Isikebhe—“Imoto Efanelekayo” YaseCanada

UMHLOLI wamazwe uSamuel de Champlain wanqamula uLwandle i-Atlantic ngomkhumbi wakhuphuka ngoMfula iSt. Lawrence osezweni namuhla elaziwa ngokuthi iCanada. Ngokushesha wabhekana nesithiyo esikhulu lapho esezofika eMontreal: amaDlambi AseLachine. Ngo-1603 wabhala encwadini yakhe yezenzakalo ukuthi yonke imizamo yokudlula ngesikebhe kula madlambi yayingeke iphumelele. Amahlathi aminyene ayenza ukuhamba ngezinyawo kube nzima. UChamplain namatilosi akhe bakwazi kanjani-ke ukuqhubeka nohambo lwabo?

Bafunda okuthile kubantu bomdabu futhi basebenzisa izikebhe. UChamplain wathi: “Ngalezi zikebhe, umuntu angahamba ngokukhululeka nangokushesha kulo lonke leli zwe, aze angene nasemifudlaneni ayofinyelela kwemikhulu.”

“Imoto Efanelekayo”

Amachibi nemifula yaseCanada yayiyimizila efanelekayo futhi isikebhe sasibhekwa njengento efanele yokuhamba. Senza aboMdabu baseMelika bakwazi ukuhlola izwe, ukuzingela nokuthutha izimpahla. Yebo, indlela yokuklama nokwakha lezi zikebhe yayihlukahluka, ngenxa yezizathu ezinjengenjongo nokuthi zakhiwe ngani. Ngokwesibonelo, abantu abasogwini lweCanada olungasentshonalanga babakha izikebhe ngokugweda imisedari emikhulu. Lezi zikebhe zazigcwaliswa ngamanzi namatshe ashisayo. Lokhu kwakuthambisa ukhuni ukuze kube lula ukuzilolonga kahle. Ezinye zalezi zikebhe zazingathwala umthwalo ongafinyelela emathanini amabili,  kanti zazishesha futhi ziphephile olwandle, lapho zazisetshenziswa khona uma kuzingelwa izilwane ezinkulu zasolwandle, kuhlanganise nemikhomo.

Kungenzeka isikebhe esidume kakhulu esasakhiwe eNyakatho Melika kwakuyisikebhe esenziwe ngamagxolo esihlahla se-birch. Ngenxa yekhemikhali okuthiwa i-betulinol, amagxolo e-birch aqinile futhi awangenwa amanzi. Kulula kakhulu ukuwalolonga kanti futhi aqinile. Umakhi wezikebhe uDavid Gidmark uyachaza: “Isikebhe samagxolo e-birch singadlula emadlambini abengasilimaza isikebhe esenziwe ngokhuni noseyili.”

Izinto okwakwakhiwa ngazo izikebhe zamagxolo e-birch zazihlanganisa nokhuni lwalesi sihlahla, umsedari, izimpande zesihlahla se-spruce nengcina yezihlahla. Ngenxa yokuthi zonke lezi zinto zazitholakala ehlathini, kwakulula kakhulu ukulungisa izikebhe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, zazingasindi, okwakwenza kube lula ukudlula emadlambini ayingozi nakwezinye izithiyo. Futhi zazingayilimazi imvelo. Uma isikebhe silahlwa, sasimane sibole njengesihlahla esiwile.

Kwakusetshenziswa izindlela zokwakha ezithakazelisayo. Abomdabu “abazisebenzisi izipikili kodwa yonke into iyathungwa noma iboshwe,” kubika ingqapheli yaseYurophu yekhulu le-19. “Imiphetho, imithungo namafindo kwakufana, kuqinile futhi kwenziwe ngobuciko kangangokuthi akukho okungcono kunalokhu okwakungenziwa.”

Ngaphambi kokufika kwezitimela, isikebhe sasiyindlela esheshayo nephephile yokuhamba cishe kulo lonke elaseCanada. Ngisho nalapho izitimela sezikhona, ukuhamba ngesikebhe akuphelanga ngokushesha, ngoba abantu babevame ukuhamba ngakho kokubili isitimela nesikebhe.

Izikebhe zazibaluleke kakhulu ekuphileni kwabantu baseNyakatho Melika yasendulo kangangokuthi zazithonya usiko-mpilo nezinkolelo zabomdabu. Ngokwesibonelo, kunezinganekwane ezithi kwakuyizikebhe, hhayi umkhumbi okukhulunywa ngawo eBhayibhelini, ezazithwele abantu abasinda kuzamcolo.

Ukuhamba Ngezikebhe Namuhla

Ukuhamba ngezikebhe kusathandwa eCanada kodwa sekuyindlela nje yokuzilibazisa. Ngokudabukisayo, izihlahla ezifanelekayo zokwakha izikebhe ezinhle zamagxolo e-birch seziyivelakancane. Kodwa ezinye izinto zokwakha zitholakala kalula, kuhlanganise i-aluminium, useyili, ukhuni ne-fiberglass.

Omunye wabantu abadumile abangenela imijaho yezikebhe uBill Mason wachaza esinye isizathu sokusetshenziswa kwezikebhe lapho ethi: “Ukuhamba ngesikebhe emifuleni yasendulo kuyindlela enhle yokufunda kabusha ngemvelo noMdali owakwenza konke lokhu esikhathini eside esidlule.” Abaningi bangavumelana ngokugcwele nalokho!

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 11]

ISIKEBHE I-KAYAK

Ama-Inuit ahlala engxenyeni yeCanada engenawo amahlathi. Kodwa lokho akuwenzanga ayeka ukwakha izikebhe. Izinto zokwakha ama-Inuit ayezisebenzisa kwakuyizikhumba zezimvu zamanzi nezama-caribou, kanye namathambo nezingodo ezitholakala ogwini lwase-Arctic. Kwakusetshenziswa amafutha omhlwehlwe ekuvaleni izikebhe zingangenwa amanzi. Umphumela waba isikebhe se-kayak.

Umehluko osobala phakathi kwesikebhe i-kayak nesikebhe esivamile yisembozo se-kayak, esivikela umuntu esimweni sezulu futhi senza ukuba i-kayak ingangenwa amanzi uma kwenzeka iketuka. Ama-kayak anamuhla ngokuvamile enziwa nge-fiberglass nezinye izinto zokwenziwa.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 10]

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