Ihlathi Lemvula Lase-Amazon—Ligutshuzelwe Izinganekwane
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRAZIL
AMANDIYA angama-Irimarai ahlala ngaseMfuleni wasePeru iNapo awazange akukholelwe ayekubona! Kwafika imikhumbi emibili yoseyili edolobhaneni lawo, engafani nezikejana zawo ezigwedlwayo. Kuyo kwakunamaqhawe anezintshebe—ehlukile kunoma yisiphi esinye isizwana ake asibona. Ekhungathekile, lamaNdiya aphangelana ayocasha futhi abona lezi zihambi ezinesikhumba esimhlophe zehla ogwini, zashwabadela ukudla kwaleli dolobhana, zase zishaya zichitha futhi—zishukunyiswa umcabango wokuqopha umlando ngokuba abokuqala ukuhlola lonke leli hlathi lemvula, kusuka e-Andes Mountains kuya e-Atlantic Ocean.
Phakathi nalowo nyaka, ngo-1542, izizwana zamaNdiya ezihlukahlukene zazishaqeka njengoba labo bahloli bamazwe baseYurophu babehlome ngeminsalo nangezibhamu, bengena shí ehlathini laseNingizimu Melika.
UFrancisco de Orellana, ukaputeni waseSpain owayephethe laba banqobi, wathola ngokushesha ukuthi izindaba zokuphanga nokudubula kwamabutho akhe zazihambe ngokushesha kunemikhumbi yabo emibili. Izizwana zamaNdiya ezisezansi nomfudlana (ngasedolobheni lanamuhla laseBrazil iManaus) zase zimi ngomumo nemicibisholo yazo zilinde laba bahlaseli abangaphezu kuka-50.
Ilungu lalabo bahloli uGaspar de Carvajal, lavuma ukuthi lawo maNdiya ayengabacibi abanekhono. Lalikhuluma ngokuhlangenwe nakho kwalo siqu, ngoba omunye wemicibisholo yamaNdiya wawulibhokode ezimbanjeni. “Ukuba kwakungengenxa yobukhulu bezivatho zami,” kubhala lendela eyayilimele, “ngabe ngaya kwagoqanyawo.”
‘Abesifazane Abalwa Njengamadoda Ayishumi’
UCarvajal waqhubeka echaza amandla ayeshukumisa lawo maNdiya anesibindi. ‘Sabona abesifazane belwa phambi kwabesilisa njengokaputeni besifazane. Laba besifazane bamhlophe futhi bade, banezinwele ezinde ezalukiwe futhi zathandelwa emakhanda abo. Bayizidlakela, futhi ngeminsalo nemicibisholo abayiphethe, balwa njengamadoda ayishumi.’
Ukuthi labo bahloli bawabona ngokoqobo amaqhawe esifazane noma njengoba enye incwadi ikubeka, “babemane behhema nje” akwaziwa. Kodwa okungenani ngokokunye ukulandisa, ngesikhathi u-Orellana noCarvajal befinyelela esizalweni salomfula omkhulu futhi behamba ngemikhumbi beya e-Atlantic Ocean, babekholelwa ukuthi babebone abantu base-Amazon eNtshonalanga Nenkabazwe, abesifazane abanolaka abangamaqhawe abachazwa ezinganekwaneni zamaGreki.a
Indela uCarvajal yayilondolozela isizukulwane lendaba yamaMelika ase-Amazon ngokuyifaka ekulandiseni kwayo ngokuhlola kuka-Orellana izwe izinyanga ezingu-8 eyazibonela ngawayo. Ukaputen’u-Orellana, yena walibangisa eSpain ngomkhumbi, lapho anikeza khona ukulandisa okucacile ngohambo lwakhe kulokho akubiza ngokuntela ngokuthi i-Río de las Amazonas, noma uMfula i-Amazon. Ngokushesha, abadwebi bamabalazwe bekhulu le-16 base bebhala igama elisha ebalazweni laseNingizimu Melika eyayisafufusa—i-Amazon. Ngakho ihlathi lase-Amazon lagutshuzelwa izinganekwane, kodwa manje lelo hlathi libhekene namaqiniso abuhlungu.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Igama elithi “Amazons” kungenzeka livela egameni lesiGreki elithi a, elisho “ukungabi na-,” nelithi ma·zosʹ, elisho “ibele.” Ngokwenganekwane, abantu base-Amazon babekhipha ibele langakwesokudla ukuze bakwazi ukubamba kalula umnsalo nomcibisholo.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]
Top background: The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck