Ukuhlola iOrange River

Iqela Lesizukulwana Esitsha Sabahloli

©Jacques Marais

Ngeminyaka yo 1770, iqela elitsha labahloli langena eNamaqualand. Yayizi nzululwazi, ababukeli beentaka, nabasebenza ngezityalo ababetsalwe zizityalo ezingaqhelekanga zalo mmandla nezilwanyana zasendle. Eliqela laliquka uFrancis Masson, osebenza ngezityalo esuka eKew Gardens owayethunyelwe yikumkani yase Ngilane ukuqokelela imbewu nezityalo eziphilayo besenzela indlu eluhlaza yasebukhosini. uMasson wachitha ixesha elininzi ehamba amazwe ngamazwe, kuquka nohambo lokujikeleza uMzantsi Afrika awalenza kabini ngonyaka ka 1772 -1774 kunye no 1786-1795.
Waqokelela iintyatyambo ezaziwa ngokuba zi stapelids kummandla wase Kamieskroon ngo 1774. uMasson wayehlala ekhatshwa ngomnye umqokeleli oqaphelekayo, uCarl Thunberg, ‘utata wezityalo ekapa’. Bobabini,bandwendwela iSouthern edge yase Knersvlakte, cebu kufuphi ne Vanrhynsdorp, ngo 1774.
Aba babini babane galelo elikhulu kulwazi lase ntshona nge Namaqualand yayingu Robert Jacob Gordon kunye no William Paterson. uGordon, osuka kwelase Holland, yayingumhambi wamazwe okwididi eliphezulu owayethabatha uhambo olude kaninzi eMzantsi Afrika. Kwaku kwelinye uhambo apho, ngo 1777, wadibana nomlambo ‘omkhulu’ kufuphi ne Bethulie wayibiza okokuba yi Orange, ngozuko lwendlu yobukhosi yase Orange, iziphatha mandla zase Holland. uGordon wayekrokrela okokuba lomlambo uhamba uyokupela elwandle, kodwa akazange akwazi ukubonakalisa oko ngeloxesha.

Ukufumana Umlomo

©Nigel J Dennis

Ngo nyaka ka 1779, uGordon wadibana nogxawakhe ababehamba bonke amazwe ngamazwe ogama lingu William Paterson ukuze bazame ukufumana umlomo womlambo obizwa ngokuba yi Orange River. uPaterson wayelityendyana lom Britane eliseze ngobuzo ezweni, kwaye wayesebenza ngezityalo, wayethunyelwe eKapa ngulowo wayengu gxa wakhe, u’Lady’ Strathmore. Wabasematheni ngokwendaba ngexesha alapha eMzantsi Afrika.
Ngelinye ixesha watyholwa ngokubayi mpimpi yama Britane, ekuhambeni kwexesha kwavakala okokuba ufumene igolide emazantsi womlambo iOrange River, kodwa waligcina elihlebo akaxelela mntu. Nangona uPaterson wayesele esuka emazantsi womlabo iOrange River ngo 1778 apho wathi wajonga khona umgodi omdala we khopha (copper) ongqunge indawo yase Springbok, awayifumana imenza umdla. Lilonke wayewu qhelile lommandla xa yena no Gordon basingisa kwelase mazantsi.
Umgama omfutshane ukusuka eKapa, babanentlahla yokuba badibane no Hendrik Wikar, umabhalane wenkampani iDutch East India, owaye bhacile eKapa ngo 1775 ngenxa yamatyala okungcakaza angazange awabhatale. uWilka emveni koko wachitha iminyaka emininzi ezula-zula kumlambo i-Orange River ekhatshwa ngabahlali abanobubele wabhala inkcazelo engenabuzaza ngendawo wayithumela kunqgongqoshe wama Datshi (Dutch), uVan Plettenberg.
Lenkcazelo yabonakala ibalulekile ze ungqongqoshe wamxolela uWilka, owayesendleleni esingise kwelase Kapa, logama adibana no Paterson kunye no Gordon. Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, uWilka wanikeza abahambeli ababini ulwazi olubalulekileyo ngohambo ababezakulithabatha.
Noxa kwakunjalo, uhambo lwaba nobunzima. Isanti ethambileyo ye Sandveld yayihlala inzima kubahambi. Kodwa uGordon no Paterson babezimisele ukugcina unxweme endaweni yokusingisa eNtsona kumhlaba onobunzima ngakumbi.
Banyamezela baqhubeka ukutyhala indawo esingise kumlambo iBuffels River (kufuphi nendawo eyaziwa ngokuba yi Kleinzee kulemihla) ukuya eMacDougalls Bay (cebukuhle kwindawo eyaziwa ngokuba yi Port Nolloth kule mihla) kwakhona nge Holgat River Gorge, de bayokufikelela kumlomo womlambo we Orange River ngomhla we 17 August 1779. Oluhambo lufutshane lwe khilomitha eziyi 120 labathabatha iintsuku ezilithoba.

Ukuthiywa kwe Orange River

Ukufika kwabo, bothula isikhephe esincinci ababe fike naso, kwaye ngokuka Paterson, ‘yaziswa (inqanawe) kwaye inemibala yama Datshi. Injengele uGordon wacela ukusela okwezempilo, kulandele inkosana yase Orange; emveni kokuba enikeze umlambo igama elithi Orange River ngokuzukisa loNkosana’. Umsitho wesibini wokunikeza igama wenziwa kuba uGordon wayengaqinisekanga okokuba yayingumlambo omnye nalo wayewubone eBethulie.
Bafika nge nqanawe amantla womlambo, apho badibana khona nohlanga oluthile lwama khoikhoi elihamba lihlala kwii ndawo ngendawo, ze uGordon wabazoba. Iintsuku ezilandelayo zachithwa kuhanjwa-hanjwa umlambo omkhulu we Orange, ojikeleze indawo eyaziwa kulemihla ngokuba yi Richtersveld National Park.
Abahambi emveni koko babuyela kumlambo iBuffels River, apho bohlukana khona; uPaterson wasingisa kwelase Kapa ze uGordon wabuyela eOrange walandela umlambo ngase mpuma ukuya ngaku mmandla iPrieska, kukrokreleka okokuba wayefuna ukuzeneza okokuba ngenene yayingu mlambo omnye owawunikeza igama lokuqala ngonyaka ka 1777.

Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie