ITarawera Inhlekelele Yentaba-mlilo YaseNew Zealand

Ngumlobeli WePhaphama! ENew Zealand

UNGACABANGA yini ukuthi bekungaba njani ukuvuswa entathakusa umsindo wentaba eqhekekayo? Ubungazizwa kanjani lapho ulunguza efasiteleni kuthi ebudeni bamakhilomitha angaba ngu-30 ubone ubuhanguhangu bamalangabi nokugeleza okunganqamukiyo kwamatshe abomvu tebhu etshuza emoyeni? Bese uzwa umhlaba ngaphansi kombhede wakho uqala ukuzamazama? Uthukile, angithi? Phela, yilokho okwenzeka eRotorua, emaphakathi nezwe lesiQhingi esiseNyakatho eNew Zealand, ngo-2:00 ekuseni ngoJune 10, 1886, lapho kuqhuma iNtaba iTarawera. Ngalesosikhathi umuzi waseTe Wairoa waba iPompeii yaseNew Zealand, engcwatshwe iVesuvius yayo siqu.

Kulabo ababephila kuleyondawo nabasinda, kwakungokuhlangenwe nakho okwesabekayo. Omunye ufakazi wokuzibonela wathi: “Sabona ukubonakala okungekho-muntu owakubona ongakukhohlwa. . . . Intaba yayinemigodi emithathu evulekile, futhi amalangabi omlilo ayetshuzela phezulu ngamandla ekuphakameni [kuka-300 m].” Omunye, owayephumele ngaphandle ukuze abone lesimanga, wathi: “Umoya wanda, futhi sasingakafinyeleli endlini lapho liqala ukuna ngamandla, njengoba sasicabanga ukuthi kunjalo. Amafasitela aphukela ngaphakathi, futhi sathola ukuthi lokho esasicabanga ukuthi imvula kwakungamanyela namatshe. . . . Sizungezwe ukuzamazama komhlaba nomlilo, sama silindele ukufa.”

Ukuqhuma kochungechunge lwezintaba olungamakhilomitha angu-19 ubude kwadala uhide lwemigodi evulekile eyisishiyagalolunye. Kwehla njengemvula isisi sihlangene nomlotha. Imizi eyayiseduze nechibi, kanye nezakhamuzi zayo zaseMaori nabanye ababehlala lapho, cishe abangu-155, bangcwabeka, abaningi ngaphansi kodaka ekujuleni okungamamitha amaningana!

Amahlathi namasimu angamakhilomitha-skwele angu-16 000 ambozwa udaka, futhi izinsalela zentabamlilo zachaphazela ngisho nemikhumbi esebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-160 ukusuka ogwini. Isimanga sezimanga zomhlaba, amaPink Terrace namaWhite Terrace, “ubukhazikhazi bezimangaliso zobuciko obungokwemvelo,” acekelwa phansi kanye namathambo okhokho bamaMaori. (Wild New Zealand, ekhishwa iReader’s Digest) Lena kwakuyinhlekelele enkulu kakhulu eyenzeka esiqhingini esinokuthula saseNingizimu Pacific.

Ukuphila Kwasemzini WaseMaori

Emzini wasendulo waseTe Wairoa, amakhilomitha angu-14 ukusuka eNtabeni iTarawera, ukuphila kwangaphambi kwalokhu kuqhuma kwakunokuthula nokuchuma. Njengoba yayizinze ehlathini elisogwini lwechibi elibandayo iTarawera, yayingakutholi ukufudumala kwasemizini eseduze naseRotorua. Ngisho nangezinsuku ezibandayo, umuzi waseOhinemutu wawunezindawo ezinotshani obufudumele. Nokho, ngezikhathi zayo, iTe Wairoa yayivelele nangezinye izindlela. Yayakhelwe imigwaqo. Izindlu ezisendaweni engamahektare angu-0,2 zazingezomnikazi oyedwa futhi zazibiyelwe kunokuba zonke zibe sezweni lesizwe sisonke.

Njengoba ayakhiwe ngokufanele eduze kweChibi iTarawera, amahhotela amabili eTe Wairoa ayenikeza usizo olufudumele ezivakashini ezikhathele zaseYurophu zangawo-1880. Lapho zazingaphumula ekugibeleni amakalishi adonswa amahhashi ezindleleni zasehlathini ezinezikhisi, ezonakaliswe isimo sezulu. Njengoba kwakuwumkhuba, ngosuku olulandelayo, zivunule ngezingubo zazo ezisika ukhasi, zazithatha uhambo oluya kumaPink Terrace namaWhite Terrace. Njengoba ngalesosikhathi zazidume ngokuthi ziyisimangaliso sezwe, lezindonga zazichazwa ‘njengezitsha ezinkulu ezimhlophe ezishiyanayo ngobukhulu . . . ngokusondela esiqongweni futhi zigcwaliswe ngamanzi anombala oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka omuhle kakhulu ombozwe ngobumhlophe obukhazimulayo . . . futhi wonke amaPink Terrace ebomvana okugqamile, enalawomanzi amahle aluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ezitsheni ezinkulu ezivulekile.” Intsha yamaMaori yayigxumela emadanyini ashisayo angokwemvelo ayesakazeke nazo zonke izindawo eyayihamba kuzo, futhi abantu abadala babegeza khona ukuze bathobe imizimba yabo ekhathele.

Ngaphansi kwalezindunduma, emanzini aluhlaza okotshani agcwele udaka eChibi iRotomahana, kwakunemithombo yamanzi ephophomayo. Amanye ayephuma njengeziphethu ekujuleni kwamanzi futhi ayeshisa kakhulu kangangoba umpheki womdabu ongumMaori wayekwazi ukupheka kuwo amakumera (amazambane omdabu) noma ikoura (inhlanzi esankalankala yasemanzini acwebile). Izivakashi zazikujabulela ukunambitha lezibiliboco ngezikhathi zamadili ayenzelwa ngasechibini zinabaqondisi bezivakashi abangamaMaori, njengoKate noSophia, abaziyisa kulezindonga ngezikebhe ezenziwe ngezihlahla ezincwelwe phakathi.

Isixwayiso Senhlekelele

Ukuqhuma kwazo zontathu iziqongo zeNtaba iTarawera kwakungalindelwe ngokuphelele. Wonke lamagama esiMaori, elithi Wahanga, Ruawahia, nelithi Tarawera ayesikisela umlilo, kodwa yayingekho imigodi yentabamlilo kulentaba futhi ngaleyondlela lwalungekho uphawu lwengozi. Eqinisweni, emakhulwini eminyaka isiqongo saseTarawera (njengoba yonke lentaba yayibizwa kanjalo) sasibhekwa njengenkundla elondekile yokungcwaba okhokho bamaMaori futhi yayiyitapu, noma ingcwele. Ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi lamagama ayebhekisela esimweni esingokwemvelo sesibomvu senhlabathi. Kwakwenzeke izenzakalo ezithile ezincane kodwa ezingavamile, njengalapho uSophia ezinsukwini eziyishumi ngaphambili wayeye esikhumulweni esincane lapho babeshiye khona izikebhe, wazithola nje zisendaweni eyomile osebeni lwesikhumulo. Njengoba ayemi lapho, isikhukhula esizumayo samanzi, esinjengegagasi, saphakamisela izikebhe phezulu futhi sazibuyisela emuva osebeni lwesikhumulo. Uma kubhekwa emuva, okuwukuphela kwezixwayiso zangempela, kwakuwukuzamazama komhlaba okubelesela ngokungavamile nezinga eliphakeme kakhulu lokushisa eChibini iRotomahana. Nakuba lokhu kwabangela ukwesaba okuthile, akuzange kunikeze uphawu lwencithakalo eyayizolandela.

Ukuvakasha Okwakuvusa Umzwelo

Namuhla, eminyakeni eyikhulu kamuva, izivakashi ezifika kulendawo embiwe yaseTe Wairoa, manje ebizwa ngokuthi uMuzi Ongcwatshiwe, ngokuyinhloko azibi nokukhathalela ngokwesaba okwalethwa yilobobusuku.

Nathi asizange sibe nakho, njengoba sasilandela izindlela ezimazombezombe phakathi kwezinsalela zamawhare (izindlu ezincane) amaMaori, ezazimbiwe kusukela ngawo-1930.a Izinyoni ezinemisila enezinsiba eziningi zandizela emakhanda ethu njengoba ukunyathela kwethu kwakuvusa izilokazane zazo ezizithandayo. Kwakunzima ukubukholelwa ubudlova nokwesaba okwehlela abantu ababephila lapho.

Sathi ukuma kancane ngasemnyango endlini ekhanya kalufifi futhi sehlela phansi endaweni eyayiyisitezi sokuqala sesakhiwo. Sacabanga ngezicathulo zomntwana ezazimbozwe udaka kanye nombhede womntwana ogqwalile wekhulu le-19 leminyaka esasiwubone ngaphambili embukisweni. Ingabe kwakungezomntwana owayehlala kulendlu encane? Ingabe wayedlala phansi emhlabathini wodaka esasimi kuwo manje?

Kweminye imibukiso, sahlatshwa umxhwele njengoba sasigqolozele ibhodlela lewayini elambiwa ngo-1949 nojeke abathathu bamantongomane agqunyiwe abavubukulwa ngo-1963, wonke evalwe aqiniswa ngezivalo zawo. Lalinambitheka kanjani iwayini kanye namantongomane aneminyaka eyikhulu ekhona? sazibuza. Sasingafisi nokulizwa! Nokho, izinhliziyo zethu zadumala lapho sifunda ukulandisa kwabasinda ephephandabeni elidala elalisembukisweni. UNkz. Haszard, umama wabantwana abane, watholwa ephila abatakuli abathola ezintathu zezingane zakhe, ezimbili zisezinhlangothini zakhe, nenye isesezingalweni zakhe, zivimbaniswe kabi udaka nomlotha okwehlela kuzo zaze zafa. Ecindezelwe isisindo esikhulu sodaka nezinsika zendlu ezisindayo, wayengenawo amandla okuphendula ukukhalela kwazo usizo.

Umphumela

Namuhla kubantu abangu-50 000 baseRotorua akusasho lutho ukuthi baphila ethunzini lentaba enobudlova kangaka. Futhi akuzikhathazi neze izivakashi ezingaphezu kuka-800 000 unyaka ngamunye ezijabulela imisebenzi nezindawo eziningi okuyingqayizivele okutholakala kulelizwe elifudumele. Kusukela phansi ekujuleni, abanye abantu baseNew Zealand badonsa ukushisa namanzi angokwemvelo ngamapayipi ukuze bafudumeze amadamu abo okubhukuda asezindlini nawangaphandle. Nokho, ezingqondweni zabo, bayazi ukuthi eminyakeni eminingi edlule, amanzi ashisa kakhulu abawabona enyuka ngemifantu emhlabathini, futhi aqongelela udaka olubilayo, ayewubufakazi bamandla afihlekile ahlukanisa phakathi intaba okuthiwa iTarawera futhi angcwaba umuzi waseTe Wairoa.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

INtaba iTarawera nomfantu wayo ongamakhilomitha ayisithupha ubude, kanye neChibi iTarawera kujana

[Izithombe ekhasini 18]

Isibonelo se“whare” yamaMaori, noma indlwana eyambozwa umlotha wentaba-mlilo

Ingaphakathi le“whare” yamaMaori eyambiwa, elibonisa iziko nezitsha

Izinsalela zikahhavini wokubhaka owenziwa incithakalo ngo-1886

[Umthombo]

Above photos: Published with the permission of The Buried Village