Abaqoqi Bokuqala e-Richtersveld

I-Gordon's Bay

©Shem Compion

Lapho ebuya ekuhloleni uMlomo womfula i-Orange ngo-1779, ukhenela Gordon waba ngumlawuli weDutch Garrison eKapa. Waqhubeka nokuhamba, ukudweba nokuhlukanisa izimangaliso ezehlukene zemvelo azibona. Isitshalo seHodiadia gordonii sigama ngemuva kwakhe. Kwathi-ke, ngo-1795, uNapoleon waqala ukudala inkinga eYurophu futhi wachitha indlu yobukhosi yase-Orange.
AbaseBrithani bathatha inkosi yaseDutch edingisiwe futhi bathumela imikhumbi yemikhumbi ukuba bayothatha iKapa esikhundleni sakhe. Ngakho-ke, ukwethembeka kukaGordon kwaqhekeka phakathi komndeni wasebukhosini obususiwe phansi kanye namakhosi akhe amasha alawulwa uNapoleon, iRiphabhuliki yaseDutch.
Ngemva kokuba abaseBrithani benqobe amabutho aseDutch e-Battle of Muizenberg, ukugxeka kukaGordon kwagxeka kakhulu. Wayebhekene nokugula okubi nezinye izinkinga. Ngakho-ke, ngo-1795, ngemva nje kokuzinikela kwamaDashi, uRJ Gordon wazibulala. I-Gordon's Bay, eduze neKapa, ibizwa ngodumo lwakhe.
Eminyakeni eyalandela, ososayensi/abahloli bamazwe abakhulu abavela emhlabeni wonke bavakashela iNamaqualand neRichtersveld. Lezi zihlanganisa no-Francois le Vaillant (1783), owayengu sosayensi ophathelane nezinyoni (1783), uCarl Ludwig Phillip Zeyher (1830) noJohn Franz Drège (1833/4). Lo wokugcina waziwa ngokuthi 'uyise we-phytogeography eNingizimu Afrika' (ukusatshalaliswa kwezinhlobo zezitshalo).
Lokhu kungase kungabonakali njengento emangalisayo kakhulu, kepha izitshalo ezingaphezu kweziyikhulu ziye zaqanjwa ngokuhlonishwa kukaDrège – okungasiyona into embi.

Ukuhlaba Umxhwele kweNamaqualand

Ekhulwini leminyaka wamashumi amabili, ukuhlaba umxhwele kweNamaqualand, kanye neRichtersveld ikakhulukazi, kwaqhubeka kukhanga abaqoqi ngenhloso yokuthola izinhlobo ezintsha. Lezi zihlanganisa abazalwa ndawonye uRudolph noMax Schlechter, uDkt. Louis Leipoldt noSelmar Schönland – othanda insobonsobo kakhulu, njengathi sonke.
Ngokuthakazelisayo, abaningi balaba cwaningi babephuma emazweni angaphandle, futhi amaqoqo abo athunyelwa ezikhungweni kwamanye amazwe. Ucwaningo lwaseNingizimu Afrika lwezimila lwaqala ngempela kuphela ngemuva kokuba umdayisi wezamabhizinisi nosozimila oyimfundamakhwele u-Harry Bolus beqala isikhundla sezitshalo eSIkolweni seNingizimu Afrika (manje ebizwa ngokuthi iNyuvesi yaseKapa) ngo-1902.
Umuntu wokuqala wokuthatha i-Bolus Chair wayenguHarold Pearson, owayenesithakazelo esihlala ezitshalweni zaseNamaqualand. Wahamba ngezinyawo ezimbili waya esifundeni (ngo-1908-09 no-1909-10) futhi waqoqa ulwazi oluningi nolwazi olusha. U-Pearson waqhubeka waba umqondisi wokuqala we-Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens ngo-1913 futhi wasiza ukudala i-National Botanical Institute (manje ebizwa ngokuthi iNational Biodiversity Institute). I-Aloe pearsonii engavamile ibizwa ngegama layo.

Translated by Nsika Khoza