Iinzame Zokucombulula Ingxaki Yokwazi Umgama Oya Empuma Okanye Entshona

Ngo-Oktobha 22, 1707, iinqanawa zomkhosi wamanzi waseBritani zenjenjeya ukusinga ngakwiEnglish Channel. Kodwa zazingayazi eyona ndawo zikuyo. Yaphumela entwenini loo nto? Ezine kwezi nqanawa zaqhekeka kwiZiqithi zaseScilly, iqela leziqithi ezikuLwandlekazi lweAtlantiki, kumzantsi-ntshona weLand’s End, eNgilani. Kwafa amadoda amalunga nama-2 000.

NGEZO mini oomatiloshe babekwazi ukufumanisa umgama abawuhambileyo ukuya emantla okanye emazantsi eIkhweyitha. Kodwa babengenandlela ichanileyo yokubala umgama abawuhambe ukuya empuma okanye entshona. Ebutsheni benkulungwane ye-18, amakhulukhulu eenqanawa ayesihl’ enyuka eAtlantiki nyaka ngamnye yaye ukuqhekeka kwazo kwakuyinto yomhla nezolo. Kodwa eyona nto yenza ukuba amaNgesi aqalise ukuzikhathaza ngengxaki yomgama oya entshona okanye empuma, yintlekele eyehla ngowe-1707.

Ngowe-1714 iPalamente yaseBritani yada yathembisa ngebhaso leepound ezingama-20 000 kuye nabani na onokuwuchana elwandle umgama oya empuma okanye entshona. Namhlanje elo bhaso beliya kulingana neebhiliyoni randi eziliqela.

Intsinda-badala Ebangel’ Umdla

Kwakunzima kakhulu ukuqikelela umgama oya empuma okanye entshona ngenxa yokuba kwakufuneka umntu alazi ixesha elichanileyo. Ngokomzekelo: Khawuzithelekelele uhlala eLondon. Kodwa emini emaqanda ufowunelwa ngumntu ohlala kwilizwe elisentla okanye elisezantsi kwelakho, kodwa iwotshi yakhe ithi, ixesha yeye-6:00 kusasa kwangemini efanayo. Loo nto ithetha ukuba ixesha lakhe lisemva ngeeyure ezintandathu kwelakho. Kuba ukwazi ukuma komhlaba, uye uthelekelele ukuba uhlala kuMntla Merika, apho ilanga lisandul’ ukuphuma ngelo xesha. Masithi ke ngoku ulazi ngqo elona xesha lelizwe lakhe, kungekhona ngokwendlela eyaziwa jikelele yokubala ixesha, kodwa ulazi ngokweyona ndawo likuyo ilanga kwilizwe lakhe. Unokukwazi ukuyibala ngokuchanileyo indawo akuyo.

Kwiinkulungwane ezadlulayo, enoba uphi na emhlabeni, umatiloshe ebekwazi ukubona xa kusemva kwemini kwindawo akuyo ngokujonga nje ilanga. Ukuba uyalazi ixesha elichanileyo lelizwe lakowabo, uqikelelo lwakhe lokuba undawoni, belunokuchana kangangeekhilomitha ezingama-50. Kwakufuneka kuphele iiveki ezintandathu ekwazile ukuyenza loo nto umntu ukuze afumane ibhaso esithethe ngalo ngasentla.

Noko ke, eyona ngxaki yayisiba kukwazi elona xesha lililo kwilizwe lakowabo. Umatiloshe wayenokuziphathela iwotshi enosiba, kodwa yayingenakumnceda nganto xa inqanawa ayikhweleyo iphoswa ngapha nangapha ngamaza abhudlayo, ibe ke ngelo xesha iiwotshi ezinezipringi zazingekaphucuki yaye zazingekachani. Kanti iiwotshi zazichatshazelwa nakukutshintsha kweqondo lobushushu. Kodwa kuthekani ngewotshi enkulu esijikelezileyo—isibhakabhaka kuquka inyanga?

