Ngo-1916, i-U-boat yaseJalimane yacwilisa umkhumbi wasolwandle womthengisi ondiza ngemibala ye-Allied ogwini lwase-Antarctica, endaweni ethile phakathi kwe-Elephant Island neDeception Island eSouth Shetland Archipelago.
Kukholakala ukuthi yonke imiphefumulo ebingaphakathi emkhunjini ibilahlekile, kanye nempahla yawo yokudla nemithi ebibheke eNtshonalanga. Okusho ukuthi, kwaze kwaba yilapho kutholakala oyedwa owasinda eminyakeni emibili kamuva ngo-1918 esiqhingini esinamagagasi esingashiwongo ngegama ngasogwini olusenyakatho-ntshonalanga yeNhlonhlo ye-Antarctica.
Owasinda wazibiza ngokuthi u-Edward Allen Oxford, isakhamuzi saseBritish Imperial. Nakuba kwase kudlule iminyaka emibili, wathi wayehlale amasonto ayisithupha esiqhingini esikhulu esiseduze agcizelela ukuthi sasifudumele futhi sisendaweni eshisayo, enohlaza oluningi nezilwane zasendle.
Njengoba isiqhingi atholakala kuso kwakuyisiqhingi esinamagagasi, kwakungaqondakali ukuthi wayesinde kanjani isikhathi eside kangaka. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi, njengoba asikho isiqhingi esinjalo esaziwa ukuthi sikhona kude kangako eningizimu, futhi kwakukhona umehluko omkhulu wesikhathi phakathi kokubala kwakhe kanye neqiniso.
Ngakho-ke, i-Oxford yanqunywa ukuthi 'iyahlanya' yiziphathimandla ze-Imperial - okwakuwumphumela osobala wezimo - futhi yathunyelwa esikhungweni sokululama eNova Scotia ukuze ilulame.
Kuleso sikhungo, wahlangana futhi wathandana noMildred Constance Landsmire, owayebizwa “nge-bluebird” noma Umhlengikazi oneCanadian Army Medical Corps. Wakhululwa ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-18, futhi laba ababili bashada futhi bathuthela entshonalanga bayohlala eduze nomzala ka-Oxford owayenepulazi elincane lobisi esifundazweni saseQuebec; lapho u-Oxford asiza khona umzala wakhe ngemisebenzi yasepulazini.
Kamuva u-Oxford wathola umsebenzi wokuba umqondisi wamahlathi, njengoba wayengenalo ikhono kwezolimo nokulima. Lokhu kuphila komsebenzi kwamenza ukuba abe kude nesithandwa sakhe uMildred amasonto futhi ngezinye izikhathi izinyanga ngesikhathi, indlela yokuphila ayejwayelene nayo njengomthengisi wasolwandle.
Phakathi nalesi sikhathi, wabhala izincwadi eziningi eziya kumkakhe, lapho ayethi uzinikele kuye ngokungafi, nalapho abhala khona kabanzi izinkumbulo zakhe zokuxoshwa esiqhingini sakhe esishisayo esingasogwini lwase-Antarctica.
Naphezu kokuphikwa ngokomthetho kwanoma yikuphi ukungahambi kahle kwezindawo esifundeni, u-Oxford wanamathela endabeni yakhe impilo yakhe yonke, futhi kukholakala ukuthi wabhala izincwadi ezingamakhulu amabili eziya kumkakhe echaza izici ezihlukahlukene zomhlaba omuhle okuthiwa wazithola lapho.
Izincwadi eziningi ezitholakale muva nje endlini yabo e-Quebec zichaza ukuphila kwakhe emakamu okugawula amapulangwe esifundeni, kanye nenkumbulo yakhe ecacile yokuhlaliswa esiqhingini okuthiwa sisendaweni eshisayo ngasogwini lwase-Antarctica phakathi neMpi Enkulu.
Ekugcineni, amarekhodi e-Imperial asemthethweni angaphezu kweminyaka eyikhulu ubudala aqinisekisa ukuthi u-Edward Allen Oxford wayengumkhumbi wasolwandle, ukuthi umkhumbi wakhe wawushaywe kanzima, nokuthi walulama ngemva kweminyaka emibili ngaphandle kwencazelo enengqondo yokuthi wakwazi kanjani ukusinda. isikhathi eside kangaka endaweni enokhahlo.
Namuhla indaba ka-Oxford isikhohliwe, futhi lokho umhlaba wonke okubeke eqhulwini ngendaba yakhe ukuthi izikhulu zimbiza ngokuthi “uyahlanya”. Kepha akekho owayenganikeza incazelo yokuthi usinde kanjani emazingeni okushisa okuthiwa angaphansi kwe-zero ngaphandle kokudla isikhathi eside kangaka.
Ukuze uthole okwengeziwe mayelana necala elingajwayelekile lika-Edward Allen Oxford, funda lesi sihloko esithakazelisayo Izincwadi Ezilahlekile/Eziphakathi
Lesi sihloko siphinde sashicilelwa kafushane kusuka I-Quatrian Folkways Institute/Medium
