Amahlathi Ashinyeneyo AseAmazon—Iintsomi Eziphathelele Wona
NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! EBRAZIL
AMAINDIYA angamaIrimarai ahlala ngakuMlambo wasePeru iNapo akazange akukholelwe oko ayekubona! Iinqanawa ezimbini ezinemasti, ezahluke kwaphela kumaphenyane azo amancinane, zeza ngakwidolophana yawo. Athi ntla ngabaphumi-mkhosi ababetsho ngeentshetshewula zentshebe bekhwele apho—babahlukile kulo naluphi na uhlanga abakha balubona. Enqunyelwe linqatha, amaIndiya ayentanta ekhangela indawo yokuzimela ibe ababukela abo baphambukeli bamhlophe babesehla elunxwemeni, bephanga ukutya kwaloo dolophana, baza baphel’ emehlweni kwakhona—benemincili kukuba bengabokuqala embalini ukulinqumla lonke elo hlathi lishinyeneyo, ukusuka kwiiNtaba zeAndes ukusa kuLwandlekazi lweAtlantiki.
Ebudeni baloo nyaka, we-1542, sizwe ngasinye samaIndiya sabhadwa ngendlela efanayo njengoko ezo ntlola zaseYurophu, ziletshezisa izaphetha nemibhaxa, zazingena ngokupheleleyo kumahlathi akweleenjiko akuMzantsi Merika.
UFrancisco de Orellana, umatiloshe waseSpeyin ophethe aba boyisi, kungabanga thuba lide wafumanisa ukuba iindaba zokuphanga nokudubula kwamajoni akhe zazisaziwa kungekabonwa neemasti zeenqanawa zakhe ezimbini. Izizwe zamaIndiya ezihlala emazantsi omlambo (kufutshane nesixeko sale mihla saseBrazil ekuthiwa yiManaus) zazisele ziqule zalugangatha ngeentolo zazo zilinde abahlaseli abangaphezulu ngama-50 kunabo.
Ibe uGaspar de Carvajal, omnye owayekwelo qela uyothulel’ umnqwazi indlela loo maIndiya awayezinkcani ngayo. Wayethetha ngokusuka kumava, kuba olunye lweentolo zamaIndiya lwamthi ngcuntsu ezimbanjeni. Le monki ingxwelerhekileyo yabhala yathi: “Ukuba impahla endandiyinxibile yayingekho ngqindilili, ngekwakuphelile ngam.”
‘Amabhinqa Alwa Njengamadoda Alishumi’
UCarvajal uhlabela mgama echaza oko kuphembelela la maIndiya angamagagu. ‘Sabona amabhinqa ekhokela amadoda okulwa njengabaphathi. La mabhinqa amhlophe kwaye athe ncothu, eneenwele ezinde eziphothiweyo nenxeba ngasentloko. Azizigantsontso ibe, ngezo zaphetha neentolo zawo, alwa njengamadoda alishumi.’
Enoba oko kwabonwa zezi ntlola kula mabhinqa angabaphumi-mkhosi kwakuyinyaniso okanye, njengoko enye incwadi isitsho, “kwakuyimpambano nje ebangelwa yi-jungle fever” akukho mntu waziyo. Kodwa ngokutsho kwezinye iingxelo, ngexesha uOrellana noCarvajal bafika ekungeneni komlambo omkhulu baza baya kuLwandlekazi lweAtlantiki, baqonda ukuba bababonile abantu beHlabathi Elitsha ama-Amazon, abafazi abangamagcalagcala nabangabaphumi-mkhosi abachazwe kwiintsomi zamaGrike.a
IMonki uCarvajal yayigcina intsomi yama-Amazon aseMerika ukwenzela izizukulwana ezizayo ngokuyiquka kwingxelo awazibonela yona kuhambo lukaOrellana lweenyanga ezisibhozo. UMphathi uOrellana yena, wakhwela inqanawa eya eSpeyin, apho wanikela ingxelo ecacileyo ngohambo lwakhe egugutha indawo ayibiza ngokuba yiRío de las Amazonas, okanye uMlambo iAmazon. Kungabanga thuba lide, abazobi benkulungwane ye-16 babhala igama elitsha kwimaphu entsha yoMzantsi Merika—iAmazon. Ngoko kwakukho iintsomi ezingqonge amahlathi eAmazon, kodwa ngoku loo mahlathi athwaxwa ziziganeko zokwenene.
[Umbhalo osemazantsi]
a Kusenokwenzeka ukuba igama elithi “ama-Amazon” lisuka kwelesiGrike elithi a, “ngaphandle,” nelithi ma·zosʹ, elithetha “amabele.” Ngokutsho kwale ntsomi, ama-Amazon ayelisusa ibele lasekunene ukuze akwazi ukuziphatha ngokulula izaphetha neentolo.
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 11]
Top background: The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck