ITasmania—Isiqithi Esincinane, Esinebali Elingaqhelekanga

NGUMBHALELI KAVUKANI! EOSTRELIYA

“ELI lizwe lelokuqala esilibonileyo kuLwandle Olusemazantsi, yaye alaziwa naluluphi na uhlanga lwaseYurophu, siye salinika igama lika-Anthoony van Diemenslandt, ngenjongo yokothulel’ umnqwazi uMlawuli-Jikelele [wethu] Obekekileyo.” La ngamazwi awathethwa yindoda yaseDatshi uAbel Tasman ngoNovemba 25, 1642, mhla wabona isiqithi saseTasmania, esililizwana lesibini ngobudala kwelaseOstreliya.a Lo kaTasman akazange abone bantu apho, kodwa wawubona umsi wemililo owawuqhuma mgama kunye nemithi ekufutshane enqaliweyo enezikhewu ezishiyana ngemitha e-1,5. Uthi xa ebhala, umntu owayenqala loo mithi umele ukuba wayeyincutshe ekukhweleni emthini kungenjalo yanqalwa zizigebenga! Eneneni, ezo zikhewu zinqaliweyo zazenzelwe ukukhwela kuloo mithi.

Emva koko, iLizwe likaVan Diemen lakhe lanqatyelwa ngabakhenkethi abahamba ngolwandle kangangeminyaka eli-130, de indoda engumFrentshi uMarion du Fresne nomfo wasemaNgesini uTobias Furneaux batyelela kwelo. Umqhubi wenqanawa uJames Cook wafika kwelo ngowe-1777 yaye naye, njengoDu Fresne, wadibana nabantu beso siqithi abangaqhelekanga, aBemi Bomthonyama. Noko ke, ngokutsho kukaJohn West kwiThe History of Tasmania, utyelelo lwakhe lwabanqikela ilitye elineembovane: “Ezinye iintlanga zimjonga [lo kaCook] njengowayezise impucuko nonqulo, [kodwa] olu hlanga [lwaBemi Bomthonyama] lwalumjonga njengozise ukufa.” Sasiyintoni isizekabani saloo ntlekele?

ITasmania Iqalisa Ukuba “Yintolongo YeBritani”

Ukunikwa uphum’ aphele, okanye ukwenziwa imbacu, kwakusesona sohlwayo sisetyenziswayo yiBritani, ibe iTasmania yaba lelinye lamathanga eBritani okuphumeza eso sohlwayo. Ukususela ngowe-1803 ukusa kowe-1852, amadoda, amabhinqa nabantwana—abanye babo ababeneminyaka esixhenxe kuphela ubudala—abamalunga nama-67 500 bagxothwa kwelaseNgilani baya kuphoswa eTasmania ngenxa yolwaphulo-mthetho olunjengokuba iincwadi zomthandazo ukusa kolokudlwengula. Noko ke, amabanjwa amaninzi, ayesebenzela oonothwal’ impahlana okanye asebenzele urhulumente. IThe Australian Encyclopaedia ithi: “Abafikanga nakwi-10 ekhulwini . . . abo bada baya kufika apho babegxothelwa khona, kwanabaninzi abafikayo bathi vu nje ixeshana.” Eyona ndawo babegxothelwa kuyo yayiliZibuko laseArthur kuSingasiqithi weTasman, kodwa ooncanyelweni bamabanjwa babephoswa kwiZibuko laseMacquarie, elibalasele “ngeyona ntuthumbo ingathethekiyo.” Isangwana elikwelo zibuko lanikwa igama eloyikekayo elithi iSango Lasesihogweni.

Kwincwadi ethi This Is Australia, uGqr. Rudolph Brasch usityebisela ngelinye elibalulekileyo isolotya leli thanga lalizibalula ngokuzibalula—indlela elalizijonga ngayo izinto zokomoya, okanye masithi indlela elalingazikhathalelanga ngayo. Ubhala athi: “Kwamandulo, unqulo eOstreliya [kuquka naseTasmania] lwalungazelwe nto lungananziwe ibe, nolwalukho, ooSomaqhuzu balapho belusebenzisa kakubi ukwenzela iingenelo zabo. Kwasekumiselweni kwalo eli thanga alizange limiswe ngomthandazo yaye kwanto iyinkonzo eOstreliya kubonakala ukuba yinto eyavela mva.” Nangona abaHambi Ngezonqulo bakuMntla Merika bazakhayo iicawa, incwadi ethi The History of Tasmania ithi: “Abemi belo lizwe lisemazantsi bayitshisa yaluthuthu icawa yokuqala bebaleka loo msina-ndozele wokuya apho.”

Enye into eyayisenza ubuhedeni baba bantu buthi chatha kukuxhaphaka kotywala obubizwa ngokuba yirum. Umbhali-mbali uJohn West uthi amajoni nabahlali “ayezixelele ukuba ukuze ume kakuhle” kufuneka uzifikisele kanobom kule rum.

Noko ke, ngelo xesha ikati yayithande ukulala eziko. Ebudeni beli xesha amabanjwa akhululekileyo noonothwal’ impahlana babexway’ oombayimbayi baye kuzingela yaye apho babegilana naBemi Bomthonyama abazingela ngemikhonto. Liyaqondakala elokuba kwakujongenwe ngezikhondo zamehlo apho. Enye into eyayisongezelela koko kugxeleshana lucalucalulo lokuziphakamisa lwabamhlophe, irum eyayixhaphakile nokungqubana kwezithethe zabo bantu. Abantu baseYurophu benza imida baza babiya ngeengcingo; aBemi Bomthonyama kwelabo icala babezingela yaye behamba begob’ ityholo naphi na. Ukuba babenokunyathelana nje emsileni kwakuya konakala ukuhlala.

Ukunyamalala Kohlanga Oluthile

NgoMeyi 1804 yaqhawuka ibhobhini. Iqela lamapolisa elalikhokelwa nguLieutenant Moore lasuka nje laqhumis’ irhuluwa kumadoda, abafazi nabantwana baBemi Bomthonyana ababezingela—lashiya itshoba lilel’ umbethe kwinkungu nelanga abanye bengxwelerhekile. “Imfazwe Yemidaka”—ekwakutsheleza imikhonto namatye ekhawulelana neembumbulu—yaba ke iyaqala.

Kwasika ngaphakathi kubantu baseYurophu abaninzi besakubona aBemi Bomthonyama abaninzi besifa okweempukane. UMhlekazi uGeorge Arthur wayekhathazeke kangangokuba wayezimisele ukwenza nantoni na ‘ukubuyekeza umonakalo owabangelwa ngurhulumente, nawayengawuthandi yena, kuBemi Bomthonyama.’ Ngaloo ndlela, wasungula inkqubo “yokubaqokelela” aze “abaphucule.” Kwiphulo elalibizwa ngokuba “Ngumda Wemidaka,” amajoni, oonothwal’ impahlana namabanjwa amalunga nama-2000 athi bhazalala kwelo hlathi erhangqa aBemi Bomthonyama ukuze ababeke kwindawo ekhuselekileyo. Kodwa abuya nemband’ esikhova kwelo phulo; afumana ibhinqa elithile nenkwenkwana kuphela. Emva koko, uGeorge A. Robinson, umWesile owaziwayo, waxoza mphini wumbi ekuzameni olu xolelwaniso ibe waphumelela. ABemi Bomthonyama bamthemba baza basamkela isicelo sakhe sokuba baye kuhlala kwiziQithi zeeFlinders, kumantla eTasmania.

Kwincwadi yakhe ethi A History of Australia, uMarjorie Barnard uthi ngala matiletile kaRobinson: “Eneneni, nangona esenokuba wayengayazi yena loo nto, olo xolelwaniso lwakhe lwamenza wanguYudas. Abo bemi bomgquba baseshweni bakhutshwa kwiziQithi zeeFlinders basiwa eBass Strait begciniswa kwakulo kaRobinson. Bangcungcutheka apho de bafa.” Iinguqu nokutya kwalapho kwagqibezela laa msebenzi weembumbulu. Enye incwadi ithi “owokugqibela kuBemi Bomthonyama nongaxutywanga waseTasmania yayinguFanny Cochrane Smith, owafela eHobart ngowe-1905.” Ziyabethabethana ke iingcali kulo mba. Zimbi zithi nguTruganini, ibhinqa elafela eHobart ngowe-1876, ezinye zithi libhinqa elithile elafela kwisiQithi seKangaroo ngowe-1888. Inzala engamabhastile yaBemi Bomthonyama baseTasmania isadl’ amazimba nanamhla oku. Ngokufanayo nokuphathana kakubi kwabantu okuqhubekayo, le meko iye ibizwe ngendlela efanelekileyo ngokuba “yeyona ntlekele iphambili kwelo Lizwe.” Ngaphezu koko, oko kubalaselisa inyaniso yeBhayibhile yokuba ‘umntu uthi agunyazele umntu kube kubi kuye.’—INtshumayeli 8:9.

Izinto Yinto EziseTasmania

Namhlanje, ukuba akutyelelanga iimyuziyam, imizi yogcino zincwadi, okanye amabhodlo entolongo, akunakuze ulazi ibali elilusizi lesi siqithi sihle ngolu hlobo. ITasmania imi kumazantsi eikhweyitha kumgama olinganayo noweRome, iSapporo neBoston kumntla weikhweyitha. Kanye njengembali yayo umhlaba wayo unezinto ngezinto, nangona kungekho ndawo yeso sixeko ikumgama oziikhilomitha ezili-115 ukusuka elwandle.

Ummandla waseTasmania uphela, ongama-44 ekhulwini lihlathi ibe ama-21 ekhulwini yipaki. Umlinganiselo ololo hlobo unqabe gqitha! Ngokutsho kwencwadi ethi The Little Tassie Fact Book, “ubuncwane obugcinelwe ihlabathi kwiNtshona Tasmania kuphela kwendawo eneentlango ezinemozulu entle esekhoyo ehlabathini neyeyokugqibela.” Amadike azele ngamanzi emvula nawekhephu, imilambo neengxangxasi—ezinyakazela iintlanzi—zenza loo mahlathi ayokozele imithi yompayini emide, imigamtriya, imithi eluhlaza unyaka wonke, iminga, imithi ebumthombe, neeleatherwood, imipayini enemifuno ebumnqatherha neeHuon pine xa sikhankanya ezimbalwa. Alimangalisi ke elokuba xa bejonga phezulu phayaa kuloo maxethuka akumbindi-ntshona neenduli ezambathiswe likhephu abathandi bendalo bafune ukuquqa bebuyelela kuloo ndawo.

Kodwa ke nobo ‘Buncwane Bugcinelwe Ihlabathi’ bafumaneka ebunzimeni. Yaye abathandi bendalo bayajwaqeka ngumsindo bekhathazwa ngabembi bemigodi, abenzi bamaphepha nabaphehli bombane. Xa ubona umhlaba waseQueenstown omi okwenyanga, idolophu enemigodi, utsho uwubone umbhodamo obangelwe kukugxojwagxojwa kobuncwane bethu ngokungakhathali.

Izilwanyana zale ndawo nazo zikhe zaphila ubomi bentshontsho—ngokukodwa ithylacine, okanye ingwe yaseTasmania, emazi yayo enebele ngaphambili nesabunjarha. Kungenxa yemigca yayo elapha emqolo eyabangela kuthiwe yingwe. Ngelishwa, esi silwanyana sitya inyama sicekecekana nesingumnyewu sikholwa kakhulu ziinkukhu neegusha. Eyokugqibela yabulawa ngowe-1936 ngenxa yomvuzo owawufunyanwa usakuyibulala.

Olunye uhlobo olunje lwesilwanyana saseTasmania, olubizwa ngokuba yidevil yaseTasmania, lusasinda ekutshatyalalisweni. Sisebenzisa imihlathi namazinyo aso omeleleyo, esi silwanyana sitya inyama nesinobunzima obuziikhilogram ezintandathu ukuya kwezisibhozo singayitya siyigqibe ikangaroo efileyo, intloko nomzimba wayo.

ITasmania yaziwa nangentaka yalapho eyishort-tailed shearwater, okanye imuttonbird. Nyaka ngamnye emva kokuba ifuduke isuka kuLwandle lwaseTasmania ize ilujikeleze lonke ulwandle lwePasifiki, ibuyela ngqo endlwaneni yayo esentlabathini—nto leyo ekwenza umothulel’ umnqwazi uMyili noMdali wayo.

Kufutshane nendlwane yayo eya kuyo ebusuku kuphela kuhlala enye intaka—yona “ebhabha” phantsi kwamanzi—intakana ethandekayo enobunzima obuyikhilogram enye, enomlonyana omncinane othe gqi phakathi koboya ebizwa ngokuba yiphengwini encinane. Le phengwini iyeyona incinane kunezinye ingxola ngaphezu kwazo zonke! Izinto ezenzayo zixhomekeke kwindlela eziva ngayo, maxa wambi ide ifikelele kumaqondw’ aphezulu eemvakalelo ikubonisa oko ngentsholo nangomzimba wayo. Xa sithandana, isibini sisenokude sintyiloze kunye siqinisekisa uthando lwaso. Noko ke, okulusizi kukuba uninzi lwezi ntaka lubulawa yiminatha yabalobi, kukuchitheka kweoli, ziiplastiki eziye zizitye zicinga ukuba kukutya, okanye zityiwe zizinja neengada.

Ummandla Obukeka Ngakumbi Wesi Siqithi

Xa uphos’ iliso kumantla okanye kwimpuma kwihewu elilapho iliso lakho liya kubanjiswa bubuhle baloo mmandla waseTasmania onamasimi ageleshiweyo athe thande phayaa, nemilambo nemilanjana equkuqela kuhle, iindlela eziphahlwe yimithi namadlelo aluhlaza yaka aneegusha neenkomo. Kude kufuphi nedolophu esemantla yaseLilydale, malunga noJanuwari, amasimi ezityalo zokwenza iziqholo ezidubulayo ziyitsho loo ndawo idlisele ngevumba elimyoli.

Kufutshane nesitiya sama-apile esayenza iTasmania yabizwa ngokuba sisiQithi Sama-apile, kukho ikomkhulu iHobart, engxabalaze kuMlambo iDerwent, nenabemi abali-182 000. Imi phantsi korhec’ izulu weNtaba iWellington, eziimitha ezili-1270 ukuphakama. Xa izulu lizolile, umi phezu kwaloo ntaba isoloko igqunywe likhephu utsho usibone kakuhle eso sixeko umi phezulu. Eneneni iHobart iye yatyhubela izanzwili zexesha ukususela ngowe-1803, xa ipolisa eliyiLieutenant uJohn Bowen neqela lakhe labantu abangama-49, kuquka namabanjwa angama-35, baqala ukuthi cakatha olwabo unyawo eRisdon Cove. Ewe, amaphenyane aneeseyile akasekho, kodwa kanye ngonyaka ugqatso lwezikhephe olusuka eSydney lusiya eHobart lutsho kuthi qatha ezo mini zadlulayo xa loo maphenyane amibalabala ephephetheka ukudlula kwizihlwele ezibukele ngemincili, enjenjeya ukungena eHobart.

Ilizwe Lentshutshiso Ngoku Liyiparadesi Yokomoya

UGeoffrey Butterworth, omnye wabangama-2447 kwababekho kwiNdibano YeSithili YamaNgqina KaYehova “Yokoyika UThixo” yowe-1994 eyayiseLaunceston uhlomla enjenje: “Ndikhumbula ngelaa xesha amaNgqina ayengaphantsi kwama-40 eTasmania iphela.” Sithetha nje kukho amabandla angama-26 neeHolo zoBukumkani ezingama-23.

UGeoff walek’ umsundulo athi: “Kodwa ke ayekho amahlandinyuka. Ngokomzekelo emva phayaa ngowe-1938, mna noTom Kitto noRod McVilly sasigangxe emagxeni iibhodi esasibhengeza ngazo intetho yesidlangalala yeBhayibhile ethi ‘Ukujamelana Nezibakala.’ Yayiza kulubhenca elubala unqulo lobuxoki yaye yayiza kusasazwa kunomathotholo inikelwa eLondon. Xa ndandidibana namaqabane am, ndafika apho emiswe kakubi liququbelana lolutsha. Yaye amapolisa ayebukele esong’ izandla! Ndabaleka ndisiya kunceda ndeva ngesithonga sisitsho kum. Kodwa ndoda ithile yandibamba esixhantini yanditsalela ecaleni. Kunokuba indiphinde, le ndoda yakhalima: ‘Yahlukanani naba bantu!’ Yaza yathi kum, izolile: ‘Mhlob’ am, ndiyazi ukuba kunjani ukutshutshiswa, ndingowaseIreland.’”

UYehova wabasikelela abo vulindlela bokuqala, kuba namhlanje iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo zifikelele zonke iindawo zeso siqithi sinabantu abangama-452 000. Abaninzi abayinzala yamabanjwa naBemi Bomthonyama bamandulo bakhangele phambili ekudibaneni kumhlaba ocociweyo nabo bonke—abamnyama nabamhlophe—ababulawa ngolunya kuloo mihla yamandulo, kuba iBhayibhile ithembisa ‘ngovuko kokubini lwamalungisa nabangengomalungisa.’ (IZenzo 24:15) Indlela oya kuba mkhulu ngayo lo mahluko “izinto ebezikho ngaphambili azisayi kukhunjulwa.”—Isaya 65:17, NW.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Maps/Pictures on page 19]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Ngasentla: Intaba iCradle neChibi iDove

Ngasentla ngasekunene: I-“devil” yaseTasmania

Ngezantsi ngasekunene: Amahlathi ashinyeneyo akuMzantsi-ntshona weTasmania

IOstreliya

ITASMANIA

[Inkcazelo]

Tasmanian devil and map of Tasmania: Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation – Tasmania; Map of Australia: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1995 Digital Wisdom, Inc.