E-UTUROA, eRaiatea—UCaptain James Cook, umhloli wamazwe omkhulu wasePacific, wayengowokuqala waseYurophu “ukuthola” iRaiatea, lapho emisa i-Endeavor echibini lase-Opoa, eningizimu yalapha, ngo-July 1769. Okuxakayo ukuthi iqiniso lokuthi kuhle "akubonakali" entshonalanga namuhla okunikeza lesi siqhingi esiluhlaza ubuhle baso.
Ngokungafani neziqhingi ezingomakhelwane zase-French Polynesia njenge-Tahiti, i-Bora Bora ne-Moorea, nezindawo zazo zokungcebeleka ezihloselwe ukuvakasha kwabantu abaningi abavela eNyakatho Melika nase-Australia/New Zealand, i-Raiatea ayinayo ingqalasizinda yezivakashi ethuthuke kahle.
Lokho kusho ukuthi ngezindlela eziningi iNingizimu Pacific yakudala ishintshile, isiqhingi esozela lapho u-W. Somerset Maugham, umlobi we-South Seas engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu leminyaka elidlule, angase asithole sijwayelekile namuhla.
I-Uturoa iyisikhungo sokuphatha sesiqhingi, kodwa kuseyidolobhana elincane elilalayo eliphila kuphela lapho umkhumbi ohamba ngomkhumbi ufika futhi ngeSonto ntambama lapho abantu betheleka bevela ezindaweni ezikude bezolwela amaqhude enkundleni yendawo. Ihlehle ngendlela yokuthi abashayeli abagcini ngokushiya evuliwe amawindi ezimoto njengoba lishisa ilanga, bashiya nezicabha zivuliwe.
Idolobhana laqala ngeminyaka yawo-1820s lapho uMfundisi uJohn Williams weLondon Missionary Society eqala ukusabalalisa ubuKristu eziqhingini zaseNingizimu Pacific. Isonto lamaProthestani elisenyakatho yedolobha linetshe lesikhumbuzo legwadle elimnyama likaWilliams, elinophawu ngezilimi eziningana.
Kodwa, ngokumangalisayo, asikho isikhumbuzo sika-Omai, ongowokuzalwa eRaiatea owayengumPolynesia wokuqala ukubonwa eBrithani. Ukaputeni uCook, ohambweni lwakhe lwesibili oluya eSouth Seas ngo-1773, waba umngane u-Omai futhi wathatha osemusha wabuyela naye.
"I-savage ehloniphekile" yaba yingoma esheshayo kuma-salon aseLondon. Abaculi abakhulu bamdweba (isithombe sikaJoshua Reynolds silenga eTate Gallery yaseLondon). Futhi wethulwa eNkosini George III kanye neNdlovukazi uCharlotte eKew Palace.
I-Raiatean iphinde yahlaba umxhwele kakhulu uDkt. Samuel Johnson, umbhali omkhulu nombhali wesichazamazwi (kanye nendoda eyahlanganisa isichazamazwi sokuqala sesiNgisi).
U-Omai wachitha iminyaka emibili eNgilandi ngaphambi kokuba abuyele eNingizimu Pacific noCook, ekhonza njengomhumushi eTonga naseSociety Islands, ngaphambi kokuba uCook amhlalise esiqhingini saseHuahine, lapho izisebenzi ezamakhela khona indlu.
U-Cook wafika kuqala, esephule ichibi elizungezile, e-Te Ava Moa Pass. Iphasi lihlonishwa ePolynesia njengendawo okusuka kuyo izikebhe ezinkulu ezazithwele abafuduki beyothola iHawaii neNew Zealand. Eduze kukhona i-marae (igama lisho indawo engcwele) ebizwa ngokuthi i-Taputapuatea. Ithempeli letshe, elinikezelwe kunkulunkulu wasendulo wasePolynesia u-Oro, lavuselelwa ngeminyaka yawo-1960. Isabalele cishe ihekthare [2 1/2 acres].
I-Raiatea iphinde idume ngabacimi bomlilo, abomdabu abangafaki zicathulo abahamba phezu kwamalahle ashisayo. Kuyikhono elinikezwa ubaba liye endodaneni, kodwa, okuxakayo, cishe izivakashi cishe ngeke zilibone lenziwa lapha ngoba, ngitshelwa ukuthi, izicishamlilo zithathwe izindawo zokungcebeleka ezinkulu eTahiti naseBora Bora, ezibeka imibukiso izivakashi zabo. UKUFINYELELA
