwini sesihlahla esikhulu.

Ngaleso sikhathi, iSihlahla Se-Mermaid, njengoba sagcina sesibizwa kanjalo, sasinesiqu esingamamitha angu-8,8. Namuhla, sesingamamitha angaphezu kuka-12,2. Nakuba lowo mbhalo usufiphele kancane, useyisikhumbuzo salabo bahloli bamazwe bakudala. Imiyalezo eyaqoshwa ngokujulile kwezinye zalezi zihlahla ezindala isabonakala nanamuhla futhi iye yabonwa yizivakashi ezivela kuwo wonke umhlaba.

Lapho izifiki zaseYurophu zifika eThafeni laseKimberley, izihlahla ezinkulu zomkhomo zaba yizimpawu, izindawo zemibuthano nezikaniso ezweni ezazingalijwayele. Abahwebi abahambela izindawo babevumela izinkomo zabo ukuba ziphumule ngaphansi kwezihlahla ezinamagama ahlukahlukene athakazelisayo, njengathi Oriental Hotel, Club Hotel, noma Royal Hotel.

Lapho aboMdabu abanonya beba isikebhe sesihambi esingumJalimane u-August Lucanus ngo-1886, ithimba lakhe kwadingeka lihambe amakhilomitha ayikhulu liye edolobhaneni laseWyndham. Lalizonqamula emiseleni nasemifuleni egcwele izingwenya. Kamuva uLucanus wabhala ukuthi yena nethimba lakhe babethole incwadi yomhloli wamazwe wangaphambili eyayikhuluma ngendawo “lapho ayefihle khona amathuluzi okubaza eduze nasePitt Springs ngaphansi kwesihlahla esikhulu somkhomo, esasiqoshwe igama lakhe.” Ngokumangalisayo, la madoda asithola leso sihlahla namathuluzi. Abe “esegawula isihlahla esikhulu somkhomo” futhi akha isikebhe ngezinsuku ezinhlanu. Santanta kahle, futhi bonke bafika bephephile ekhaya.

Izihlahla zomkhomo ezimbili ezaziwa kakhulu kuthiwa iZihlahla Zasejele LaseDerby nelaseWyndham, zombili ezethiwa ngamadolobhana aseduze. Umlando wabomdabu othandwayo uthi lezi zihlahla ezinkulu ezigwedekile, ngasinye esikhulu ngokwanele ukuba kungene ngaphakathi amadoda ambalwa, zazingamajele ekhulwini le-19. Kodwa izazi-mlando ezithile zanamuhla ziyakungabaza lokhu. Noma kunjalo, lezi zihlahla zihlaba umxhwele futhi zithandwa yizivakashi.

Izinto Zobuciko Ezenziwe Ngesihlahla Somkhomo

Abantu bake baqopha izithombe nemiyalezo eziqwini zezihlahla zomkhomo. Kodwa kulezi zinsuku abantu basemaphandleni abenza izinto zobuciko bayazivikela lezi zihlahla futhi baveze amakhono abo ezinhlamvwini ezime njengeqanda, ezingaba amasentimitha angu-25 ubude nangu-15 ububanzi.

Ngemva kokukhetha uhlamvu olufanele esihlahleni, umbazi wendawo ubaza imifanekiso eyinkimbinkimbi egobolondweni elinsundu, esebenzisa igotshwa. Izinto abavame ukuzibaza zihlanganisa izilwane zezwe, imifanekiso yaboMdabu abazingelayo nobuso nemizimba yabantu. Izinto eseziqediwe zivame ukuthengwa abaqongeleli bezinto zobuciko. Abanye babathengi bahlanganisa izivakashi nabanini bezitolo zendawo.

Kuyiqiniso ukuthi isihlahla somkhomo singase singabi sikhulu njenge-sequoia, sibe side njenge-poplar, noma sibe nemibala emihle njenge-maple ekwindla. Kodwa, ngendlela yaso eyingqayizivele, lesi sihlahla esiqinile, esingafi kalula siyigugu kakhulu emaphandleni, sidumisa uMdali, futhi mhlawumbe siwuphawu lokuthi uyazithanda izinto ezihlekisayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Izimbali ziqhakaza ebusuku bese zibuna ngemva nje kwamahora ambalwa

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Inhlamvu yesihlahla somkhomo eqoshwe umfanekiso wesigcilikisha