Ukuphila EDeath Valley

NGOWE-1848 kufuphi neSacramento, eKhalifoniya, eUnited States kwafunyanwa igolide. Kunyaka olandelayo, abantu abanokuba ngama-80 000 babesele bethontelene apho beze kufun’ ithamsanqa. NgoDisemba 25, 1849, elinye iqela elaliyinxalenye yodederhu lweenqwelo ezili-100 ezazisinge ngasentshona zisuka kwisiXeko iSalt Lake, zangena kwindawo ngoku ekuthiwa yiDeath Valley (INtlambo Yokufa). Eli qela lalicinga ukuba lifumene indlela enqumlayo ngokungena kule ntlambo eyayikufuphi nomda weKhalifoniya neNevada.

Ngeli xesha lonyaka kwakupholile kule ntlambo, kodwa kwakungelula ukuhamba apho. Eli qela lahlukana langamaqela amancinane, laza iqela ngalinye lahamba indlela yalo. Elinye iqela, elaliquka abafazi nabantwana lazama ukuphuma kulo mwonyo ngokunqumla ezintabeni lisinge ngasentshona, kodwa kwanzima. Lidiniwe yaye seliphelelwa nakukutya, lagxumeka iintente kufuphi nomthombo wamanzi kwindawo ngoku ebizwa ngokuba yiFurnace Creek, laphinda landuluka laya kwichibi kamva elabizwa ngokuba yiBennett’s Well. Lisele apho lonke eli qela, abafana ababini ababeneminyaka engama-20 ubudala, uWilliam Manly noJohn Rogers, bahamba baya kufuna uncedo. Bonke abanye basala ngasemva.

UManly noRogers babecinga ukuba baza kufika kwisixeko saseLos Angeles kwiintsuku nje ezimbalwa. Ababengakuqondi kukuba esi sixeko sasikumgama onokuba ziikhilomitha ezingama-300 ngasemzantsi-ntshona. Emva kokuhamba ngeenyawo ithuba elinokuba ziiveki ezimbini, bafika eSan Fernando Valley engasentla kwesixeko. Apho bafumana ukutya baza bengaphozisanga maseko babuya.

Ukufika kwabo kwindawo ababegxumeke kuyo iintente emva kohambo lweentsuku ezingama-25, kwakuthe ncwe ngathi akukho mntu. UManly wakhupha umpu wakhe waza wadubula, yaye kwathi gqi indoda ethile ngaphantsi kwenqwelo. Kamva uManly wabhala esithi: “Yabambelel’ entloko yakhwaza isithi—‘Abafana babuyile. Abafana babuyile!’” Kwavela nabanye, yaye nabo babengakwazi nokuthetha yimincili. Ngoncedo lukaManly noRogers, mnye kuphela umntu ongazange asinde, naye wafa ngenxa yokuba wazama ukuphuma kule ntlambo ehamba yedwa. Njengokuba eli qela lalinduluka, kuthiwa elinye ibhinqa lajonga ngasemva laza lathi, ‘Usale kakuhle, Ntlambo Yokufa!’ Elo laba ligama laloo ndawo.

Indawo Engafani Nezinye

IDeath Valley—imalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-225 ubude nezisisi-8 ukusa kwezingama-24 ububanzi—yeyona ndawo inemvula encinane, esezantsi, neyona ishushu eMntla Merika. Iqondo lobushushu lomoya eFurnace Creek lakhe lafikelela kuma-57 ngokukaCelsius, ngoxa iqondo lobushushu lalingama-94 ngokukaCelsius—amaqondo nje ama-6 ngaphambi kokuba amanzi abile!a

Ngonyaka kuna imvula eziisentimitha ezi-5 ngokomlinganiselo, yaye kweminye iminyaka akubikho nethontsi. Owona mmandla usezantsi ngaseNtshona kweIkhweyitha—iimitha ezingama-86 ngezantsi ngomgangatho wolwandle—ufumaneka kufuphi nechweba elinetyuwa laseBadwater. Kumganyana oziikhilomitha ezili-140 kumi intaba iMount Whitney—eyona ndawo iphakamileyo eUnited States ngaphandle kweAlaska.

Ngowe-1850, kwintlambo eseSalt Spring kwafunyanwa igolide nakuba yayingeninzi kangako. Kwakhona kule ndawo abembi bafumana isilivere, ubhedu nelothe. Kuyo yonke le ntlambo kwaqalisa ukwakhiwa iidolophana ekwakusembiwa kuzo nezazinamagama abangel’ umdla njengelithi Bullfrog, Greenwater, Rhyolite nelithi Skidoo. Kodwa kwathi kwakuphel’ izimbiwa, ezi dolophu ebezibhubhuzela ngabantu zakhal’ ibhungane. Noko ke, ngowe-1880 eDeath Valley kwafunyanwa iborax—umgubo omhlophe okwenziwa ngawo isepha nezinye izinto, nto leyo eyakhokelela kwixesha elincumisayo embalini kule ndawo. De kube ngowe-1888, iidonki ezili-18 namahashe ama-2 ayetsala iinqwelo ezimbini, ezaziba ziimitha ezi-5 ubude ezazithwala iborax ziyisa kwidolophu ekuthiwa yiMojave ekumgama oziikhilomitha ezingama-270. Kodwa akukho nto eyayithunyelwa phakathi koJuni noSeptemba; kaloku abantu nezilwanyana babengakwazi ukwenza nto ngenxa yobushushu.

