Rendzo ro Tiva Orange River

Ntlawa Wuntshwa wa Vateki va Rendzo

©Jacques Marais

Eka malembe yava 1770s, ntlawa wuntshwa wunghenile e Namaqualand. Lava akuri ti scientists, ornithologists nati botanists lavanga kokiwa rinoko eka ndzhawu liya hikwalaho ka swimilani leswo hlamarisa na fauna yoka yinga tolovelekangi. Ntlawa lowu awu katsa Francis Masson, botanist yohuma e Kew Gardens loyi a rhumeriwe hi hosi yale England kuta kuma mbewu na swimilani leswi hanyaka leswaku swita byariwa e jarateni rale vuhosini. Masson u hete malembe ari eku fambeni matiko, kukatsa tendzo timbirhi tota e Afrika Dzonda hi 1772-1774 na hi 1786-1795. U hlengelete ti Stapeliads kusuka endzhawini ya Kamieskroon hi 1774. Masson a tshamela ku heleketiwa hi muhlengeleti wandhuma, Carl Thunberg, loyi vange i ‘father of Cape Botany’. Kun’we, va vhakele edzongeni wa Knersvlakte, kusuhi nale Vanrhynsdorp, nakona hi 1774.
Va hoxa xandla vambirhi eka vutivi bya western canon e Namaqualand laha Robert Jacob Gordon na William Paterson. Gordon, a Hollander, ari munhu loyi a tshamela ku famba swinene loyi anga teka tendzo totala kuta e Afrika Dzonga. Akuri eka rin’wana ra tendzo ta yena hi 1777, laha anga hlangana na nambu lowukulu kusuhi nale Bethulie kutani awuthya vito ra Orange, hiku xixima yindlu ya vuhosi ya Orange, vafumi va tiko ra Holland. Gordon a ehleketa leswaku nambu lowu wukhuluka kuya fikela e lwandle kambe anga koti kuswitiyisisa.

Ku Kuma Nomo

©Nigel J Dennis

Kutani, hi 1779, Gordon u kumane na loyi a tshamela ku famba loyi avaku i William Paterson kuringeta kuya kuma nomo wa nambu wa Orange River. Paterson ari botanist leyintsongo ya Britain loyi anga rhumeriwa kuya e Cape museketeri woka anga tolovelekangi, Lady Strathmore. U tiphinile hi swotala loko ahari laha tikweni ra Afrika Dzonga. Kuna nkarhi laha anga hehliwa kuva ari xioxa nyama xa Britain, laha endzhaku kunga vuriwa leswaku a thumbe nsuku etibuweni ta nambu wa Orange River, kambe uswi hlayise tani hi xihundla. Hambi swiritano, Paterson hinkarhi walowo se ayile etibuweni ta nambu wa Orange hi 1778 loko ayile kuya vona timayini ta koporo ta khale laha namuntlha kuvuriwaka e Springbok, laha anga vona kuri na ntshembo waku humelela. Se, ayitiva kahle ndzhawu leyi loko yena na Gordon va teka rendzo roya e n’walungwini.
Mpfhuka nyana wuntsongo kusuka e Cape Town, vave na nkateko waku hlangana na Hendrik Wikar, klerk ya Dutch East India Company, loyi anga tsutsuma e Cape Town hi 1775 hikwalaho ka swikweleti leswi anga swihakelangiki swaku tlanga madayizi. Wikar se a hete malembe nyana arikarhi a jikajika etlhelo ka nambu wa Orange River ari na van’wana vavaaki naswona a tsale xiviko xoka xingari xa ximfumo hindzhawu liya lexi anga xirhumela eka Dutch Governor, Van Plettenberg. Xiviko lexi axitekiwa xipfuna swinene leswinga endla leswaku governor a rivalela Wikar, loyi ari endleleni yotlhelela e Cape Town loko ata hlangana na Paterson na Gordon. Aswikanakanisi, Wikar unyike vateka tendzo lava vuxokoxoko bya nkoka swinene hita rendzo leri landzelaka.
Hambi swiritano, rendzo leri ari tika. Sandi leyivevukaka yale Sandveld ayi tikela vapfhumba, kambe Gordon na Paterson ava tiyimiserile ku tshama eka coast ematshan’wini yakuya evupela dyambu laha misava yinga tiyela. Se vakondzelerile kutani va sukumeta ndlela ya vona ya ku suka e Buffels River (laha namuntlha hinge hile Kleinzee) kuya e MacDougalls Bay (namuntlha hiri hile Port Nolloth) kutani va hundza hille Holgat River Gorge, kufikela vaya fika e Orange River Mouth hiti 17 August 1779. Ndzhawu leyi yintsongo ya kwalomu ka 120 km yiva tekele nkaye wa masiku.

Ku Thyiwa Vito ra Orange River

Loko va fika, va pakunule xikepe xavona xintsongo lexi vangata na xona naswona, kuya hi Paterson, ‘vanghenise xikepe lexi axi khome mujeko lowungana muhlovo ya Dutch. Colonel Gordon u gangisele xin’wiwa xosungula eka rihanyu ra mfumo, kutani kulandzela ra Prince of Orange; endzhaku kaswona hiloko ata thya vito nambu wa Orange River hiku xixima prince.’ Ku thyiwa ravumbirhi swa ximfumo akuri hikuva Gordon angaha tshembi leswaku hiwona nambu lowu anga vona Bethulie ka wona.
Kutani vaya yimisa xikepe e n’walungwini wa ribuwa ra nambu, laha vanga hlangana nati Strandlopers, leti Gordon anga ti dirowa. Masiku lawa ya landzelaka ya tekiwe kurikarhi ku fambiwa eka kupetseka lokukulu ka nambu wa Orange, laha ku petsekelaka etlhelo ra ntanga wa Richtersveld National Park. Vapfhumba lava vahetelele vatlhelele e Buffels River, laha vanga fika vahambana kona; Paterson a kongoma e Cape Town kasi Gordon a tlhelela e Orange kutani a landzelela nambu kuya evuhumadyambu kuya endzhawini ya Prieska, hitshemba leswaku alava kutikhorwisa leswaku himpela hiwona nambu lowu anga wuthya rosungula hi 1777.

Translated by Ike Ngobeni