1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 765

Qian Tiandun's idea, of course, was more for the military.In addition to the Shengli Port Shipyard in Sanya, the current shipyards under the Haihan Shipping Department also have shipyards in Heitu Port and Danzhou, but the construction capacity is far less than that of the headquarters.In addition, there are already shipyards under construction in Hong Kong Island and Cam Ranh Bay.However, the location of these shipyards is a bit far away for the military that wants to expand its maritime sphere of influence to the east and north. In the future, it is impossible for the Haihan fleet deployed in the Fujian Strait and the waters to the north to return to Sanya. To repair and maintain, the construction of an advanced shipyard on the west coast of Taiwan Island is a very necessary measure.

Of course, with the current capabilities of the Penghu base, it is impossible to develop sub-bases in Zhuoshuixi and Dagou at the same time, so the final result is probably only one of them can be chosen as the first step to set foot on Taiwan Island.Zhuoshui River is closer to Penghu, and it is more convenient for transporting personnel, materials and armed guards.There are fertile alluvial plains near the sea, and the difficulty of agricultural development is low, but the disadvantage is that there are no natural ports with good conditions, and the flat terrain is basically safe to defend.

On the other hand, Dagou has a natural harbor with superior conditions, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and can build large-scale shipyards, which is very suitable for the development needs of the military.But the shortcomings here are also very obvious. There is a Dayuan Port between Penghu and Penghu. Before the Dutch are dealt with, there are still certain security risks.

But this time is not what it used to be, and the Dutch in Dayuangang are unlikely to be as rampant as they were in previous years.They have already lost Shibazhi, a handy thug, and they were completely defeated by Haihan in the battle. The only reliable headquarters in Batavia is not only thousands of miles away, but also has troubles in the near future and it is difficult to protect themselves. Perhaps too much support was given to Dayuangang.Qian Tiandun believes that if Haihan can establish a colony in Dagou before other forces, it will be able to co-operate with Penghu to form a threat to Dayuan Port with a trend of one south and one north, so that the Dutch will not dare to act rashly.As for preventing Haihan from settling here, Qian Tiandun thought that if the Dutch really had the ability, they probably wouldn't be interested in sending someone to negotiate terms.

But compared to the simple colonization of the Zhuoshui River, the development and construction of the Dagou Port is obviously much more troublesome and complicated.The construction of a shipyard is not just about building a few docks and woodworking workshops, but the supporting industries must also be built simultaneously.The new colony does not have a relatively complete industrial base like Sanya, so there will be more difficulties.

Although Qian Tiandun prefers to choose the Dagou area as the first foothold for Haihan to enter Taiwan, he still has to investigate the situation in this area as much as possible before that, which is different from the previous harvest in the Zhuoshui River Basin. Compare the information and find the most suitable place to stay.

According to the map, the harbor here has two access channels, north and south, and Qian Tiandun chose to enter the harbor from the north channel.This gorge is only [-] meters wide, but the waterway is more than [-] meters deep, which is enough to accommodate large ships to pass through.There are hills near the coast on both sides of the gorge. This terrain is very suitable for building lighthouses or coastal fortifications.

After entering the harbor, you can see that the coastline here is relatively straight, and the construction of berths in the future will save a lot of trouble.The north-south direction of the harbor area extends for more than ten kilometers. The wharf line developed and constructed by later generations exceeds 20 kilometers. There are as many as 30 deep-water wharves alone. The entire port area operates more than 100 wharfs. Its scale can be imagined Know.Although it is impossible to build such a large port in this era, there is clearly enough room for development.

That afternoon, the fleet arrived at the south estuary of the harbor, and the bay area here is also the location of the largest shipbuilding base in Taiwan in later generations. From the perspective of natural conditions, the harbor here is more suitable for construction than the location where the Shengli Harbor Shipyard is located. The large dock also strengthened Qian Tiandun's determination to make this place his first choice.

The south estuary is about twice as wide as the north estuary, and the terrain is relatively flat, without the natural danger of hills on both sides of the north estuary.However, considering such a narrow mouth, Qian Tiandun thinks that the defense is not difficult, and ordinary coastal defense batteries are sufficient to deal with enemies from the sea.

That night, the fleet docked locally to rest.After Qian Tiandun had dinner, he began to draft an investigation report to be submitted to the Military Commission.

"...Tagou Port is 80 nautical miles from Penghu Magong Port, 100 nautical miles to Zhangzhou Zhongzuo, and 340 nautical miles to Hong Kong. It can be used as Haihan's main base for development on Taiwan Island. In addition, the Tagou Port to Manila, Luzon Island The distance to the Bay is about one-third closer than Sanya, and if the Spaniards turn against each other in the future, Dagou Port can also be used as one of the starting points for the fleet..."

Qian Tiandun mainly considers the value of local development from a military point of view. If Penghu can effectively control the waterways of the Fujian Strait, then the location of Kaohsiung can radiate the two main waterways of the Fujian Strait and Bashi Channel at the same time. It blocked the main channel for the Dutch to go to Northeast Asia, and at the same time, even the throat of the Spaniard was choked.

The main base of the Spaniards in the Far East is the city of Manila located on the east coast of Manila Bay on Luzon Island, and the waterway between it and Jilong Port in the northern part of Taiwan Island and even Northeast Asian countries must pass through the border between Taiwan Island and Luzon Island. Bus Channel between.Although limited by maritime trade and warfare in the current era, the strategic position of the Bashi Strait is not prominent, but Haihan has always attached great importance to the control of the key areas of the waterway, even though it may take several years for this area to appear The same goes for strategic value.Although the Bashi Strait is open and not so easy to actually control, it is still included in the military list.The most suitable area to be developed into a large port in the north of the Bashi Channel is undoubtedly the Tagou Port area where the Fourth Fleet is now based.

If one only considered the natural conditions, the environment here was almost impeccable, but there was one thing Qian Tiandun could not ignore, and that was the local aborigines.The aboriginal tribes here are much more prosperous than those at the Zhuoshui River. The aborigines called Macadao currently occupy an absolute dominant position here, with a population of over a thousand.Fortunately, the troops who went ashore to explore the road today found a few families of Han fishermen in Dagou Port. According to them, the nearby indigenous people are relatively peaceful, and they don’t have much hostility towards outsiders. These Han fishermen usually Use your own catch to exchange wild game such as deerskin and venison from the aborigines.

Of course, the attitude towards fishermen is not the same as the attitude towards powerful outsiders like Haihan. Anyone who sees the Haihan militia armed with live ammunition will be vigilant, so can they maintain a basic relationship with the local aborigines? , We have to look at the next contact effect.

The next day, several Han fishermen who had collected the money the day before brought representatives from a nearby indigenous tribe called the Ajiashe village to meet with Qian Tiandun.And these fishermen also acted as translators by the way, spreading the word between the two sides.

Three men came from the tribe, with deerskin aprons around their waists and straw sandals on their feet. Two of them were bare-chested, and one of them was wearing a gown made of blue and white cloth. Obviously, his status was higher—this cloth was probably also a local Han immigrants resold them.The man in the gown looked about forty years old, and the two men behind him were obviously much younger. One of them was holding two deer legs, while the other was holding an earthen jar, neither of them was carrying a weapon. .

Two young indigenous men presented gifts first, and the fisherman next to them explained: "This is a special product of Ajiashe, rice wine and bamboo shoots."

Qian Tiandun was also prepared, and after ordering the guards to accept the gifts, he also took out gifts in return—two military daggers made in Sanya, twenty catties of refined salt, and a set of glass tableware in a brocade box.The indigenous representatives are obviously quite satisfied with these gifts, no need for language communication, it can be seen only from their excited expressions.

"We are businessmen from the southern sea. Our ethnic group is called Haihan. We hope to build a dock here and settle down. We will respect your local way of life and help you live a better life." Qian Tian Dun pointed at the guards around him casually when he said this: "Like them, they have clothes to wear, enough food to eat, and the ability to travel farther to gain knowledge. If you have any requirements, you can also ask us."

"Your sailboat is bigger and longer than the red-haired people who have been here before, and your gifts are also the most sincere among the visitors, but if you want to live here, you need to do more." The leader The indigenous man didn't immediately agree to Qian Tiandun's proposal, but he didn't speak too harshly either.

"We can provide Ajia Society with money, food, job opportunities and necessary protection. If you are willing, you can also become our business partners in the future, and you can obtain better living conditions through cooperation." Qian Tiandun immediately More specific conditions were set out to it.If he could live in peace with the local aborigines, Qian Tiandun would not be stingy with these basic terms of exchange.

During several years of operation, the Ministry of Civil Affairs already has a complete set of plans for dealing with the indigenous people in various places, which naturally includes standard operating regulations on how to exchange various conditions for the trust and obedience of the indigenous people, and how to assimilate them step by step.It is precisely because of these experience summed up through practical operations that Haihan was able to integrate most of the Li and Miao tribes on Hainan Island in just a few years, allowing them to gradually integrate into Haihan's society more obediently. in the system.

"The people of Ajashe only accept trade and will not become slaves!" The indigenous representative remained vigilant enough and shook his head to express his dissent to Qian Tiandun's statement.

"Of course." Qian Tiandun immediately corrected his statement after listening to the translation: "We will conduct transactions in a way accepted by the Aga community. But before that, we will move in some immigrants and build a pier here and towns."

"This will affect the lives of our Agatha people!" The indigenous representatives clearly expressed their opposition this time.

"But it will also bring you a better life and more good things to enjoy." Qian Tiandun continued to persuade: "For example, cloth for making clothes, such as fine wine that you have never tasted."

"Fine wine? Do you know how to make wine?" This topic caught the attention of the indigenous representatives.

Such a character as Qian Tiandun immediately realized that this was an opportunity to break the barrier, and immediately ordered people to take the wine out of the boat.Naturally, the army is not allowed to drink alcohol at will during the mission. The few stocks on the ship are just in case, and can be used as medical alcohol for trauma disinfection if necessary.Of course, it is also one of the expected uses to deal with the natives who sent good wine.

The Macadao people living in the Dagou area prefer wine, and they mostly use locally grown grains to make rice wine.However, the taste of the rice wine they brewed with the local method naturally cannot be compared with Haihan's more mature wine-making technology.The rum named "Sanya Special Brew" has long been sold in various parts of the South China Sea and has become one of the key products of Haihan's foreign trade. Of course, these natives who have not seen the world can't resist its power.

The indigenous representative’s eyes were straightened when he saw something. He had never seen a bottle made of glass—the pair of glass bowls in the brocade box just now made him amazed. something more advanced.

When Qian Tiandun saw the faces of the three people, he naturally knew it. He immediately opened the bottle cap, poured it into the three prepared cups, and signaled the natives to enjoy it.These natives were honest and honest, they didn't worry about any other weirdness in the wine, they picked it up and smelled it before swallowing it into their mouths.

"This must be a treasure given to us by Alizu!" After drinking the small glass of wine, the indigenous representative expressed his sincere admiration.And the "Alizu" he mentioned is the patron saint believed by the Macadao people.

Looking at the other party's eyes still focused on the wine bottle, Qian Tiandun said understandingly: "This bottle of wine is given to you as a gift."

The cost of a bottle of mass-produced "Sanya Special Wine" is not high, and at least half of the credit for being able to sell at a high price in the market should be credited to the glass bottle packaging. After all, no other industry in this era would use such an expensive bottle. The material is used as a wine set.But for the people of Agashe, this fine wine contained in the "crystal" is undoubtedly the only treasure in this life.

"Being able to brew such fine wine and generously pack it in crystals and present it to strangers, I believe you are as kind and good as the Agashe people." The indigenous representative said seriously: "I will send you Bring back your goodwill to Aga Society, but your request still needs to be decided by Auntie."

"Who is Auntie?" Qian Tiandun asked after listening to the translation.

"It's the female wizard in the club, responsible for ceremonies, rituals, divination and other things." The fisherman who acted as an interpreter quickly explained.

(End of this chapter)