Ngo-1916, i-U-boat yaseJamani yatshonisa inqanawa yorhwebo yaselwandle eyayibhabha ngemibala ye-Allied kunxweme lwase-Antarctica, kwindawo ethile phakathi kwe-Elephant Island kunye neDeception Island kuMzantsi Shetland Archipelago.
Kwakukholelwa ukuba yonke imiphefumlo eyayikhwele enqanaweni yayilahlekile, kunye nomthwalo wayo wokutya kunye nezixhobo zonyango ezisingise kwicala laseNtshona. Oko kukuthi, de kwafunyanwa isinde eyedwa kwiminyaka emibini kamva ngowe-1918 kwisiqithi esinamaza esingachazwanga ngagama kumntla-ntshona wonxweme lweAntarctic Peninsula.
Owasindayo wazichaza njengo-Edward Allen Oxford, ummi waseBritani wase-Imperial. Ngaphandle kweminyaka emibini idlulile, wabanga ukuba wayekhe wagxothwa kangangeeveki ezintandathu kwisiqithi esikhulu esikufutshane awayegxininisa ukuba sasifudumele kwaye sishushu, sinezityalo ezininzi kunye nezilwanyana zasendle.
Ekubeni isiqithi awafunyanwa kuso yayisisiqithi esinamaza, akuzange kuqondwe ukuba wayesinde njani ixesha elide kangako. Kungakhathaliseki, njengoko kungekho siqithi sasisaziwa ukuba sikhona emazantsi akude, kwaye kwakukho ukungavisisani okubalulekileyo kwexesha phakathi kwengxelo yakhe kunye nenyani.
Ke ngoko, iOxford yayalelwa ukuba 'yahlanya' ngabasemagunyeni base-Imperial - nto leyo eyayisisiphumo esicacileyo seemeko-kwaye yathunyelwa kwiziko lokuchacha eNova Scotia ukuze ichache.
Kwesi ziko, wadibana kwaye wathandana noMildred Constance Landsmire, owayebizwa ngokuba “yibluebird” okanye uMongikazi onoMkhosi waseCanada woNyango lwezoNyango. Wakhululwa emva kweenyanga ezili-18, yaye aba babini batshata baza bafudukela ngasentshona ukuya kuhlala kufuphi nomza waseOxford owayenefama encinane yobisi kwiphondo laseQuebec; apho uOxford wayencedisa umzala wakhe ngemisebenzi yasefama.
Kamva uOxford waqalisa umsebenzi wokuba ngumlimi wamahlathi, kuba wayengenabuchule bokulima nokulima. Lo msebenzi-ubomi wabangela ukuba abe kude noMildred wakhe othandekayo iiveki kwaye ngamanye amaxesha iinyanga ngexesha, indlela yokuphila awayeqhelene nayo njengomthengisi waselwandle.
Ngeli xesha, wabhala iileta ezininzi eziya kumfazi wakhe, apho wayesithi uzinikele kuye ngokungafihlisiyo, nalapho wabhala khona iinkumbulo zakhe zokuba wayekhe waphoswa kwisiqithi sakhe esasicingelwa ukuba sasishushu kunxweme lwase-Antarctica.
Ngaphandle kokukhanyelwa ngokusemthethweni kwayo nayiphi na imeko ekhoyo kulo mmandla, uOxford ubambelele kwibali lakhe kubo bonke ubomi bakhe, kwaye kukholelwa ukuba wabhala iileta ezingamakhulu amabini eziya kumfazi wakhe echaza iinkalo ezahlukeneyo zomhlaba omhle ekucingelwa ukuba wawufumene apho.
Uninzi lweeleta ezifunyenwe mva nje kwindlu yabo yaseQuebec zichaza ubomi bakhe kwiinkampu zamaplanga kulo mmandla, kunye neenkumbulo zakhe ezicacileyo zokugxothwa kwisiqithi ekucingelwa ukuba sasishushu kunxweme lweAntarctica ngexesha leMfazwe eNkulu.
Ekugqibeleni, iirekhodi ze-Imperial ezisemthethweni ezingaphezu kwekhulu leminyaka ubudala zaqinisekisa ukuba u-Edward Allen Oxford wayengumrhwebi waselwandle, ukuba inqanawa yakhe yayiqhushumbisiwe, kwaye wachacha emva kweminyaka emibini ngaphandle kwengcaciso ecacileyo yendlela awayekwazi ngayo ukusinda. ixesha elide kwindawo enzima ngolo hlobo.
Namhlanje ibali likaOxford lilityelwe, kwaye eyona nto iphambili kwihlabathi liphela malunga nebali lakhe kukuba amagosa ambiza ngokuba “uyaphambana”. Kodwa akukho mntu unokunika nayiphi na inkcazo yendlela aphile ngayo kumaqondo obushushu angaphantsi kwe-zero ngaphandle kokutya ixesha elide.
Ukwazi ngakumbi malunga nemeko engaqhelekanga ka-Edward Allen Oxford, funda eli nqaku linomdla Iincwadi ezilahlekileyo/eziPhakathi
Eli nqaku liphinde lapapashwa ngokufutshane ukusuka IQuatrian Folkways Institute/Medium
