‘Kulowa pa Diso la Singano’

YOLEMBEDWA KU AUSTRALIA

OFUFUZA malo a ku Britain atatulukira njira ya panyanja yotchedwa Bass Strait mu 1798, akuluakulu oona za maulendo apanyanja anasangalala kwambiri. Njirayi imadutsa pakati pa chilumba cha Tasmania ndi dziko la Australia, ndipo inachepetsa ulendo wochoka ku England kupita ku Sydney ndi makilomita 1,100.

Komabe, njirayi ndi imodzi mwa njira zoopsa kwambiri pa njira zonse zapanyanja. Zili choncho chifukwa m’derali mumawomba mphepo ya mkuntho yochoka ku madzulo yomwe imachititsa mafunde ambiri. Komanso m’derali nyanja ndi yokuya mamita 50 mpaka 70 basi. Chinthu chinanso choopsa m’njira imeneyi ndi miyala yosongoka imene ili m’mphepete mwa chilumba cha King, chimene chili pakati koma chakumadzulo kwa njirayi.

Masiku ano kudutsa m’njira imeneyi sikovuta monga kale, chifukwa panthawiyo anthu ankagwiritsira ntchito sitima zoyendera mphepo komanso zipangizo zachikale zothandiza kuyenda panyanja. Kudutsa kumadzulo kwa Bass Strait kunali kovuta kwambiri, moti anthu ankangoti ‘akulowa pa diso la singano.’

Njira Yachidule

Kumayambiriro kwa m’ma 1800, sitima zapanyanja zinkatha miyezi isanu kuti zikafike kum’mawa kwa dziko la Australia pochoka ku England. Mtunda umenewu ndi wa makilomita 19,000. Ulendowu unali wosasangalatsa chifukwa nthawi zambiri sitimazi zinkatenga anthu ochuluka zedi ndipo ankakhala mopanikizana. Ambiri mwa anthu amenewa anali othawa kwawo komanso akaidi. Kawirikawiri paulendowu pankakhala mavuto monga matenda, njala ndiponso tizilombo toyambitsa matenda monga makoswe. Motero anthu ambiri ankamwalira m’njira. * Komabe, ambiri ankalimba mtima pokhulupirira kuti akupita kumalo abwino.

Mu 1852, zinthu zinasintha kwambiri pamene woyendetsa sitima wina dzina lake James (Bully) Forbes anatulukira njira yachidule. M’malo modutsa njira yodzera kum’mwera kwa nyanja ya Indian Ocean, Forbes anatulukira njira yachidule pochoka ku England kupita kum’mwera chakum’mawa kwa Australia. Njirayi inali yodzera kumadzulo kwambiri kwa Antarctica. * Ngakhale kuti kunali madzi oundana komanso mafunde akuluakulu, sitima ya Forbes yotchedwa Marco Polo, imene inatenga anthu okwana 701 othawa kwawo, inayenda masiku 68 okha kukafika ku Melbourne, m’chigawo cha Victoria. Zimenezi zikusonyeza kuti sitimayi inayenda theka la masiku amene ankayenda ulendowu akadzera njira ina ija. Njirayi inatulukiridwa panthawi yabwino chifukwa anthu ambiri ankapita ku chigawo cha Victoria kukafuna golide. Ndipo zitadziwika kuti ulendo wa ku Australia wafupika, anthu ambiri anapita kukafuna golide.

Malo oyamba amene sitima zapanyanja  zochokera ku England zinkaimapo linali doko la Cape Otway. Panthawiyi amakhala atayenda mtunda wa makilomita 16,000. Oyendetsa sitimazi ankagwiritsa ntchito kachipangizo kenakake ka m’sitimayi komanso matchati kuti adziwe pamene sitimayo ili komanso kuti adziwe nthawi ya m’chigawo chimene afika.

Koma zinthu zinkatha kusokonekera ngati kunja kuli mitambo kwa masiku ambiri. Komanso njira zakale zodziwira nthawi sizinali zolondola nthawi zonse. Ngati tsiku lililonse atasokoneza nthawi ngakhale ndi sekondi imodzi yokha, potha miyezi itatu akanatha kusochera ndi mtunda wa makilomita 50. Nthawi yamvula, kukakhala chifunga, kapena mdima sitima zinkatha kusochera. Zimenezi zimachititsa kuti asaone bwinobwino njira ya Bass Strait. Zikakhala chonchi sitimazo zimatha kusweka zikawomba miyala ya ku chilumba cha King kapena chigawo cha Victoria. Mosakayikira, apaulendo ambiri anali ndi maganizo ofanana ndi a woyendetsa sitima wina amene ananena mawu otsatirawa ataona doko la Cape Otway ali patali. Iye anati: “Zikomo Mulungu, tayenda bwino.” Zimenezi zikusonyeza kuti oyendetsa sitima a m’ma 1800 anali ndi luso moti ankatha ‘kulowa pa diso la singano’ popanda kuchita ngozi. Komabe sitima zina zinkalephera kulowa pamenepa.

Manda a Sitima

M’bandakucha wa pa June 1, 1878, sitima yotchedwa Loch Ard inayenda mphepete mwa nyanja ya chigawo cha Victoria kunja kutachita chifunga. Ili linali tsiku lachiwiri kunja kuli chifunga moti oyendetsa sitimayo sankadziwa kuti afika pati. Chifukwa cha zimenezi sanadziwe kuti ayandikira kwambiri gombe la dziko la Australia. Mwadzidzidzi, chifunga chija chinachoka ndipo anazindikira kuti patsogolo pawo, pamtunda wa makilomita awiri okha, panali miyala italiitali ya mamita 90. Oyendetsa anayesetsa kukhotetsa sitimayo, koma analephera chifukwa cha mphepo ndi mafunde. Pasanapite ndi ola limodzi lomwe, sitimayi inagunda mwala mwamphamvu zedi, ndipo inamira patatha mphindi 15.

Pa anthu 54 amene anali m’sitimayo, awiri okha ndi amene anapulumuka. Mmodzi anali wophunzira kuyendetsa sitima, dzina lake Tom Pearce ndipo wina anali Eva Carmichael, mtsikana amene anangokwera nawo. Onsewa anali a zaka zosapitirira 20. Kwa maola ambiri Tom ankangoyandama atagwira mwamphamvu bwato lopulumutsira anthu pangozi limene linali litatembenuzika. Madzi ankazizira kwambiri chifukwa inali nyengo yachisanu. Kenako mafunde anamukokolola n’kukamusiya penapake. Ndiyeno ataona gombe lokhala ndi zidutswa za sitima ija, anasambira mpaka kukafika pagombepo. Eva sankatha kusambira, choncho ankangoyandama kwa maola anayi atagwira mwamphamvu chidutswa cha sitimayo. Kenako mafunde anamukokolola kukamukocheza pomwe anakocheza Tom paja. Ataona Tom ali kugombe, anamuitana kuti adzamuthandize. Tom analowa m’madzi a mafunde ndipo anayesetsa kwa ola limodzi kuti amupititse Eva kumtunda. Panthawiyi Eva anali atafookeratu. Eva anati: “Anandipititsa kuphanga loopsa, limene linali pamtunda wa mamita oposa 50 ndipo anapeza mowa n’kundimwetsa pang’ono chabe. Mowawu unandithandiza kupeza mphamvu. Tom anakazula udzu ndi zitsamba kuti ndigonepo. Kenako ndinakomoka, ndipo ndiyenera kuti ndinakhala ndili chikomokere kwa maola angapo.” Panthawiyi Tom anapita kumtunda kukaitana anthu. Pasanathe tsiku limodzi sitimayi itachita ngozi, Tom ndi Eva anawatengera ku nyumba ina yapafupi ndi kumeneku. Makolo a Eva ndiponso abale ake asanu, amuna atatu ndi akazi awiri, anamwalira pangoziyi.

Masiku ano, sitima zapamadzi zambiri, zazikulu ndi zazing’ono zomwe, zimadutsa bwinobwino m’njira yapamadzi ya Bass Strait chaka ndi chaka. Zikamayenda m’njira imeneyi, zimadutsa malo ambiri amene sitima zina zinachitirapo ngozi. Alendo oona malo amakaona zidutswa za sitimazi ku  malo ena osungirako zinthu zimenezi monga ku Loch Ard Gorge ku doko la Campbell National Park, kuchigawo cha Victoria. Manda a sitima amenewa amatikumbutsa kulimba mtima kwa anthu a m’ma 1800 amene anayenda ulendo wautali wozungulira theka ladzikoli n’kukachita ngozi akulowa pamalo otchedwa “diso la singano” pofunafuna moyo wabwino.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Bokosi/Zithunzi patsamba 17]

KODI TOM NDI EVA ZINAWATHERA BWANJI?

Mbiri ya Tom Pearce ndi Eva Carmichael, amene anapulumuka pa ngozi ya sitima ya Loch Ard, inawanda m’dziko lonse la Australia. Buku lina linati: “Olemba nyuzipepala anakokomeza nkhani ya kumira kwa sitima imeneyi, iwo anam’tama Pearce kuti anasonyeza chamuna komanso anati Eva Carmichael ndi chiphadzuwa ndipo anasonyeza kuti awiriwa ayenera kukwatirana.” Ngakhale kuti Tom anafunsira Eva, iye anakana ndipo patatha miyezi itatu Eva anabwerera ku Ireland. Kumeneko iye anakwatiwa ndipo anabereka ana. Anamwalira mu 1934 ali ndi zaka 73. Tom anapitirizanso ntchito yake yoyenda panyanja koma pasanapite nthawi yaitali anachitanso ngozi ina. Apanso anapulumuka. Iye anamwalira m’chaka cha 1909 ali ndi zaka 50 ndipo anali atagwira ntchito yoyendetsa sitima zoyendera malasha kwa zaka zambiri.—Cape Otway—Coast of Secrets.

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Both photos: Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village, Warrnambool

[Chithunzi patsamba 15]

(Onani m’magazini yeniyeni kuti mumvetse izi)

Forbes anayendetsa sitima ya “Marco Polo” (pamwamba) kuchoka ku England kupita ku Australia, podzera njira yachidule kwambiri

[Chithunzi]

NJIRA YAKALE

Njira yodzera kum’mwera

NJIRA YACHIDULE

Antarctic Circle

[Mapu]

NYANJA YA ATLANTIC

NYANJA YA INDIAN

ANTARCTICA

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

From the newspaper The Illustrated London News, February 19, 1853

[Chithunzi/Mapu pamasamba 16, 17]

(Onani m’magazini yeniyeni kuti mumvetse izi)

Kulowera kumadzulo kwa njira yapamadzi ya Bass Strait ankati kunali ngati ‘kulowa pa diso la singano’

[Mapu]

AUSTRALIA

VICTORIA

MELBOURNE

Doko la Campbell National Park

Cape Otway

Bass Strait

Chilumba cha King

TASMANIA

[Chithunzi patsamba 16]

Sitima ya “Loch Ard” itamenya mwala, inamira patatha mphindi 15

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria

[Chithunzi patsamba 17]

Doko la Campbell National Park kuonetsa (1) pamene sitima ya “Loch Ard” inawomba mwala ndipo (2) phanga lotchedwa Tom Pearce

[Mawu a Chithunzi]

Photography Scancolor Australia