ITasmania—Isiqhingi Esincane, Indaba Eyingqayizivele

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-AUSTRALIA

“NJENGOBA leli kuyizwe lokuqala esifike kulo oLwandle Oluseningizimu, futhi elingaziwa nayizwe elilodwa eYurophu, siye saliqamba igama elithi Anthoony van Diemenslandt, ekuhlonipheni uMbusi [wethu] Omkhulu Ohloniphekile.” Lawa amazwi ashiwo u-Abel Tasman waseNetherlands ngo-November 25, 1642, ngemva kosuku abona ngalo isiqhingi saseTasmania, isifundazwe sesibili esidala kunazo zonke e-Australia.a UTasman akazange abone muntu, kodwa wabona intuthu yemililo emajukujukwini nezihlahla ezinezifaxa eziqhelelene ngemitha nengxenye. Wabhala ukuthi abantu ababeqopha lezo zifaxa, babenendlela engajwayelekile yokugibela ezihlahleni noma babeyimidondoshiya! Eqinisweni, lezi zifaxa kwakungezokugibela ezihlahleni.

Ngemva kwalokho, iVan Diemen’s Land yanyamalala ohlwini lwabahloli bezilwandle iminyaka engu-130, kwaze kwaba yilapho kuvakasha uMarion du Fresne waseFrance noTobias Furneaux waseNgilandi. UKaputen’uJames Cook wafika ngo-1777, futhi njengoDu Fresne, wahlangana nabantu abangajwayelekile bakulesi siqhingi, abantu boMdabu base-Australia. Nokho, ukuvakasha kwakhe kwakuwukuqala kwenhlekelele: “Kwezinye izizwe [uCook] wahlahla indlela yempucuko nenkolo,” kusho uJohn West kwethi The History of Tasmania, “[kodwa] kulolu hlanga [abantu boMdabu base-Australia] wayengumanduleli wokufa.” Yini eyaholela kulomphumela oyinhlekelele kanje?

ITasmania Iba “Ijele LoMbuso”

Ukudingiswa kwakuyindlela yokujezisa yaseBrithani futhi iTasmania yaba elinye lamakoloni aseBrithani okujezisa. Kusukela ngo-1803 kuya ku-1852, abesilisa, abesifazane ngisho nezingane abangaba ngu-67 500—ezinye izingane ezineminyaka engu-7 ubudala—baxoshwa eNgilandi badingiselwa eTasmania ngenxa yamacala asuka ekwebeni izincwadi zomthandazo kuya ekudlwenguleni. Nokho, iziboshwa eziningi zazisebenzela abafuduki noma uhulumeni. “Bangaphansi kwamaphesenti ayishumi . . . abangazange bayiswe kulendawo yokujezisa,” kusho i-Australian Encyclopaedia, “futhi abaningi ababeyiswa lapho babehlala isikhashana.” IPort Arthur, eseNhlonhlweni yeTasmania, yayiyindawo eyinhloko yokujezisela, kodwa iziboshwa ezingontamolukhuni zazithunyelwa eMacquarie Harbour, eyayibhekwa “njengendawo yokuhlukumeza engcwele.” Indlela encane engena kuleli theku yaqanjwa ngokuthi iSango Lesihogo.

Encwadini ethi This Is Australia, uDkt. Rudolph Brasch uchaza esinye isici esibalulekile saleli koloni elalisafufusa—ingokomoya lalo, noma ukuntuleka kwalo. Uyabhala: “Selokhu kwathi nhló, inkolo e-Australia [kuhlanganise naseTasmania] ibishaywa indiva futhi idebeselelwa, isetshenziswa futhi ixhashazwa uHulumeni ukuze uzizuzise. Leli koloni lamiswa ngaphandle komkhuleko futhi inkonzo yokuqala kulelizwe lase-Australia kubonakala sengathi yaba into eza kamuva.” Nakuba amaPilgrim aseNyakatho Melika ayakha amasonto, “izakhamuzi zokuqala zakulelizwe laseningizimu,” kusho ethi The History of Tasmania, “zashisa isonto lazo lokuqala ukuze zibalekele isithukuthezi sokuya khona.”

Lokhu kuziphatha okwase kuwohlokile kakade konakaliswa nakakhulu ukuxhaphaka kotshwala okuthiwa i-rum. Ezakhamuzini nasemasosheni, i-rum “yayiyisiqinisekiso sokuceba,” kusho isazi-mlando uJohn West.

Nokho, ukudla kwakuyingcosana ngezinye izikhathi. Phakathi nalezi zikhathi iziboshwa ezikhululiwe nabafuduki babezingela ngezibhamu izinyamazane abantu boMdabu base-Australia ababezizingela ngemikhonto. Ngokuqondakalayo, kwakuba nokungqubuzana. Okunezela kulokho ukuziphakamisa kohlanga lwabamhlophe okwakungabangela uthuthuva, ukuxhaphaka kwe-rum nokungafani okungokwesiko okungenakulungiswa. AbeLungu babeka imingcele bese bakha uthango; abantu boMdabu base-Australia bayazingela bese begoba amadlangala ndawonye. Uthuthuva lwalungase lususwe nje ubala.

Ukunyamalala Kohlanga

Uthuthuva lwasuka ngo-May 1804. Iqembu elaliholwa uSigaxa-mabhande uMoore ladubula ngaphandle kwesizathu iqembu elikhulu lamadoda, abesifazane nezingane zaboMdabu base-Australia elalizingela—labulala futhi lalimaza abaningi. Kwase kuqale “iMpi Yabamnyama”—abemikhonto namatshe bebhekene nabezibhamu.

AbeLungu abaningi bashaqeka ngalokhu kubulawa kwabantu boMdabu base-Australia. Umbusi, uSir George Arthur, wayedumele kangangokuthi wazwakalisa imizwa yakhe yokuzimisela ukwenza noma yini ukuze ‘alungise noma yikuphi ukulimala uhulumeni owawukubangele abantu boMdabu base-Australia ngephutha.’ Ngakho, waqala uhlelo “lokubahlanganisa” futhi “abafundise.” Emkhankasweni obizwa ngokuthi “Uthango Lwabamnyama,” amasosha, abafuduki neziboshwa ezingaba ngu-2000 banqamula ehlathini bezama ukubamba aboMdabu base-Australia futhi babathuthele endaweni ephephile. Kodwa lowo mzamo wehluleke ngokudabukisayo; babamba owesifazane nomfana. Khona-ke, uGeorge A. Robinson, umWeseli odumile, wahlahla enye indlela yokubuyisana, futhi yasebenza. AboMdabu base-Australia bamethemba futhi basemukela isicelo sakhe sokuthuthela eFlinders Island, enyakatho yeTasmania.

Encwadini yakhe ethi A History of Australia, uMarjorie Barnard uthi ngokwafezwa uRobinson: “Eqinisweni, nakuba mhlawumbe yena ayengakuqapheli, indlela yakhe yokubuyisana yayiholela oPhathe. Izakhamuzi ezineshwa zahlukaniswa eFlinders Island eBass Strait zinakekelwa uRobinson. Zahlupheka zaze zafa.” Indlela yokuphila ezaziphoqeleleke ukuba ziphile ngayo yaqhubeka izibulala. Enye incwadi ithi “umuntu wokugcina woMdabu waseTasmania kwakunguFanny Cochrane Smith, owesifazane owafela eHobart ngo-1905.” Ochwepheshe bayahlukahluka kulendaba. Abanye babhekisela kuTruganini, owesifazane owafela eHobart ngo-1876, abanye kowesifazane othile owafela eKangaroo Island ngo-1888. Izizukulwane zaboMdabu baseTasmania eziyingxube ziphila njengosheleni namuhla. Uma sinezelwa ohlwini lokuxhashazwa kwesintu ngokuqhubekayo, lesi senzakalo siye sabizwa ngokufanelekile ngokuthi “inhlekelele yeSifundazwe enkulu kunazo zonke.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, sigcizelela iqiniso leBhayibheli lokuthi “umuntu [u]busa omunye kube-ngukulimala kwakhe.”—UmShumayeli 8:9.

Izinto Ezingafani ZaseTasmania

Namuhla, ngaphandle kokuvakashela amamnyuziyamu, imitapo yezincwadi, noma amanxiwa amajele, awunakuyibona lenhlekelele eyavelela lesi siqhingi esihle. ITasmania cishe iqhele ngebanga elifanayo eningizimu nenkabazwe njengeRome, iSapporo neBoston enyakatho nenkabazwe. Futhi njengomlando wayo, ukwakheka kwayo kuhluke ngokuphelele, ngisho noma ingekho indawo kulesi siqhingi eqhele olwandle ngamakhilomitha angaphezu kwangu-115.

Kuyo yonke iTasmania, amaphesenti angu-44 ayihlathi kanti amaphesenti angu-21 ayizindawo zombuso zokulondoloza imvelo. Lezi zindawo ziyivelakancane! Ngokwethi The Little Tassie Fact Book, “izwe eliyifa laseNtshonalanga Tasmania lingelinye lamahlane okugcina amahle anesimo sezulu esithokomele angonakalisiwe umuntu emhlabeni.” Amachibi athola amanzi emvuleni naseqhweni, imifula nezimpophoma—okugcwele izinhlanzi okuthiwa ama-trout—kuchumisa amahlathi kaphayini, kagamthilini, e-myrtle, e-blackwood, e-sassafra, e-leatherwood, uphayini one-celery, nelikaphayini wohlobo lwe-Huon, uma sibala okumbalwa nje. Akumangalisi ukuthi izindawo ezibonakala emathafeni aphakeme enkangala emaphakathi nentshonalanga futhi ezivame ukwembozwa yiqhwa zenza abathandi bemvelo babuye bephindelela.

Kodwa “leliZwe Eliyifa” alizange litholakale kalula. Futhi abantu abanesithakazelo endaweni ezungezile basashayisana nezithakazelo zezimayini, ukwenziwa kwephepha nezikhungo zokuphehla ugesi. Indawo yaseQueenstown enjengenyanga, idolobha elinezimayini, isikhumbuza ngemiphumela emibi yokuxhashazwa kwemithombo yengcebo ngokungenangqondo.

Izilwane zendawo ziye zahlupheka nazo—ikakhulukazi i-thylacine, noma i-Tasmanian tiger, empofu, enjengenja. Ukuba kwayo nemithende emnyama emhlane kwabangela ukuba kuthiwe ihlosi. Ngeshwa, lesi silwane esizacile futhi esinamahloni esidla inyama sasizingela izinkukhu nezimvu. Njengoba kwakutholakala umvuzo ngokusibulala, sase siqothuliwe ngo-1936.

Esinye isilwane saseTasmania esiyingqayizivele, i-Tasmanian devil, sona sisekhona. Sisebenzisa imihlathi namazinyo aso anamandla, lesi silwane esiyisidlakela esidla ingcuba esinesisindo esingamakhilogremu ayisithupha kuya kwayisishiyagalombili singayishaya siyibhuqe i-kangaroo efile.

ITasmania futhi idume ngenyoni yakhona enesisila esifushane i-shearwater, noma i-muttonbird. Ngemva kokufuduka isuka eTasmanian Sea futhi ijikeleze yonke iPacific, unyaka ngamunye ibuyela emgodini wesihlabathi ofanayo—ikhono ngempela elidumisa uMklami noMdali wayo.

Eduze kwezidleke zayo zasebusuku kuhlala enye inyoni—“endiza” ngaphansi kwamanzi—i-penguin enhle, enoboya nesisindo esiyikhilogremu elilodwa noqhwaku oluncane. Le-penguin incane kunawo wonke kodwa ibanga umsindo kunawo wonke! Amakhono ayo ahlukahlukene, iphimbo nokunyakaza komzimba wayo ngezinye izikhathi kufinyelela izinga eliphezulu kakhulu. Lapho uvukwe imizwa yothando, umbhangqwana ungaze ucule ndawonye ukuze uqinisekisane ngokuthandana kwawo. Nokho, ngokudabukisayo, amaningi abulawa amanetha abadobi, ukuchitheka kukawoyela, izinto zepulasitiki acabanga ukuthi ziwukudla, noma izinja nezimbodla.

Isici Esinokuthula Salesi Siqhingi Esincane

Bheka enyakatho noma empumalanga usemaphethelweni enkangala emaphakathi, futhi uyobona isici saseTasmania esithakazelisa kakhulu, esinamasimu alinyiwe anenhlabathi ensundu, imifula nemihoshana emazombezombe, imigwaqo ephahlwe izihlahla namadlelo aluhlaza agcwele izimvu nezinkomo. Ngasedolobheni elisenyakatho laseLilydale, ngo-January, amapulazi ezitshalo zamakha eziqhakazile anezela ubuhle kulomhlobiso wasemaphandleni ngephunga elimnandi.

Indawo ephahle uMfula iDerwent, engekude namasimu ama-apula abangela ukuba iTasmania iqanjwe igama elithi isiQhingi Sama-apula, inhloko-dolobha iHobart, enabantu abangaba ngu-182-000. KuneMount Wellington esabekayo ephakeme ngamamitha angu-1270. Ngosuku olucwathile, lentaba evame ukwembozwa yiqhwa yenza ukuba ubone leli dolobha ngeso lenyoni. Ngempela iHobart iye yathuthuka kakhulu kusukela ngo-1803, lapho uSigaxa-mabhande uJohn Bowen neqembu lakhe labangu-49, kuhlanganise neziboshwa ezingu-35, beqala ukufika eRisdon Cove. Yiqiniso, izikebhe zikaseyili azisekho, kodwa kanye ngonyaka umjaho wezikebhe okhathazayo osuka eSydney uye eHobart uyisikhumbuzo sangalezo zinsuku zakudala njengoba izikebhe zoseyili abamibalabala zidlula phambi kwezixuku ezihalalisayo, zingene enkabeni yeHobart.

Ukusuka Ezweni Lokushushiswa Ukuya Epharadesi Elingokomoya

UGeoffrey Butterworth, omunye wezihambeli ezingu-2447 zoMhlangano Wesigodi WoFakazi BakaJehova “Wokwesaba UNkulunkulu” ngo-1994 eLaunceston, uyakhumbula: “Ngikhumbula ngesikhathi lapho oFakazi babengaba ngu-40 kulo lonke elaseTasmania.” Manje sekunamabandla angaba ngu-26 namaHholo OMbuso angu-23.

“Kodwa izimo zazingezinhle ngaso sonke isikhathi,” kunezela uGeoff. “Ngokwesibonelo, emuva ngo-1938, mina, uTom Kitto noRod McVilly, sonke sifake izingqwembe ezilenga ngemuva nangaphambili, sasikhangisa inkulumo yeningi yeBhayibheli ethi ‘Bhekana Namaqiniso.’ Kwakuwukudalulwa okuntinyelayo kwenkolo yamanga okwakuzosakazwa ukusuka eLondon ngesimiso somsakazo. Lapho ngihlanganyela nabangane bami, kwakuneqembu lentsha elithile elalibachukuluza. Futhi amaphoyisa ayegqolozele nje! Ngaphuthuma ngiyosiza kodwa ngokushesha ngathola isibhaxu. Kodwa indoda ethile yangigxavula ngeyembe emhlane yangidonsa. Esikhundleni sokungishaya, lendoda yabhavumula: ‘Bayekeni!’ Khona-ke, yahlebeza yathi kimi: ‘Ngiyazi ukuthi kunjani ukushushiswa, mngane, ngingowase-Ireland.’”

UJehova wawabusisa lawo maphayona akuqala, ngoba namuhla izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu sezifinyelele kuzo zonke izingxenye zalesi siqhingi esinabantu abangu-452 000. Izizukulwane eziningi zeziboshwa zasendulo nabantu boMdabu base-Australia zibheke phambili ekwamukeleni emhlabeni omusha ohlanziwe bonke—abansundu nabamhlophe—abafa ngenxa yokungabi nabulungisa kulezo zinsuku ezimbi zasendulo, ngoba iBhayibheli lithembisa “uvuko kokubili olwabalungileyo nabangalungile.” (IzEnzo 24:15) Isimo siyolungiswa kangangokuba “izinto zakuqala aziyikukhunjulwa [ngisho nokukhunjulwa].”—Isaya 65:17.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

Phezulu: INtaba iCradle neChibi iDove

Phezulu ngakwesokudla: I-“Tasmanian devil”

Ngezansi ngakwesokudla: Ihlathi lemvula eNingizimu-ntshonalanga Tasmania

Australia

TASMANIA

[Umthombo]

Tasmanian devil and map of Tasmania: Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation – Tasmania; Map of Australia: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1995 Digital Wisdom, Inc.