Umbukwane Wemikhumbi

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EFRANCE

NGO-JULY 1999 KWAHLANGANA IMIKHUMBI EMIHLE UKUYEDLULA YONKE EMHLABENI EROUEN, ENYAKATHO YEFRANCE, EMKHOSINI OMKHULU OBIZWA NGOKUTHI I-ARMADA OF THE CENTURY. IMIKHUMBI EMIKHULU ENGU-30 YAYIKLELE EMTATENI OVULEKILE ONGAMAKHILOMITHA ANGU-7 OWAWULUNGISELELWE LO MCIMBI.

Lesi senzakalo saziwa ngokuthi “umbukwane wasolwandle weminyaka eyinkulungwane.” Amakhonsathi, iziqhumane zokudlala, imibukiso yamatilosi nemibukiso yemifanekiso yasolwandle nezithombe kwafakwa ohlwini phakathi nalesi senzakalo.

Ukufika kwemikhumbi emihle kwenza uLwesihlanu, lwango-July 9, lwaba usuku oluvelele. Ezinsukwini eziyishumi ezalandela, izigidi zezivakashi ezisuka eFrance nakwamanye amazwe aseYurophu zatheleka kule ndawo yokugibela imikhumbi.

Eminye imikhumbi—njenge-Dar Młodziezy (yasePoland), i-Khersones (yase-Ukraine), i-Statsraad Lehmkuhl (yaseNorway) ne-Libertad (yase-Argentina)—iyizinqola ezihamba olwandle ezingamamitha ayikhulu ubude, kanti insika ende ukuzedlula zonke kule mikhumbi ingamamitha angu-50 ukuphakama ngaphezu kwamanzi.

Kwakukhona imikhumbi ephakeme eyayivela emazweni angu-16, ahlanganisa neBelgium, i-Ireland, iJalimane, iPortugal, iRussia, i-Uruguay neVenezuela. INetherlands yizwe elalimelelwe kahle kunawo wonke, ngoba yayinemikhumbi eyisithupha. Kule mikhumbi emihle kwakukhona umkhumbi onezinsika ezintathu i-Europa ne-Oorsterschelde endala, ewumkhumbi kaseyili onezinsika ezintathu owaqala ukusebenza ngo-1918, owawuvame ukuthwala izingodo, izinhlanzi, ubumba, okusanhlamvu, ifolishi nezithelo okwakusuka e-Afrika, eMediterranean nasenyakatho yeYurophu.

I-Armada yaba ithuba elivelele lokwanelisa ilukuluku lezivakashi. Kwabekwa amapulangwe okugibela, futhi wonke umuntu wayekwazi ukuvakashela emikhunjini kalula, mahhala.

Eminye imikhumbi iye yasetshenziswa kumabhayisikobho. Ngokwesibonelo, umkhumbi waseNorway i-Christian Radich wawudlala indima esemqoka kuyifilimu eyaqoshwa ngo-1958 ethi Windjammer. I-Kaskelot (ngesiDanish okusho “umkhoma”) endala eyakhiwe ngamapulangwe isike yasetshenziswa kumafilimu ambalwa, ahlanganisa ifilimu lesiFulentshi i-Beaumarchais I’insolent ne-Treasure Island eyaqoshwa kabusha.

I-Iskra yasePoland enezinsika ezintathu ihlukile ngenxa yokuthi inoseyili abangafani. Insika ephambili inoseyili oyisikwele, insika ephakathi nendawo inoseyili onezinhlangothi ezingalingani (oyi-trapezoid), kanti insika engemuva inoseyili ongunxantathu (oyi-Bermuda).

ERouen kwakukhona eminye imikhumbi emidala eyayikhishwe emanzini ngemva kokucwila yalungiswa kabusha. Ngokwesibonelo, abashisekeli abazimisele basiza ngokulungisa kabusha umkhumbi omuhle wase-Uruaguay i-Capitán Miranda. Umkhumbi i-Étoile Molène, owacwila ekuqaleni kwawo-1980 esikhumulweni semikhumbi saseDouarnenez, eBrittany, wakhishwa emanzini waphinde walungiswa abantu ababewukhathalela ngoba bewuthanda ngempela.

Phakathi nalo mcimbi inhlangano yendawo yabaxhumanisi bezingcingo abasafufusa yanquma ukuxhumanisa ngocingo umkhumbi i-Mir kanye nesiteshi saseRussia i-Mir esizungeza emkhathini. Ekugcineni, ngo-10:27 ebusuku, ngo-July 17, lo mkhumbi onezinsika ezintathu waxhumana “nozakwabo” osemkhathini. UKaputen’ uZorokhov wakwazi ukukhuluma noMkhuzi Wamabutho u-Afanassiev, owayesesiteshini sasemkhathini esisebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-350 ngaphezu komhlaba.

I-Armada yafinyelela umvuthwandaba ngeSonto, ngo-July 18, ngodwendwe olwahamba eMfuleni iSeine, lusuka eRouen lubheke olwandle oluvulekile. Amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu ayemi endleleni engamakhilomitha angu-120 ubude, ehalalisela amatilosi asemikhunjini njengoba imikhumbi yayidlula emadolobhaneni, emizini yezindela nasezinqabeni zaseNormandy.

Kamuva, le mikhumbi kaseyili emihle yafulathela ilibangise emncintiswaneni wemikhumbi, ukuyothwebula ibhayisikobho, noma kwesinye isenzakalo esibalulekile esikhumulweni semikhumbi esikude. Isikhumulo semikhumbi sabuyela esimweni saso esivamile. Kodwa abaseRouen bayohlale bekhumbula ukuthi, okungenani izinsuku eziyishumi, idolobha labo laba indawo eyinhloko okwahlangana kuyo imikhumbi edumile emhlabeni.

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 10]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Honfleur

Seine

Rouen

[Umthombo]

Maps on pages 10, 17, and 31: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

I-“Cuauhtemoc” yaseMexico enezinsika ezintathu

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

I-“Étoile Molène” ekhangayo yayikhishwe emanzini ngemva kokucwila yalungiswa kabusha

[Umthombo]

© GAUTHIER MARINES/ Photo Jo Gauthier

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

Umdwebo wetheku laseRouen kusukela ngo-1855, ngesikhathi imikhumbi kaseyili isanqamula eSeine

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Charles-Louis Mozin, Port de Rouen, vue générale © Rouen, Musée des Beaux-Arts

[Isithombe ekhasini 11]

IRouen, “idolobha elinemibhoshongo eyikhulu,” yaphenduka ihlathi lezinsika zemikhumbi

[Umthombo]

© GAUTHIER MARINES/ Photo Jo Gauthier