1635 Han style rises again

May 1678, 5, off the west coast of North America.

With the help of the strong California cold current, the motor sailing ship "Fengbo" traveled southward at high speed along the west coast of North America.In order to save fuel, the steam engine on the ship was not turned on, and with only a few mainsails, it ran at a speed of 12 knots.Calculating the distance, it is estimated that it will take another six or seven days to reach [-] degrees north latitude, and then turn west, follow the northern equatorial warm current, and return to Hawaii Island (now Oahu, Hawaii).

A month ago, after the "Fengbo" left the storm area, it lingered in the sea area for two days and searched. After not finding the other two motor sailing ships, it headed straight for the west coast of North America.

However, the navigator on the ship made a small mistake when calculating the azimuth, which made the course of the "Fengbo" a little bit northerly.When it got close to the coast of the North American continent, it was found to be close to about [-] degrees north latitude.

Subsequently, the "Storm Wave" traveled south along the coastline, looking for a suitable landing point along the way.A few days later, the southern tip of a long and narrow island (Vancouver Island) was chosen as an immigrant settlement.

The island is divided into east and west parts by a huge mountain range in the middle, and both sides are dominated by lowlands. Among them, the east coast facing the North American continent is relatively flat compared to the west coast close to the Pacific Ocean.However, there are many bays and fjords on the west coast, which are quite suitable as seaports.

According to the investigation data provided by the exploration fleet, there are many rivers and lakes in the inland area of ​​the island, and the climate is mild and comfortable.What's even more rare is that the island has extremely rich forest resources, in which there are a large number of foxes, martens, squirrels, beavers, sea otters and other small animals.The fur of these animals is like moving gold and silver coins to the immigrants who have just arrived here.

After a little settlement of more than 70 immigrants, the "Fengbo" immediately left the immigration point named Fuyuan Fort (now Victoria City, Vancouver Island), and embarked on a journey to return to Ryukyu.

"It's too close to the coast, so it's easy to encounter coastal reefs and small islands, especially at night when the sight is not clear, and unpredictable accidents are more likely to occur." Captain Qin Shanxiang put down the binoculars, turned his head and ordered to the navigator : "Take two degrees to the west, and keep a distance of [-] to [-] kilometers from the coast."

"Yes, sir." Navigator Chu Shiyong promised loudly.

"It's too far away from the coastline. If we send a contact signal, the people on the shore may not be able to hear it." First officer Zhen Jiewen reminded softly.

"No matter what, safety comes first!" Tan Shanxiang shook his head and said, "Also, is it possible that the other two ships arrived further north than ours?"

"No way." Zhen Jiewen thought for a while, and said with some uncertainty: "The place where we docked and landed is already close to [-] degrees north latitude. If the other two ships are blown further north by the storm, wouldn't it be necessary to It’s close to the pole. The climate there is extremely cold and the environment is harsh, and it’s not very friendly to the new arrivals!”

"It's better to be careful." Tan Shanxiang said: "Even if we can't find the lost ships off the coast of North America, we all need to meet up on the island of Hawaii eventually. Taking ten thousand steps back, even if one of the ships gets lost accident, but so far, it has been more than a month, and I am afraid that we will not be able to respond to the contact signal we sent?"

"Then..., then do we still need to continue sending signals?" Zhen Jiewen felt dark when he heard this. There were still several classmates and fellow villagers who had made good friends with him on the two ships. Life is a bit embarrassing.

"Continue to send signals. But double the time of sending frequency....Maybe, they are really stranded on a certain coast." Tan Shanxiang said, turned and walked towards the cabin, "I'll go to rest first Yes. If there is any situation, call me anytime."
-
Cedros Island, May 5.

Cui Baoshun, the captain of the "Fengming" and Lieutenant Xuanjie (Major), felt that his name did not match what he had experienced these days.

A month ago, a severe storm was encountered at sea. After the weather improved, the "Fengming" not only lost contact with the other two ships, but also broke a main mast. Two sailors fell into the water and disappeared.