Umsebenzi Omkhulu Wokujonga Ixesha Ezinkwenkwezini

Iingcali zeenkwenkwezi zeza nendlela yokubala ixesha ngokujonga umgama phakathi kwenyanga neenkwenkwezi. Le ndlela yayibandakanya ukulungiselela izicangca ezaziza kunceda oomatiloshe bazi indawo abakuyo ngokujonga umgama ophakathi kwenyanga neenkwenkwezi ezithile.

Ngaphezu kwenkulungwane, iingcali zeenkwenkwezi, iingcali zezibalo noomatiloshe bebebila besoma bezama ukusombulula le ngxaki, kodwa izinto zaxinga ngenxa yokuntsonkotha kwalo mba.

Mchweli Uthile Uthi Angayicombulula Le Ngxaki

Umchweli uJohn Harrison, ovela kwilali yaseBarrow Upon Humber, eLincolnshire, wagqiba kwelokuba ayibambe ngeempondo le ngxaki. Ngowe-1713, ngaphambi kokuba abe neminyaka engama-20 ubudala, uHarrison wenza iwotshi enamasiba, phantse yonke eyenza ngeplanga. Kamva, wayenza ngohlobo lokuba izixhobo ezikuyo zingakhuhlani ize ikwazi ukumelana nokutshintsha kwamaqondo obushushu. Ngelo xesha ezo wotshi zisemgangathweni ehlabathini zazisiba semva ngomzuzu suku ngalunye, kodwa iiwotshi zikaHarrison zazichane ngomzuzwana omnye ngenyanga.a

Emva koko, uHarrison wanikela ingqalelo kwindlela yokwazi ixesha elichanileyo xa uselwandle. Emva kokuhlolisisa lo mba kangangeminyaka emine, waya eLondon ukuya kufaka isicelo sakhe kwiBoard of Longitude, eyayinikwe ilungelo lokukhupha ibhaso. Apho lo kaHarrison wadityaniswa nomenzi weewotshi onkqenkqeza phambili, uGeorge Graham owamboleka imali engenanzala ukuze azenzele iwotshi. Ngowe-1735, uHarrison wabonisa iRoyal Society, iqela elibunjwa zizazinzulu eziphum’ izandla eBritani iwotshi yokuqala echanileyo ehlabathini eyayiza kusetyenziswa elwandle. Le wotshi yayinobunzima obuziikhilogram ezingama-34, inentsimbi emenyezelayo.

Lo kaHarrison nale wotshi yakhe bathunyelwa kulwandle lwaseLisbon—kungekhona eWest Indies, njengoko kwakufuneka kube njalo ukuze umntu afumane ibhaso—yaye le wotshi yenz’ izinto zamehlo. Ngewayenyanzelise ukuba ngokukhawuleza okudibene nokungxama iwotshi yakhe inqumle iAtlantiki ukuze abonise ukuba ilifanele ibhaso. Eneneni, kwintlanganiso yokuqala yeBoard of Longitude, ekuphela komntu owayigxekayo le wotshi nguHarrison ngokwakhe! Njengoko wayengumntu othanda ukwenza izinto zigqibelele, wayevakalelwa kukuba unokuyiphucula le wotshi. Ngoko wacela imalana nje nexesha elingakumbi ukuze enze enye iwotshi ebhetele.

Kwiminyaka emithandathu kamva iwotshi yesibini kaHarrison, eyayinobunzima obuziikhilogram ezingama-39 neyayiphuculwe, yaqhwatywelw’ izandla yiyo yonke iRoyal Society. Kodwa lo kaHarrison, owayesele eneminyaka engama-48 ubudala wayengekaneliseki. Wabuyela kwindawo awayesebenzela kuyo waza wachitha iminyaka eli-19 eyalandelayo, ezijul’ ijacu kwenye iwotshi eyahlukileyo, eyayiyeyesithathu ke ngoku.

Ngoxa wayesenza le wotshi yakhe inkulu yesithathu, uHarrison wafumanisa enye into ngengozi. Omnye umenzi weewotshi wenza enokungena epokothweni ngokubona leyo kaHarrison. Kwakusoloko kucingwa ukuba iiwotshi ezinkulu zichane ngaphezu kwezo zinokungena epokothweni. Kodwa uHarrison wamangaliswa kukuchana kwale wotshi incinane. Ngoko kunokuba athembe iwotshi yakhe yesithathu, kwathi xa ekugqibeleni kwalungiselelwa ukunqunyulwa kweAtlantiki kuvavanywa iiwotshi ngowe-1761, wathumela iwotshi yakhe yesine, ebunzima buyikhilogram enye, nawayenza ejonge leyo kagxa wakhe ingena epokothweni. Kuthiwa wathi lo kaHarrison: “Ndimbulela ngokusuka emazantsi entliziyo yam uThixo onguSomandla ngenxa yokuba ndiphile ixesha elingaka, ukuze noko ndiwugqibe lo msebenzi.”

Wadlelw’ Indlala

Noko ke, ngelo xesha kwakusele kumbovu ukuba iingcali ngeenkwenkwezi zifumane isicombululo kule ngxaki yomgama oya entshona okanye empuma. Ukongezelela, umntu owayesele eyintloko yeejaji ezaziza kukhupha ibhaso lemali wayeyingcali yeenkwenkwezi, uNevil Maskelyne. Iwotshi kaHarrison yavavanywa ngokunqumla iAtlantiki iintsuku ezingama-81. Yaqhuba njani le wotshi? Yaba semva ngemizuzwana nje emihlanu! Noko ke iijaji zakulibazisa ukunika uHarrison ibhaso, zisithi kukho imigaqo engalandelwanga yaye ibilithamsanqa nje into yokuba le wotshi ilibambe ixesha. Ngenxa yaloo nto, akazange alifumane lonke ibhaso. Kanti ngowe-1766, uMaskelyne wapapasha izicangca ezichaza iindawo ekuqikelelwa ukuba imi kuzo inyanga, ezanceda oomatiloshe ukuba babale umgama oya entshona okanye empuma ngesiqingatha nje seyure. UHarrison wayesoyika ukuba lo kaMaskelyne usenokulithatha eli bhaso.

Kwathi ke, ngowe-1772 kwangena uMatiloshe waseBritani uJames Cook kolu khuphiswano. Kuhambo lwakhe lwesibini oludumileyo, lo kaCook wasebenzisa iwotshi efana nekaHarrison, waza kamva wachaza ukuba isebenze kakuhle ngendlela ebengayilindelanga. Ngelo xesha, uHarrison owayesele eneminyaka engama-79 ubudala wayenomsindo ngenxa yeBoard of Longitude kangangokuba wafaka isibheno kukumkani waseNgilani. Ngenxa yoko, lo kaHarrison wayinikwa imali yebhaso awayengekayifumani ngowe-1773, nangona engazange avakaliswe ngokusemthethweni ukuba uphumelele. UJohn Harrison wafa kwiminyaka emithathu emva koko eneminyaka engama-83 ubudala.

Kwiminyaka nje embalwa emva koko, iiwotshi ezichanileyo zaselwandle zazifumaneka ngeepound ezingama-65. Eneneni, zenzeka izinto ezazibonakala zingenakwenzeka, ubukhulu becala ngenxa yobukrelekrele nokuzinikela komchweli wasezilalini.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umzobo/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 21]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Ukubona umgama oya entshona okanye empuma usebenzisa ixesha

YINTSIMBI YE-6:00 KUSASA. KUSEMINI EMAQANDA

EMNTLA MERIKA EBRITANI

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]

Umenzi weewotshi uJohn Harrison

[Inkcazelo]

SSPL/Getty Images

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]

Lo kaHarrison waqala wenza, iwotshi esebenza elwandle ebunzima buziikhilogram ezingama-34

[Inkcazelo]

National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Ministry of Defence Art Collection

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]

Iwotshi yesine yalo kaHarrison yayinobunzima obuyikhilogram enye (ayikho ngaka)

[Inkcazelo]

SSPL/Getty Images

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 20]

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