‘Lomkhuba Omubi Wokubhema Ugwayi’
‘KUYENYANYEKA emehlweni, kuyazondeka ekhaleni, kuyalimaza engqondweni, kuyingozi emaphashini.’
Ibhalwe cishe eminyakeni engamakhulu amane edlule, lencazelo iphetha imibono yasobala eyayimelene nokubhema eyayinesihloko esithi A Counterblaste to Tobacco, eyakhishwa ikakhulukazi uKing James I waseNgilandi, owaxhasa inguqulo yeBhayibheli ka-1611 eyaziwa ngokuthi iKing James Version.
Yini eyashukumisela lokhu, futhi yiziphi izifundo esingazithola?
Ukusetshenziswa Kwawo Kwezokwelapha Nokunye
Lapho uChristopher Columbus ebuyela eYurophu ngemva kokuvakashela kwakhe eMelika ngo-1492, wabuya nezimbewu ezithile zesithombo amaNdiya aseMelika ayesazisa ngenxa yezimfanelo zaso zokwelapha. Kamuva, uNicholas Monardes wachaza lelikhambi ngokuthi itabaco (noma ipicielt, ngokwamaNdiya). AbaseSpain ababenqobile babethole ukubaluleka kwalo ekwelapheni izilonda ezazibahlupha, ‘bezisindisa ngokunenzuzo enkulu.’—Joyful News Out of the New Found World, inguqulo yesiNgisi kaJohn Frampton, 1577.
Nokho, kwakungokunye ukusetshenziswa kwalesithombo, okwadonsa ngokukhethekile ukunakekela kwabahloli bamazwe. UMonardes uyachaza:
‘Esinye sezimangaliso zalelikhambi, futhi esenza laziswe kakhulu, yindlela abaPristi bamaNdiya ababelisebenzisa ngayo. Uma kwakuba khona noma luhlobo luni lomsebenzi phakathi kwamaNdiya, obaluleke kakhulu, okudingeka kuwo ukuba amakhosi abonane nabapristi bawo, umPristi wawo omkhulu wayethatha amahlamvu athile eTabaco futhi awafake emlilweni, futhi wayedonsela intuthu yawo emlonyeni wakhe nasekhaleni lakhe ngomhlanga, futhi lapho eyigwinya, wayewela emhlabathini, njengomuntu ofile, futhi ahlale kanjalo, kuye ngobungako bentuthu ayigwinyile. Uma ikhambi seliwenzile umsebenzi walo, wayesanguluka futhi aphaphame, abese ewanika izimpendulo zawo, ngokwemibono nezithunzi azibona. Ngendlela efanayo wonke amaNdiya, ngenxa yesikhathi sawo esidlule, kuyenzeka ahogele intuthu yeTabaco.’
UMnumzane Walter Raleigh wathatha iVirginia ngo-1584. Njengoba lendawo entsha yayikhula, isiko lamaNdiya lokubhema ugwayi lavama nakulezo zakhamuzi ezifikayo. Emuva eNgilandi, ‘kwakunguRaleigh ngokuyinhloko owaqalisa lomkhuba nokugqugquzela lenkolo,’ kugcizelela isazi-mlando uA. L. Rowse.
I“Counterblaste”
Nokho, owaphikisa lomkhuba omusha, kwakuyiyo kanye inkosi yakhe, uJames. Wabhala phansi ukuze axwayise izikhonzi zakhe ngezingozi zokubhema ugwayi.
‘Ukuze ukulutha okunhlobonhlobo kwalomkhuba omubi wokubhema uGwayi kubonakale kakhudlwana, kufanelekile ukuba uqale ngokucabangela kokubili indlela owaqala ngayo, futhi ngokufanayo nezizathu zokungena kwawo kokuqala kulelizwe.’ Iqala kanjalo iCounterblaste edumile. Ngemva kokubukeza lokho inkosi eyakubiza ngokuthi umkhuba ‘omubi kakhulu nongathandeki’ wokusebenzisa intuthu kagwayi ekwelapheni izifo, uJames ubhala phansi amaphuzu amane abantu ababewasebenzisa ekugunyazeni lomkhuba wabo:
1. Ukuthi ubuchopho babantu buyabanda futhi bumanzi, futhi ngenxa yalokho, zonke izinto ezomile nezishisayo (njengentuthu kagwayi) kumelwe zibulungele.