What is even more frustrating is that during the next few days of the trip, the steam engine that had been running continuously for several months suddenly exploded, making the ship's power system completely slumped.

Due to the huge storm, the "Fengming" has been blown away from the established position of the Kuroshio Current, making the ship move further south.In this almost windless sea, the officers and men of the ship had to rely on the few remaining masts, hang out a few horizontal sails and a vertical sail, and continue to zigzag on the calm sea. , in order to capture the weak wind, it was difficult to sail towards the North American continent.

Half a month later, the "Fengming" suffered another bad luck. On a starless night, it suddenly crashed into a small island about 200 kilometers away from the mainland (Guadalupe Island, 250 kilometers west of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico). , breaking a huge hole at the waterline.

After all the officers and men of the ship fought hard to rescue and used the spare plank on the ship, the breach was finally blocked, so that the "Fengming" avoided the fate of sinking.However, a large amount of materials and food, as well as some gunpowder, were soaked in seawater and suffered heavy losses.

The "Fengming" stayed on this small island for nearly ten days, while repairing the damaged ship bottom and the lying steam engine, while moving out the soaked materials one by one to dry, so as to reduce further loss of materials.

This small island is about 30 kilometers long and nearly ten kilometers wide. It is an uninhabited desert island.Moreover, the island's climate is very arid, and the land looks very barren, with only a few low trees growing in the northern valleys.Therefore, Cui Baoshun, as the captain, immediately vetoed the proposal to establish an immigration stronghold here.

On May 5, when the officers and men of the ship were busy repairing the ship, the lookout suddenly reported that two small fishing boats were found more than ten kilometers southeast of the island.After they gradually approached the island, they also discovered the existence of the "Fengming".After lingering for a while, the other party immediately turned around and fled towards the mainland.

The "Fengming" was unable to pursue due to the damage of the ship, and could only watch the two fishing boats leave. Everyone's heart was immediately cast a shadow of danger.

The Spaniards have found us!
Cui Baoshun immediately stopped the continued repair of the ship, and ordered the officers, soldiers and immigrants to load all the supplies on board immediately and leave here quickly to avoid being captured by the Spanish ships that came later.

Since the steam engine has not yet been repaired, it is very difficult to go northward against the cold California current, and it may be overtaken by the Spanish galley halfway.Although the "Fengming" has more than [-] artillery pieces of various types, the officers and soldiers are also well-trained, worthy of a battle.

But it couldn't stand the siege of several or a dozen ships that Spain chased. According to the nautical chart, this place already belongs to the Spanish Mexican waters, which can be regarded as the core area of ​​Spanish rule.Even though Spain is now in decline and is no longer as arrogant as it was decades ago, it is definitely possible to deal with a single sailing ship of the Qi State, and it is still a ship that has lost its strong power.

However, when the unlucky "Fengming" sailed less than [-] kilometers away, it was hit by a storm again. The huge swell broke a big hole in the damaged part of the cabin again, and a huge amount of sea water poured in instantly. The body was also seriously tilted, and the ship crashed and died in an instant.

But at the most dangerous moment, the watchman discovered a small island in time in the dense rain and fog.Cui Baoshun immediately ordered the "Fengming" to rush to the beach and run aground quickly to prevent the ship from capsizing in the sea.

This is an archipelago of three deserted islands less than a kilometer in diameter (San Benito Islands, Mexico), surrounded by rocks and kelp, without any inhabitants.The land on the island is more barren, and the vegetation is mainly low shrubs and herbs, as well as some large cacti.There are few land animals, but birds are abundant.

The "Fengming" ran aground on a small island in the middle, with an area of ​​less than 0.5 square kilometers, and the end can be seen at a glance.After discussing with several military officers, Cui Baoshun agreed that he could not stay here for a long time.Afterwards, an expedition team was sent to try to search towards the mainland in two small boats, preparing to find a safer and more hidden temporary camp.

On May 5th, the exploration team returned and reported to Cui Baoshun that about 12 kilometers southeast of the island, there was a slightly larger island covered with desert bushes of different species. There are also sparse pine forests.There are no large carnivores on the island, only some giraffe and ibex.In the waters off the north coast of the island, there are groups of sea lions and a large number of fish.

