Hlola, Buthelela, Rhweba
Akusibo boke abakhambi be-Europe abangena e-Namaqualand egade batjheje ukuhlulwa. Abanengi bangenaesifundenesi, bazokubuthelela barhwebe bebazume. U-Johannes Rhenius, ukwenza isibonelo walinga ukurhweba kabili e-Garies ngonyaka ka-1721 kanye newaka-1724. Ngetjhudu u-Rhenius gade amkhwenyani ka-Olof Bergh, owatlama i-northern ‘highway’ ngonyaka ka-1682.
Abazumi abahlukahlukeneko ekhabe bazula zula esifundenesi kubudisi ukubakhomba. Khabe bangabeki ama-journals begodu gade bakhamba ngokuzifihla ngebanga lokobana banganamvume. Nanyana kunjalo amalunga azumako la kudlunjanwa kobana babantu bebala elimhlophe bokuthoma ababona i-Orange River.
Lokhu kungenzeka kobana kwenzeka ngeminyaka yabo-1728, lokha iwoma labalimi ababuya e-Piketberg bayaekhambeni lokuzuma epumalanga. Lapha, bahlangaba nomlambo onableko egade abahlali balapha ngelokuthi yi-the !Gariep (Great River).
Godu kuthiwa bahlangana namanje amakhuwa ekugcineni komlambo we-Gariep, begodu umzumi wendlovu u- Pieter de Bruyn. Kodwana asikho isiqiniseko sokobana lokhu kwenzeka.
Ngazo zoke Iinzathu Ezimbi
Eliinye Ikhambo, ngonyaka ka-1739 abakhona amarekhodi enziweko wangokomthetho, kodwana ngenzathu ezimbi. Isqhema sabazumi bawela umlambo we-Orange baya e-Great Namaqualand (Namibia) lapha bahlala khona iinyanga asbayeni sekosi u-Gal. Lokha nabasukako, babawa abasebenzi babo kobana bahlasele bathathe iinkomo esibayeni, ngokuzeba, bona babaphe inzuzo ngazo. Bathi nasazeba njalo e-Namaqualand, baragela phambili bahlasela beba, iinkomo ezidlula eziyi-1000 babulala abafazi kanye nabentwana abambalwa.
Koke lokhu kwezwakala ngemva kokobana abajameli abonakalelweko baye eKapa bayokunghonghoyila. Ngitjho nensebenzi egade kungizo ezihlasele zona zabalabala ngokobana akhange babaphe iinkomo ababathembise zona. Ekusekelweni kwabazum abathandwako, ikampani yathatha isiqunto sokobana ithathe iinkomo ezetjiweko zibe ngezabo!
Ikhambo lokuthoma elaba semthethweni lokuya e-Gariep lenziwa ngu-Jacobus Jansz Coetse owathatha ikhambeli ngonyaka ka-1760. Gade amfuyi we-Piketberg ogade ayokuzuma iindlovu, atjhiya umfazakhe kobana agade iplasi lomndeni. U-Coetse wathatha ikhambo ngenkarikana ezimbili alayitjhe abathwa abalisumi nambili, wakhamba i-Namaqua leya yoke waze wafika emadongeni we-Gariep.
Wawelela umlambo we-Ramansdrift oseduze kwe-Gu-daos (epateni yezimvu ). Lo kwakumlambo ogade usetjenziswa bafuyi be-Namaqua, begodu kwanjesi sele waziwa ngebizo esele loniwe i-‘Goodhouse’. Ngendlela le yokungazenzisi, u-Coetse waba muntu omhlophe wokuthoma kobana atlole ngekhambo lakhe lokuwelela umlambo i-Orange River aye enarheni i-Great Namaqua.
Incenye Yekhambo Elisemthethweni
Ngemva kokobana u-Coetse athathe ikhambeli, kwathathwa isiqunto sokobana kuthathwe incenye yekhambeli langokomthethweli lokuhlola isifunda sepumalanga ye-Gariep. Eyadodwa ngu-Hendrik Hop, owabophelela iinkarikana zakhe ezilisumi nesihlanu ngonyaka ka-1761.
U-Jacobus oetse wakhamba nabo wayobatjengisa indlela kanye no-Carel Brink owabe adlala indima yokobana atlole ngezinto eziqakatheke khulu ebahlangana naso lokha nasekhambeneli. Ngokuya ngokuka-Brink, abahlali be-Namaqua abahlangana nabo gade batlhaga, banenkomo ezimbalwa begodu gade banokuhlaselwa ma-‘Bosjesmans’.
IPhath ka-Hop yawelela umlambo e-Gu-daos baragela phambili baya epumalanga baze bafika endaweni ye-Keetmanshoop. Lpaha, bakateleleka kobana bajike ngebanga lokobana gade kutjhisa khulu ehlobo.
Elinye ilunga eligade lihlangana nabakhambeli, u- Dr.Carel Rykvoet, wathatha ithuba lokwenza irhubhululo lokobana akekho amaminerali na endaweni le. Wahlola intaba yekhopha i-Van der Stel’s Copper wamemezela bona ikhopha elapho ayisiyihle.
Waya e-Richtersveld, etjingalanga ye-Gu-daos, lapha athola khona bona yinengi-kuze kufike ekhopheni yesithathu. Nanyana kunjalo, wabona bona amatje agade alapha aqinile, ihlabathi yakhona ayikavundi begodu kukude khulu kobana bangathatha amaminerali lawo.
Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana