Mathithi a Murchison Ndi Okongola Kwambiri

“Ndi mathithi okongola kwambiri mumtsinje wonse wa Nile.”—Anatero Sir Samuel White Baker.

ANTHU ambiri amachita chidwi ndi mathithi. Amasangalala kwambiri akamaona madzi ambiri akutsetsereka kuchoka pamwamba n’kumagwa pansi komanso akaona nthunzi ikutuluka pamene madziwo akugwera. Anthu ambiri amati akamva phokoso la madziwa amaiwaliratu nkhawa zawo zonse.

Mathithi a Murchison * ndi amodzi mwa mathithi amene anthu amachita nawo chidwi kwambiri padziko lonse. Mathithiwa ali ku Uganda ndipo amapezeka mumtsinje wa Nile, womwe ndi wautali makilomita 6,400. Anthu ena amati mathithiwa ndi malo okongola kwambiri mumtsinje wonse wa Nile. Ngakhale kuti si aatali kwambiri ngati mathithi a Angel ku South America komanso alibe madzi ambiri ngati mathithi a Victoria ku Africa kapena mathithi a Niagara ku North America, mathithiwa ndi okongola kwambiri. Munthu aliyense amene anaonapo mathithi amenewa amawasimba kwa moyo wake wonse.

Mbiri ya Mathithi Amenewa

Mathithi a Murchison ali m’nkhalango yotetezedwa ndi boma ya Murchison yomwe ndi yaikulu mahekitala 384,100. Nkhalangoyi ili kumpoto chakumadzulo kwa dziko la Uganda ndipo inakhazikitsidwa m’chaka cha 1952. Baker anafika pamathithiwa chakumayambiriro kwa zaka za m’ma 1860. Iye anafotokoza zimene anaona atafika pamalowa koyamba m’buku limene analemba.

Baker anati: “Titangokhota pang’ono, mwadzidzidzi tinaona zinthu zochititsa chidwi kwambiri. . . . Madzi oyera kwambiri ankachoka pamwamba n’kumatsetsereka pachimwala chachikulu chooneka chakuda. Pafupi ndi malowa panalinso mitengo yokongola ya kanjedza ndi mitengo ina. Mathithi amenewa ndi mathithi okongola kwambiri mumtsinje wonse wa Nile.” (The Albert N’yanza) Baker anapatsa mathithiwa dzina lakuti Murchison polemekeza pulezidenti wa bungwe lothandiza anthu ofufuza malo la Royal Geographical Society.

Njira Yabwino Yoonera Mathithiwa

Kuti muone bwino mathithiwa mumafunika kukwera boti. Kuyenda paboti mumtsinje wa Nile kumasangalatsa kwambiri, komanso mukaponya maso chapatali pang’ono mumaona nyama zakutchire zosiyanasiyana. Ulendowu umayambira pamalo enaake otchedwa Paraa. Munjira,  mumaona mvuwu zambirimbiri, njovu, ng’ona ndi njati. Kupanda kusamala mukhoza kukomedwa ndi nyamazi n’kuiwala zoti muli pa ulendo wokaona mathithi. Koma munthu akangofika pamathithiwa n’kuona kukongola kwa madzi ake, amene amaoneka ngati akutuluka m’miyala, amamvetsa chifukwa chake Baker anachita chidwi kwambiri ndi malowa.

Ngakhale kuti anthu ambiri amasangalala kuona malowa ali m’boti, kuima pamalo okwera n’kumaona madziwa akugwera pansi kuchoka pamwamba kumasangalatsanso kwambiri. Ndipotu anthu ena amaona kuti ukaima pamalo okwerawa m’pamene umaona bwino kwambiri malowa kusiyana ndi kuwaona uli m’boti. Umathanso kuona madzi a mtsinje wa Nile otambalala mamita 49 akubwera n’kulowa pakampata kakang’ono kamamita 6, kenako n’kuyamba kukhuthuka pamtunda wa mamita 40 kupita pansi. Akuti mathithi amenewa ndi “amodzi mwa mathithi amene madzi ake amagwa mwamphamvu kwambiri padziko lonse lapansi.” Madzi amenewa akamagwa, nthawi zina alendo amamva nthaka ikunjenjemera ngati kuti kukuchitika chivomezi.

Baker analongosola kuti atatsala pang’ono kufika pamathithiwa, anamva phokoso lalikulu kwambiri. Poyamba, ankaganiza kuti ndi mabingu amene akugunda kutali kwambiri, koma anadabwa kwambiri atadziwa kuti phokosoli ndi la mathithiwa.

Mofanana ndi Baker, chaka chilichonse anthu masauzande ambiri amene amapita kukaona mathithiwa, amachita chidwi ndi kukongola kwake komanso phokoso la madzi ake. Anthu ambiri amene anaonapo mathithiwa amakumbukirabe madzi ake amphamvu. Kunena zoona, mathithi a Murchison ndi okongola kwambiri.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Bokosi/Chithunzi patsamba 17]

Nkhalango Yosungira Nyama ya Murchison

M’chaka cha 1969, m’nkhalangoyi munali mvuwu zokwana 14,000, njovu zokwana 14,500 komanso njati zokwana 26,500. Koma m’zaka zina zotsatira chiwerengero cha nyama m’nkhalangoyi chinatsika kwambiri. Komabe, m’zaka zaposachedwapa, boma lakhala likuyesetsa kuteteza nyamazi ndipo chiwerengero chake chayambanso kukwera. M’nkhalangoyi mulinso mitundu yosiyanasiyana ya anyani komanso nyama zina monga kadyansonga ndi nyala. Panopa m’nkhalangoyi muli mitundu yoposa 70 ya nyama zimene zimayamwitsa ana awo, komanso mitundu yoposa 450 ya mbalame.

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 16]

All photos pages 16 and 17: Courtesy of the Uganda Wildlife Authority