Ngowe-1933, iDeath Valley yagqalwa ngurhulumente njengendawo ebalulekileyo embalini. Imida yayo yandiswa ngokuthe ngcembe de ekugqibeleni yasisi-1,3 sezigidi zeehektare. Ngowe-1994, le ndawo yabizwa ngokuba yiDeath Valley National Park—eyona paki karhulumente inkulu eUnited States.

Zininzi Izinto Eziphilayo EDeath Valley

Siyaqondakala isizathu esibangela abanye abantu bacinge ukuba akukho nto iphilayo eDeath Valley. Noko ke, le ndawo iyanyakazela zizilwanyana enoba ziyatyelela okanye zihlala apho, yaye ezininzi zazo zizingela ebusuku ngenxa yokuba kushushu. Ezona zinkulu nezincancisayo yimvu yasendle eneempondo ezinkulu, edla ngokutyelela ngamaxesha athile isuka kwiintaba ezikufuphi. Apha kukho neembila, amalulwane, iingqawa, iingcuka, iimpungutye, iimpuku, izingwe, iincanda, imivundla; intenetya, amaqaqa, iimbongolo zasendle, amacikilishe, iinyoka nofudo. Kukwakho neentaka ezinjengoonompemvu, ookhetshe, ookhwalimanzi, isagwityi, amahlungulu, oothuthula, amaxhalanga, nezinye ezininzi.

Ezona zomeleleyo kwezi zidalwa, ziimpuku. Ziyakwazi ukuphila ubomi bazo bonke zingakhange zisele nethontsi eli lamanzi! Elinye iphephancwadi lithi: “Ekuphela kwamanzi eziwafunayo ukuze ziphile ziwagcina emzimbeni emva kokuwatsala kwizinto ezinesitatshi nakumafutha eziwafumana kwiinkozo ezomileyo ezizityayo.” Yaye izintso zazo ziyakwazi ukugcin’ umchamo ixesha elide ngokuphindwe kahlanu kunezo zomntu. Ezi zilwanyana zincinane zihlala emingxunyeni ziphepha ubushushu basemini ngokufuna ukutya kwazo ebusuku.

Kule ntlambo kukhula iindidi zezityalo ezingaphezu kwewaka. AmaIndiya angamaShoshone awayehlala apha iminyaka engaphezu kwewaka, ayephila ngokutya izityalo aze asebenzise imithi ukwenza izitya. Athi, ukuba uyayazi into ofanele uyikhangele, uya kufumana ukutya okuninzi kwiDeath Valley.

Xa Kutyatyamba Entlango

Kanye emva kwexesha elide, kubakho iintyatyambo ezintle kwiDeath Valley. Oku kubangelwa yimbewu eninzi ewa emhlabeni kodwa ingantshuli—maxa wambi kangangamashumi eminyaka—ilindele nje iimvula ezintle nobushushu obaneleyo ukuze intshule. Isazi ngezityalo uTim Croissant nosebenza kwiNational Park Service uthi: “Sekudlule iminyaka emininzi kungekho zintyatyambo apha.”

Kodwa ebudeni bobusika bowama-2004 nobama-2005, kwana eyona mvula inkulu eDeath Valley—ephindwe kathathu kuneqhelekileyo. Ngenxa yoku kwadubula iindidi zeentyatyambo ezingaphezu kwama-50, kuquka iilarkspur, iililac, iiorchid, iipoppy, iiprimrose, oojongilanga neeverbena. Olunye undwendwe lwathi le ntlambo inuka kamnandi ngathi yivenkile yeentyatyambo. Kakade ke, iintyatyambo zibiza iinyosi nezinye izinambuzane. Ngoko ke, xa eDeath Valley kukho iintyatyambo, kuthi bhuu izinambuzane.

Ukuba nanini na ungathanda ukutyelela le ntlambo inezinto ezingaqhelekanga, qiniseka ukuba uhamba ngemoto ephilileyo uze uziphathele amanzi amaninzi. Yaye ukuba uza xa iinyosi nazo zilapha, ungayilibali ikhamera yakho. Intsapho nabahlobo bakho baya kumangaliswa kukubona izinto ezininzi eziphila eDeath Valley.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 15]

Eyona ndawo inemvula encinane, esezantsi neyona ishushu eMntla Merika

[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 17]

Intlanzi Entlango!

Kumaqula nakumachibi aseDeath Valley kukho iindidi ezintlanu zentlanzi encinane gqitha ebizwa ngokuba yidesert pupfish. Le ntlanzana iziisentimitha ezi-6 ubude, ibusilivere ngombala yaye ihlala kudaka olusezantsi ingashukumi ize iqale ukuphithizela nokuzala xa ilanga lasentwasahlobo lifudumeza amanzi ala maqula namachibi. Iintlanzi eziziinkunzi zandula zitshintshe umbala zimenyezele buluhlaza zize zilwe ngamandla zikhusela ummandla wazo kwezinye iinkunzi. Kodwa kungekudala ubushushu behlobo buwatshisa phantse onke loo manzi zize iintlanzi ezininzi zife. Ezo zisindayo zihlala kumanzi anetyuwa nafikelela kwiqondo lobushushu elingama-44 ngokukaCelsius.

[Inkcazelo]

Intlanzi engasentla: © Neil Mishalov--www.mishalov.com; intlanzi engasezantsi: Donald W. Sada, Desert Research Institute

[Iimaphu ezikwiphepha 14]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

United States

California

Death Valley National Park

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Iimeyile: Courtesy of The Bancroft Library/University of California, Berkeley

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 16]

Iimbongolo zasendle:©Joseph C. Dovala/age fotostock; umfanekiso ongasentla: © Neil Mishalov--www.mishalov.com; iintyatyambo: Zifotwe nguDavid McNew/Getty Images