UKaputen’ UJames Cook—Umhloli WePacific Onesibindi

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-AUSTRALIA

NGAPHANDLE kwaseNgilandi, e-Australia, eNew Zealand, eHawaii, naseziqhingini zasePacific, igama elithi Kaputeni James Cook lingase lingasho lutho kubantu abaningi. Nokho, emazweni abalwe ngenhla, cishe bonke abafana abasafunda bayamazi uKaputen’ uCook—ngendlela efanayo izingane zaseMelika ezifunda ngayo ngoChristopher Columbus.

Nokho, ngaphandle kokungabaza, kuse-Australia—isiqhingi esiyizwekazi saseNingizimu Pacific—naseNew Zealand lapho lomhloli oyitilosi aziwa khona kakhulu, ngoba igama elithi Kaputeni Cook libonakala kuyo yonke indawo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iculo lokuqala elithi “Advance Australia Fair,” elaba iculo lesizwe ngo-1974, lidumisa ngokuqondile lokaputeni onesibindi.

Indoda UJames Cook

UJames Cook wayengumfana wasemaphandleni, owazalelwa eYorkshire, eNgilandi, ngo-October 1728. Nakuba singaqondakali isikhathi sakhe sasebuntwaneni, ngokusobala wafunda esikoleni sasedolobhaneni i-Ayton esisekhona namanje. Kamuva wasebenza njengomthengisi wezimpahla oyimfundamakhwela ethekwini lokudoba eStaithes. Kusukela lapho, njengoba ayesehogele umoya wasolwandle, washintsha umsebenzi wakhe waba ukuhweba ngamalahle futhi wafunda ukushayela imikhumbi, esebenza ngasezingwini ezivunguza umoya zaseNorth Sea.

Akuyona imikhumbi yamalahle kuphela uCook ayilungiselela uhambo lwakhe ayezoluthatha kamuva. Lapho esahlala ngasogwini, waqhubeka nokufunda isayensi yezibalo futhi ekugcineni wangenela iButho Lemikhumbi laseBrithani ngo-1755. Nakuba abamba iqhaza ezimpini zemikhumbi, waziwa kakhulu ngamabalazwe namashadi akhe eNewfoundland, iNova Scotia, neLabrador.

Isimo Sezwe Sango-1769

IGreat Britain yavelela njengombuso wezwe oyinhloko onamakoloni nezentengiselwano ngo-1763. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-200 yokuqubuka njalo kwezimpi, yayinqobe iSpain, iHolland, neFrance. Eyokugcina kulezizimbangi, iFrance, yehlulwa ngokushaqisayo. Lena kwakuyinkathi ephawulekayo. Intuthuko yezesayensi yayikunqoba ngokushesha ukukholelwa ezeni futhi isakaza ukunxanela ulwazi. Izindlela zokuqondisa imikhumbi nazo zase zithuthuke kakhulu. EButhweni Lemikhumbi laseBrithani nasemikhakheni yesayensi kwakufuneka ngokuphuthumayo itilosi elingusosayensi elalizohola uhambo oluya ePacific. Kwaqokwa uJames Cook kulendima eyinselele.

Ukuqala Kohambo LukaCook

Iziqondiso ezatholwa uCook ohambweni lwakhe lokuqala, ngo-1768-71, ‘kwakungezokuThola Amazwe ayengakaziwa ngalesosikhathi, nokuThola Ulwazi Ngezindawo ezikude lezo nakuba zazitholiwe ngaphambili zazingakahlolwa ngokuphelele.’ Iziqondiso azithola zaqhubeka zithi “kunesizathu sokucabanga ukuthi iZwekazi noma iZwe elingudedangendlale, lingase litholakale ngaseNingizimu” nokuthi kwakumelwe “abhekise amabombo ngaseningizimu ukuze alithole leliZwekazi.” Nokho, umsebenzi wokuqala kwakuwukubheka ukudlula kwe-Venus ebusweni beLanga ukuze anqume ngokunembile ibanga eliphakathi koMhlaba neLanga. Lokhu kwakumelwe kwenzelwe eTahiti.

Ubude bohambo lokuqala babungaphansi kweminyaka emithathu ngezinsuku ezingu-43. UCook wayezilandele iziqondiso ayezinikeziwe, kanye nokunye. Kwakuphakathi naloluhambo lokuqala lapho azenzela khona udumo ngokufika eBotany Bay, engamakhilomitha ambalwa kuphela ngaseningizimu yeSydney Harbor enhle, eyatholakala kamuva. Futhi wayeseqedile ukujikeleza zombili iziqhingi zaseNew Zealand futhi waba umuntu waseYurophu wokuqala owadweba ibalazwe logu lwase-Australia olusempumalanga. Yiqiniso, akazange alithole izwekazi laseningizimu okwakucatshangwa ukuthi likhona.

Uhambo Lwesibili Olwaba Impumelelo

Ohambweni lwakhe lwesibili nalo olwaba impumelelo, ngo-1772-75, uCook wayalwa ukuba athathe imikhumbi emibili i-Resolution ne-Adventure ajikeleze i-Antarctic, kuhlanganise nezinye izindawo ezingenamuntu zaseNingizimu Pacific. Kodwa izinyanga ezazinamakhaza ashubisa umnkantsha nomoya ohlabayo kwamqinisekisa ukuthi lalingekho izwekazi elingaziwa laseningizimu. Iqembu lakhe elase likhathele lajabula lapho lishiya ulwandle olushubisa umnkantsha libuyela eTahiti.

Uhambo lwesibili lukaCook lwaba impumelelo engenakuqhathaniswa futhi lwaqotshelwa phansi emlandweni. U-Alan Moorehead wathi encwadini yakhe ethi The Fatal Impact: “Ekupheleni kuka-July 1775 bama ePlymouth. Base behambe iminyaka emithathu nezinsuku eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili. Base behambe ngomkhumbi ama-league angaphezu kuka-20 000 [amakhilomitha angu-110 000]—okunjengokujikeleza umhlaba izikhathi ezintathu—futhi uCook wayesefelwe amadoda amane kuphela . . . Loluhambo lwamenza waba umqondisi wemikhumbi omkhulu kunabo bonke emlandweni.”

Uhambo Lwesithathu Luletha Inhlekelele

Uhambo lwesithathu kwakungolokuhlola ugu lwasePacific yeCanada nokufuna iNtuba yaseNyakatho-ntshonalanga okwakucatshangwa ukuthi ikhona ehlanganisa iPacific ne-Atlantic ngase-Arctic Ocean. Kwaba uhambo lokugcina lukaKaputen’ uCook. Wasuka eNgilandi ngo-July 12, 1776, nge-Resolution eyayilungiswe kabusha, kanye nomunye umkhumbi i-Discovery. Ngo-January 18, 1778, wafika kulokho manje okwaziwa ngokuthi iHawaiian Islands, lapho yena neqembu lakhe bamukelwa ngokufudumele khona. Balungiselelwa ababekudinga kulezoziqhingi ezinhle, base bechitha ihlobo lasenyakatho lalowonyaka bezama ngokungaphumeleli ukuthola intuba edlulela e-Atlantic. Khona-ke babuyela ebusika baseHawaii.

Izazimlando aziqondi kahle ukuthi yini eyabangela ushintsho ekuziphatheni kukaCook kuleliqophelo. Ayaziwa indlela aphatha ngayo abantu baseHawaii ekubuyeni kwakhe. Abanye bathi waqala ukubaxhaphaza ngesihluku. Abanye bayazibuza ukuthi akazange yini aphazamise imicikilisho yabo yokukhulekela. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi liyini iqiniso lalendaba, kulapha lapho afela khona ngo-February 14, 1779.

Wafa kanjani? Lapho bebuyela eKealakekua Bay ngo-January 17, lababahloli babemukelwe abantu baseHawaii abangu-10 000. Izakhamuzi zakulesisiqhingi zazigubha umkhosi i-makahiki wokudumisa unkulunkulu wazo uLono, unkulunkulu wezwe. Kubonakala sengathi uCook wenzelwa idili njengonkulunkulu uLono, futhi yena neqembu lakhe baphinde baboniswa umusa nokwamukelwa okuyingqayizivele. Emasontweni amathathu kamuva, ngo-February 4, bahamba. Kodwa ezinsukwini ezine nje behambile, bahlaselwa isiphepho esikhulu, futhi i-Resolution yalahlekelwa insika yomkhumbi. UCook wabuyela eHawaii.

Kwammangalisa manje uCook ukungamukelwa kahle. Abanye bacabanga ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi abantu baseHawaii base becabangisise kahle futhi baphetha ngokuthi uCook neqembu lakhe babebaxhaphaza. Abanye basikisela ukuthi ukubuya kukaCook kwakungavumelani nokuba kwakhe “unkulunkulu.” Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sasiyini isizathu, ngeshwa iqembu likaCook elikhungathekile lasabela ngobudlova. Lokhu kwaholela ekwebiweni kwesikebhe emkhunjini i-Discovery. UCook wazama ukubuyisa lesisikebhe ngokuthumba inkosi uKalaniopu’u. Kwalandela ukubambana ngezihluthu, futhi uCook wagwazwa washaywa waze wafela ogwini lolwandle.

Incwajana yelungu lomkhumbi i-Resolution elaliqeqeshelwa impi, uGeorge Gilbert, iyichaza ngokucacile imizuzu embalwa yokugcina yokuphila kukaCook. “UKaputen’ uCook wayesanda kungena nje osebeni futhi eqeda ukunikeza izikebhe uphawu lokuba ziyeke ukudubula, lapho enye yeziNduna eyayinesibindi kunezinye imzuma futhi imgwaza phakathi kwamahlombe ngeNsabula Yensimbi. Enye kulesoSiwombe yamshaya ekhanda ngewisa wawela emanzini; zangena ngokushesha emanzini futhi zamcindezela ngaphansi isikhashana, zase zimhudulela ngaphandle emadwaleni zamngqimuza ngekhanda kuwo kaningana; kangangokuba akungabazeki ukuthi wafa ngokushesha.”

Ukuvela Kobuntu Obushintshile

Ngokusobala ukuziphatha kukaCook kwashintsha ohambweni lwesithathu, futhi akabange esabonisa ukuzotha nokuzithiba ayenakho ngaphambili ekuhambeleni kwakhe kabili eSouth Seas. Ohambweni lwesithathu, wayebhaxabule amaphesenti angu-37 amadoda aseqenjini lakhe, cishe angaphezulu ngokuphindwe kabili kulawo awababhaxabula ohambweni lokuqala. Kulokhu akazange aziphathe ngomusa izakhamuzi zesiqhingi sasePolynesia. Ngokwesibonelo, wayebophe uzungu lokushiswa kwezindlu nokubhujiswa kwezikebhe esiqhingini saseTahiti i-Eimeo ngenxa yokwebiwa kwembuzi eyodwa eyayimithi. Wayesephendukele ngisho nasekunqumeni izindlebe zezakhamuzi zakulesisiqhingi ezazibanjwe zintshontsha. Ingabe wayegula noma wayekhathele noma wayemane enonya?

Ifa Lwaloluhambo

Encwadini yakhe ethi Captain James Cook and His Times, uprofesa Bernard Smith ubonisa ukuthi “uCook akazange athole amazwe amasha ngomqondo oyisisekelo waleligama.” Lokhu kungase kube yiqiniso, njengoba iningi lezindawo ezabonwa uCook zase zakhiwe kakade. Nakuba kunjalo, uGrenfell Price uthi: “Iqhaza lakhe elivelele olwazini lokuma kwezwe kwakuwukuqedelwa kwebalazwe lasePacific ngokutholwa kogu oluwudedangendlale olusempumalanga ye-Australia, ukudwetshwa kwebalazwe laseNew Zealand, ukuhlolwa kweziqephu ezinde zogu lwaseNyakatho Melika; ukutholwa kweziqhingi ezintsha ngokuphelele, njengeHawaii neNew Caledonia; nokutholwa kabusha nokubekwa ngokunembile kwamanye amaqoqo eziqhingi. UCook ungumqondisi wemikhumbi cishe owathola . . . izwekazi lase-Antarctic, kuyilapho e-Arctic aqinisekisa ukutholakala kweBering Strait.” Amashadi namabalazwe kaCook aba usizo isikhathi eside ngemva kokuba eseshaye wachitha ePacific.

Nokho, ngokudabukisayo, okwasala ngesikhathi sikaCook kwakuwukungcola kwezifo ezithathelwana ngobulili, ubudlova bezibhamu, ukuqothulwa kwezilwane zasendle zase-Antarctic, nokuxhashazwa kwezakhamuzi zasePacific Islands. Ngokuphathelene nokwatholwa uCook e-Antarctic, u-Alan Moorehead wabhala: “Kwaphinde kwaba uCook owaletha inhlekelele esikhathini sakhe. Wayezithele kulokho cishe okwakuyiqembu lezilwane zasendle elikhulu kunawo wonke ayekhona emhlabeni, futhi wayengowokuqala owazisa umhlaba ngobukhona balo. . . . Ukugxambukela kukaCook eTahiti nase-Australia kwaba inhlekelele kakhulu kwabomdabu: kwaba ukuqothulwa kwezilwane zase-Antarctic.”

Ngemva kombiko obanzi namashadi kaCook, kwafika abazingeli nabantu abaningi ababebulala imikhomo. UMoorehead uyaqhubeka: “Kwaqothwa imbokodo nesisekelo, kwangababikho okwakungabulawa kalula nangendlela eyinzuzo.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Ukufa kukaCook ngesihluku eHawaii

Ukuthola kwakhe iBotany Bay, e-Australia

[Umthombo]

Paintings: By Courtesy of Australian International Public Affairs

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 12]

Painting by John Weber/Dictionary of American Portraits/Dover. Background: The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck