1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 725 The Great Voyage ([-])
March 1656, 3, Samoa.

After "Fengxing No. 4" stayed in the island named Paradise Island (now Tahiti Island) for ten days, almost all the crew set sail and continued westward with a little bit of reluctance.Led by several local aboriginal guides, the big ship traveled northwest for more than 160 kilometers, and found several islands (now the Leeward Islands) one after another. The captain Kuang Youjie then collectively called these islands the Paradise Islands.

After replenishing some fresh water and fruits on a small island, "Fengxing 4" waved goodbye to the enthusiastic natives here, and went straight west, preparing to go to Relay Island (now Niue Island) and embark on the last leg of the return journey. .

However, a sudden storm a few days ago blew "Fengxing 4" away from the established course, making the ship slightly northerly.But the officers and soldiers on board did not worry about this, because even if they missed the Relay Island, they would still arrive at Donghai Island (now Viti Levu, Fiji), even if they missed the Relay Island, and there would be only a few days of travel between the two.

In the afternoon, the watchman on the top of the topmast of the ship found a piece of land northwest of the ship, and the ship sailed towards it.There seem to be activities on the island, and the surrounding area of ​​the island is also very convenient for boats to dock.Therefore, several geological and biological investigators, accompanied by more than a dozen armed sailors, took a small boat to the island and prepared to do some exploration.

They sent a friendly signal to the natives not far from the shore, but the other party responded with threats and intimidation.The crew tried unsuccessfully to communicate with the natives.Those natives rushed towards them viciously, throwing darts at the same time.The officer immediately ordered the soldiers to shoot at the aborigines. After killing and wounding several people, the aborigines quickly fled back inland and into the jungle.

The natives on the island are very barbaric in appearance and behavior, and their bodies are strong. Except for some coverings on the crotch, the rest of their bodies are naked, and some people even paint on their faces, chests and thighs. black paint.

In view of the wild and vicious indigenous people on the island, "Fengxing No. 4" did not continue to stay here, but continued to drive northwestward. On the 24th, it arrived at a large island (now Upolu Island, Samoa).

Before the boat stopped, many aborigines on the island rushed over in canoes from all directions.Out of caution, Captain Kuang Youjie ordered the gunners to be ready to fire at any time, and the sailors on board were also issued muskets to deal with possible attacks.

Fortunately, the aborigines on the island did not carry any offensive weapons. Instead, they brought a lot of yams and grapefruits and asked to exchange supplies with the crew.

In the early morning of March 3, Captain Kuang Youjie landed with more than 25 crew members to search for fresh water.The local aborigines received them politely. After receiving the gifts distributed by the crew, the aborigines happily led them to the water source.

About a kilometer from the landing point, there is a pond with a radius of several hundred meters.After trying to take a sip, the crew found that the water in the pond was a bit salty, probably because it was mixed with too much seawater seeping from the bottom.The aborigines said that if they want to obtain fresher fresh water, they need to go more than ten kilometers inland (guess), where there is a stream with clear and sweet water.

The crew took only a small amount of fresh water from this pond, and they decided to go inland early tomorrow morning to investigate the local geography and species, and take a look at the stream by the way.

When the captain Kuang Youjie took his people back to the shore, he found that the small boat left behind had been piled up with a lot of fruits and grass roots. It took a few pocket knives, a dozen nails, and some torn sailcloth.

On the night of March 3, the officers and soldiers of the "Fengxing 28" exploration ship suddenly encountered a sneak attack from many island natives. They drove more than a dozen canoes, trying to approach the big ship quietly, and then climbed up to snatch the items on board.Because in a few days of normal trade, the local aborigines found that they had no extra items to exchange with the crew.The sharp knives, sharp nails, soft cloth, and all kinds of exquisite gadgets on the big boat made these natives unable to restrain their inner greed.

The two crew members on duty fired their muskets in good time when the aborigines were about to climb onto the big ship.Although no natives were hit, in the silent night sky, the huge gunshots woke up all the crew immediately.

The crew hurriedly held muskets, short knives, and harpoons, and knocked down the climbing natives one by one into the sea.Several gunners aimed a 3-pound cannon at the numerous natives under the big ship, loaded grape shells, and ignited the fuze with a grinning grin.

Although the position of the gun muzzle was relatively high, few of the natives were hit, but the loud sound of the artillery still frightened the natives. They didn't care about climbing on the big ship, and jumped into the sea one after another, struggling to swim towards the shore.Immediately, under the organization of the officer, the crew raised their muskets and fired a volley at the canoe that hadn't escaped in time, and there was a burst of shouts and screams on the sea.

At 3 a.m. on March 29, "Fengxing 4" fired three rounds of artillery in the direction of the island, then pulled anchor and set sail, heading towards the East China Sea Islands (now the Fiji Islands).

The way home is not far away! ——
April 1656, 4, at 3 p.m., at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata.

The two ships of the Qi State Exploration Fleet are anchored near a horn-shaped promontory protruding south (near the present-day Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay). Just now, the fleet attacked and captured a ship near the mouth of the La Plata River. Spanish merchant ship.

The 200-ton merchant ship from Asunción on the upper Rio de la Plata was loaded with grain and furs and was bound for Cuba in the Caribbean.Unfortunately, near the mouth of the river not far from the port of Buenos Aires, it bumped into the Qi State Exploration Fleet coming south.

"Fengxing No. 5" immediately accelerated to the southwest side of the merchant ship, blocking its escape route back to the port of Buenos Aires, and then began a chase.

The Spanish merchant ship may not have expected the speed of the two armed exploration ships to be so fast. When it saw the other party quickly approaching it, it began to abandon the cargo on board in a hurry, trying to reduce the weight of the ship and escape. hunt down.

Two armed exploration ships quickly posted up and fired a few shots at it in a demonstrative manner. The Spanish merchant ship hesitated for less than 2 minutes, and then lowered its sails and surrendered.

Escorting the captured Spanish merchant ship, they sailed to the headland on the north bank of the Rio de la Plata, preparing to rest here for a day. Tomorrow, they will travel hundreds of kilometers south, sail into the westerly belt, and then begin to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The feat of crossing the Atlantic Ocean at high latitudes has never been completed (the first time in history to complete a high-latitude circumnavigation from west to east was the British Cook a hundred years later).

"The terrain on the shore is flat, with lush water and grass, fertile soil, and rich fisheries in the surrounding waters, but it is deserted for hundreds of miles, showing no sign of any development." Fleet commander, Xuanjie Captain (Major) Lu Zusheng put down the binoculars and couldn't help He shook his head and sighed: "You said that the Spaniards occupy such a fertile land, but they discard it like shoes, they don't cherish it, and throw it away for nothing. Such a reckless waste of things will be condemned by God!"

"Commander, if you feel sorry for the Spaniards, don't you want to occupy this place again?" Fan Fude, the captain of Fengxing No. It is easy to be expelled by the Spaniards by setting up a series of late-stage supply points and recklessly colonizing here.”

"That's right. With the material and personnel delivery capabilities we currently have, it may take several years to set up a few secret supply points on the American continent before they can reach a certain scale." Lu Zusheng nodded and said: "Come to this American continent. On the mainland, we have just truly realized that the Spaniards have such abundant resources and cover such a vast area, it can be called the real empire on which the sun never sets.”

"If our country of Qi can maintain the current momentum of development, I believe that after a hundred years, we will be able to achieve the next empire on which the sun never sets just like Spain!" Tian Jiansheng, the navigator of Fengxing No. 5 and Captain Renyong (Lieutenant) glanced at it. A few Spaniards on the deck who looked panic-stricken said generously.

"In the final analysis, the current population of our Qi State is too small." Fan Fude said: "If our Qi State can have a population of tens of millions, we will definitely be able to take advantage of the number of people to occupy more unowned land in this world."

"It doesn't matter." Lu Zusheng said confidently: "I think our Qi State has grown rapidly from a few hundred people to a population of more than 20 in less than [-] years. With such a geometric increase, it will only take a hundred years to grow to a population of tens of millions. .”

"Having said that, the main source of our current population increase is still a large number of immigrants from Daming. If China is unified and a new dynasty is restored, maybe at some point, we will be banned from the immigration channel of Qi." Fan Fude is not without worry said.

"Based on the current situation of the Ming Dynasty, it may take more than ten years for the unification of the world. Although the Qing captives lost Jiangnan and Sichuan, they still occupy a large area of ​​northern territory. As far as the forces of the Ming Dynasty are concerned, it is estimated that they have attacked It may be difficult for the Yangtze River to enter the Huaihe River and Huaihe River. In addition, the northern plains are open, which is very conducive to the movement of the Qing cavalry. If the Ming army is not equipped with corresponding cavalry and a large number of firearms, it may be difficult to match the Qing cavalry. "

When everyone heard the words, they took it for granted.More than ten years ago, the Qing captives quickly arrived at the general situation in the north with lightning speed. In addition to the incompetence of the Ming army and their rapid escape to the south of the Yangtze River, the more important reason was that the Qing cavalry attacked the northern plains and quickly defeated them. The resistance forces with the Dashun Army as the main force advanced to the north bank of the Yangtze River.When the Qi army supported the Yongchu Ming army in the Denglai area, they were very afraid of the cavalry of the Qing captives. Generally, the combat areas were as close to the seaside or rugged mountains as possible.

"Your Excellency, Commander." The intelligence officer of the fleet, Lieutenant Xuanjie (Major) Luno walked over quickly, "Through the interrogation of the Spaniards, we have learned an important piece of information. After several months of frequent attacks, they once again mobilized several warships and formed a task force in the Caribbean, preparing to join the original American fleet along the east and west coasts of the American continent to attack the meeting together. Fight pirates to preserve the sacred territory of the Kingdom of Spain."

"Oh, the Spaniards are enraged!" Lu Zusheng said with a smile, "Two fleets were actually mobilized to wipe out the pirates. It seems that we must leave here as soon as possible."

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Cape of Good Hope, May 5.

The discovery of the Cape of Good Hope is closely related to the Age of Discovery. In August 1487, Portuguese navigator Dias led two light sailing ships and general transport ships, ordered by King João II of Portugal, on his way to explore the new route from Europe to India. In January of the following year, he discovered the " Cape of Good Hope".

In fact, the Cape of Good Hope "Good Hope" is not easy.The sea area in this area has a changeable climate and frequent shipwrecks. It is known as the "crew's grave" and it has also become the most dangerous route in the world.Abnormally large waves often occur on the edge of the continental shelf and in the sea area within more than 30 miles of the sea, the wave height can reach 20 meters, and the wave trough is very deep.When the westerly wind blows, the sea conditions are rough and the air pressure is very low, such large waves are more common.

Many sailors who frequented the Cape of Good Hope called this elusive giant wave the "killer wave".It is characterized by the sudden appearance of a single or a group of 15-20 meter high waves on a calm sea, which is hard to guard against.The front peak of the killing wave is steep, while the rear peak is gentle, like a wall of water.If the ship and the waves go towards each other, they will be hit hard by the huge waves, and they will probably be broken in the middle, and both people and ships will be buried in the sea.If the boat is kept parallel to the waves, there is a good chance that the boat will be capsized by the waves.

In later generations, in 1716, a storm on the Cape of Good Hope destroyed 42 Dutch ships passing here, causing wealth equivalent to 400 billion francs to sink to the bottom of the sea.

Oh, by the way, Dias, the discoverer of the Cape of Good Hope, also encountered a big storm in the sea area in May 1500 and was buried here.

The officers and soldiers on the two ships of the Qi State Exploration Fleet watched with pale faces that the Spanish merchant ship captured at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata was instantly overturned by huge waves and then sucked into the bottom of the sea, and they kept praying to the gods and Buddhas in the sky Weeping, begging, and bless the ship they were on safe and sound.On the turbulent sea, there seemed to be countless sea monsters hiding, constantly setting off huge waves one after another, pushing their boats to the top of the waves, and then falling hard into the troughs.

At [-] o'clock in the afternoon, when the crew members were panicking in the wind and waves, suddenly a crew member shouted loudly and found a large piece of land in the northwest of the fleet.

The exploration fleet then adjusted its course and sailed towards the land with difficulty.As night fell, the fleet gradually left the violent stormy sea and reached the edge of the continent.

At dawn the next day, when the officers and soldiers of the fleet saw the land close at hand, they couldn't help crying with joy.After nearly forty days of boring and long voyage, after surviving countless storms and huge waves, they finally crossed the Atlantic Ocean and arrived at the African continent.

At 19 o'clock in the afternoon on the [-]th, two exploration ships from the State of Qi sailed into the port of Cape Town, which immediately caused a great shock to the Dutch.

The Cape Town stronghold under the Dutch East India Company was formally established four years earlier (1652).In April of that year, appointed by the Dutch East India Company, Captain Jan van Riebeek led three ships and carried the first batch of 4 Dutch immigrants to Table Bay on the Cape of Good Hope, establishing the first Dutch colony in South Africa—— cape town.These immigrants are employees of the East India Company. They grow crops and raise livestock according to the instructions issued by the East India Company, and the products are purchased by the East India Company at a price.

With several years of development, Cape Town's staff size has grown to more than [-] people, and various living materials have gradually become abundant. It has become the most important midway supply base for ships traveling between the two oceans, and it has a tendency to replace Mauritius. .

Two years ago, the Dutch East India Company learned that the Qi State had sent an exploration fleet across the Indian Ocean directly to the African continent, and even stopped briefly at their Mauritius stronghold on the way.Today, according to the narrations of these Hanzhou naval officers and soldiers who arrived in Hong Kong, they actually crossed the vast Pacific Ocean from the east of Hanzhou, passed through the Strait of Magellan, and then crossed the Atlantic Ocean to reach Cape Town.They will take a short supplementary rest here, and return to the west of Hanzhou via the Indian Ocean.In this way, these brave Hanzhou people will complete a great global voyage.

In view of the close military and economic ties between Batavia and Hanzhou, the local officials and businessmen in Cape Town warmly received the officers and soldiers of the Qi State Exploration Fleet.

(End of this chapter)