2. Ukuthi lentuthu, ngokushisa kwayo, amandla, nobuhle bemvelo, kumelwe iphelise kokubili ikhanda nesisu okubangelwa umkhuhlane nokuphazamiseka okungokomzwelo.
3. Ukuthi abantu babengeke bathonywe yilomkhuba kakhulu kangaka uma babengazange bathole ngokuhlangenwe nakho ukuthi wawubalungele.
4. Ukuthi abaningi bayakhululeka ekuguleni nokuthi akukho muntu owake wathola ukulimala ekubhemeni ugwayi.
Ngokuvumelana nolwazi lwesimanje olungokwesayensi, ngokungangabazeki uzovumelana kahle namaphuzu kaJames aphikisayo. Intuthu kagwayi akukhona ukuthi iyashisa futhi yomile nje kuphela kodwa, kunalokho, ‘inamandla athile anoshevu ahlangene nokushisa kwayo.’ ‘Ukuhogela leyontuthu ukuze welaphe umkhuhlane kuyefana nokudla inyama futhi uphuze iziphuzo ezikuqumbisayo ukuze uvikele izinhlungu zesisu!’ Abanye abantu bathi sebebheme iminyaka eminingi kungaveli nanoma yimiphi imiphumela emibi, kodwa ingabe lokho kwenza ukubhema kube nenzuzo?
UJames wabonisa ngokunamandla ukuthi ‘nakuba izifebe ezindala zingase zihlanganise ubude bokuphila kwazo nemikhuba yazo yokuziphatha okubi, azilinaki iqiniso lokuthi onondindwa abaningi bafa ngaphambi kwesikhathi’ ngenxa yezifo ezithathelwana ngobulili abazitholayo. Futhi kuthiwani ngezidakwa ezindala ezikholelwa ukuthi zandisa izinsuku zazo ‘ngokudla kwazo okufana nokwezingulube’ kodwa ezingacabangi ngokuthi zingaki ezinye ezifa ‘zihileleke ophuzweni ngaphambi kokuba zibe sebudaleni obuphakathi’?
Izono Nobuwula
Esewachithile amaphuzu asekela ukubhema, ngokulandelayo uJames udonsela ukunakekela ‘ezonweni nasebuwuleni’ obenziwa yilabo ababhemayo. Ugcizelela ukuthi, esivelele phakathi kwalezi isono senkanuko. Benganelisiwe ukuhogela intuthu encane kagwayi, abaningi baqalekela eyengeziwe. Ngempela, ukulutha kwenicotine kuye kwaba isici esivamile.
Futhi kuthiwani ‘ngobuwula’? UJames ulahla umuntu obhema ugwayi ngaleliphuzu: ‘Ingabe akukhona yini kokubili ubuwula obukhulu nokungcola ukuthi etafuleni, indawo yokuhlonishwa, uphafuze intuthu engcolile futhi unuke kabi, ukhipha intuthu, wonakalisa umoya, lapho abanye abakhona bewenyanya lomkhuba?’
Njengokungathi uyazazi izingozi eziningi zempilo ababhemayo ababhekene nazo, uJames uthi: ‘Ngokuqinisekile intuthu iba ikhishi elingcono kakhulu kunegumbi lokudlela, futhi nokho ngokuvamile yenza ikhishi ezingxenyeni ezingaphakathi ebantwini, izingcolisa futhi izonakalisa, ngensizi enamafutha nebushelelezi, njengoba kuye kwatholwa kubabhemi abathile abakhulu bakaGwayi abaye bahlinzwa ngemva kokufa kwabo.’
Efinyelelisa ukuphikisa kwakhe emvumthwandaba, uJames uyaqhubeka: ‘Lapha akubona nje ubuze obukhulu kuphela kodwa ukudelelwa okukhulu kwezipho ezinhle zikaNkulunkulu, ukuthi ubumnandi bomoya womuntu, njengoba buyisipho esihle sikaNkulunkulu, kumelwe bungcoliswe ngamabomu yilentuthu enuka kabi!’
[Isithombe ekhasini 13]
UKing James I
[Umthombo]
UMnumzane Walter Raleigh
[Isithombe ekhasini 13]
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
[Umthombo]
Courtesy of the Trustees of The British Museum