Ukuhlola uMfula i-Orange

Iqembu Elisha Labahloli

©Jacques Marais

Ngama-1770, iqembu elisha labahloli langena eNamaqualand. Babengososayensi, abahlola izinyoni nabahlola izimila abahehwa izitshalo ezingaqondakali zesifunda kanye nezilwane ezingavamile. Leli qembu lalihlanganisa uFrancis Masson, umcwaningi wezimila owase-Kew Gardens ethunywe yinkosi yaseNgilandi ukuqoqa imbewu futhi nezitshalo eziphilayo zokutshala esivandeni sobukhosi.
UMasson wachitha iminyaka eminingi ehamba emhlabeni wonke, kuhlanganise nezihambo ezimbili eNingizimu Afrika ngo-1772-1774 no-1786-1795. Uqoqe iStapeliads esifundeni saseKamieskroon ngo-1774. UMasson wayevame ukuhamba nomunye umqoqi owaziwayo, uCarl Thunberg, 'uyise wezimilo zase Kapa'. Bonke, bavakashela inqenqema eningizimu yeKnersvlakte, eduze neVanhyhynsdorp, futhi ngo-1774.
Abanikeli ababili abayinhloko emnothweni wolwazi basentshonalanga eNamaqualand kwakunguRobert Jacob Gordon noWilliam Paterson. UGordon, owayedabuke e-Holland, wayengumhambi ohamba phambili owahamba izindawo eziningana eNingizimu Afrika. Kwakuyiyodwa yalezi zihambo, ngo-1777, ukuthi wathola umfula 'Omkhulu' eduze neBethulie futhi wabiza ngokuthi i-Orange, ngokuhlonishwa kweRoyal House of Orange, ababusi baseHolland. UGordon wayekholelwa ukuthi lo mfula ugijima kuze kube olwandle, kodwa akakwazanga ukufakazela ngalesi sigaba.

Ukuthola Umlomo

©Nigel J Dennis

Kwathi-ke ngo-1779, uGordon wahlangana nomuntu ongumhambi naye angabambisana naye owayebizwa-William Paterson ukuze amsize bazame ukuthola umlomo we-Orange River. U-Paterson wayengumcwaningi wezimila osemusha waseBrithani owayethunyelwe eKapa ngumbusi wakhe ohloniphekile, u-Lady Strathmore. Wajabulela ukuphikisana okuthile ngesikhathi ehlala eNingizimu Afrika. Ngesinye isikhathi, usolwa ngokuthi ungumhloli waseBrithani futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kwathiwa wathola igolide emigodini duze nomfula u-Orange, kodwa wagcina iyimfihlo. Kunoma yikuphi, uPaterson wayesevele efika ebhange lase-Orange ngo-1778 lapho ehlola izimayini zethusi ezindala eziseduze ne-Springbok yanamuhla, wathola kuthembisa. Ngakho, wayejwayele isifunda lapho yena noGordon beya enyakatho.
Babenenhlanhla lokuhlangana no-Hendrik Wikar, umabhalane weNetherlands India Company, owabalekela eKapa ngo-1775 ngenxa yezikweleti zokugembula ezingakhokhiwe. U-Wikar wayesebenze iminyaka eminingi ezula eMfuleni i-Orange nabanye abangani bakhe bakulendawo futhi wabhala umbiko ongakahleleki wesifunda, awuthumela kuMbusi waseDutch, uVan Plettenberg. Lo mbiko ubonakala kuwusizo kangangokuba umbusi wamxolela u-Wikar, owayesebuyela eKapa lapho ehlangana noPaterson noGordon. Akungabazeki ukuthi u-Wikar wanikeza abahambi ababili ulwazi olubalulekile mayelana nohambo lwabo oluzayo.
Noma kunjalo, lolu hambo lwalunzima. Isihlabathi esithambile seSandveld sasicindezela njalo abahambi, kepha uGordon noPaterson bazimisela ukufika ogwini kunokuba baqonde entshonalanga. Ngakho baqhubeka futhi beqhubeka nokusuka eMfuleni weBuffels (eduze ne-Kleinzee) eMacDougalls Bay (eduze nePort Nolloth) bese befika eHolgat River Gorge, baze bafike e-Orange River Mouth ngo-17 Agasti 1779. Leli banga elifushane elingamakhilomitha ayikhulu namashumi amabili labathatha izinsuku eziyisishiyagalolunye.

Ukubiza uMfula i-Orange

Lapho befika, bakhipha impahla zabo esikebheni esincane ababeze ngaso, futhi ngokusho kukaPaterson, 'baqala’ (isikebhe) futhi basihlobisa ngemibala yamaDutch. UColonel Gordon uhlongoze kuqala ukuphuzela ukubonga impilo kaHulumeni, bese kuthi iNkosana yase-Orange; ngemuva kwalokho wanikeza lo mfula igama i-Orange River ngokuhlonishwa kwalowo mkhulu. Lo mkhosi wesibili wegama wenzeka ngokuthi kungenzeka ukuthi uGordon wayengaqiniseki ukuthi lokhu kwakuwumfula ofanayo ayewubonile eBethulie.
Bese bafika ogwini olusenyakatho lomfula, lapho bahlangana khona nabanye abaqoqi bezinto zogwini, uGordon wabadweba. Izinsuku ezimbalwa ezilandelayo zachithwa ekuhloleni ukugoba okukhulu e-Orange, okujikeleza i-Richtersveld National Park yanamuhla. Abahloli bamazwe babuyela emuva eMfuleni waseBuffels, lapho bahlukanisa khona izindlela; U-Paterson waya eKapa futhi uGordon wabuyela e-Orange futhi elandela umfula ngasempumalanga kuya endaweni ye-Prieska, kungenzeka ukuthi azanelise ukuthi lokhu kwakungumfula owodwa ayewunikeze igama kuqala ngo-1777.

Translated by Nsika Khoza