Afterwards, all the officers, soldiers and immigrants on the "Fengming" began the long work of moving ants, using three small boats to transfer supplies and personnel to the big island (Cedros Island) little by little. .

Chief officer Zang Xicheng reported to Cui Baoshun with great pain that without the assistance of sufficient external force and advanced equipment and tools, there is no possibility of repairing the severely damaged "Fengming".Moreover, there is not even a single tree on these remote islands, and it is impossible to obtain suitable wood to repair the large holes that have been broken.

In this regard, Cui Baoshun could only helplessly lament the bad luck. At the same time, he seized the time to arrange the transfer of personnel and materials.After they have settled down completely, they will find a way to restore the "Fengming".

However, on May 5th, when Cui Baoshun was organizing officers, soldiers and immigrants to set up a camp on the southeast side of the island named as Cedros Island, he suddenly received a frightening news.

"How many ships have the Spaniards come? . . . Have they spotted the Windcall? . . . Are they coming this way?"

"Sir, we just saw three Spanish ships approaching from a distance, ranging in size from [-] to [-] tons." The accompanying captain (second lieutenant) had a look of panic on his face, "I I think they must have found our Fengming ship stranded on the small island. After all, the island is unobstructed, and it is easy to see as long as you get close to that piece of sea... As for whether they have found our whereabouts, humble job Not sure yet. But with the only big island in the surrounding waters, I think the Spaniards will definitely come and have a look.”

"Or, let's move to the mainland as soon as possible before the Spaniards arrive." First officer Zang Xicheng suggested: "If the location calculation is accurate, the distance here is no more than [-] kilometers from the mainland. If you move quickly, it will take a day." reach the coast."

"With only three small boats, how many people and materials can be transferred in one day?" Cui Baoshun shook his head and said worriedly: "Furthermore, when we reach the land on the other side, who knows if we will crash into the Spanish stronghold and kill ourselves?" Send it to others for nothing."

"Then... then we just wait for the Spaniards to come to the island?"

"What else can I do?" Cui Baoshun said with a wry smile, "If you have the time to transfer, why not build a strong fortress on this island first, maybe you can force the Spaniards to retreat."

"Forcing back the Spanish attack? It's not easy!" Zang Xicheng shook his head, "If they can't take down the camp we built, they only need to trap us on the island, and within a few months, they will run out of ammunition and food. "

"As a soldier of Daqi, we should have the faith to die generously." Cui Baoshun's face was a little ashamed, "But we have all ignored an important issue."

"……Um?"

"If the Fengming ship falls into the hands of the Spaniards, it will mean that our Qi country's ship technology, as well as the most critical steam engine, may be completely leaked and let the barbarians know!"

"what!……"

When everyone heard the words, they were all shocked.
-
July 7, Viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico), Port of Acapulco.

Colonel Mikel San Jose, commander of the Spanish American Fleet and the Mexican Squadron, was full of slander for the governor's changes.But the Governor-General was born in the royal family and aristocrats, and more directly represented the King of Spain, with great power.In the eyes of the governor, he is just an insignificant "little person" who has no right to question the governor at all.

After Colonel Mikel San Jose received the latest order, he had to ask the officers and soldiers on board to unload a large amount of expedition supplies again in order to reduce the weight of the ship.The target of the fleet's attack was also changed from Chile and the Strait area at the southern tip of America to a small island on the west side of the California peninsula.

It is said that there is an armed force from Eastern countries entrenched there.The ocean-going ship they were on was shipwrecked and ran aground on a small island.Probably in order to avoid the search of our Spaniards, these poor Easterners, relying on a few small boats, transferred all their personnel and supplies bit by bit to a slightly larger island several leagues away, lingering on their last legs.

After hearing the news, several nearby armed merchant ships and fishing boats rushed to the sea area where the incident occurred. First they found the large ship that ran aground, and then searched for the island. Then, a fierce battle broke out with the surviving Easterners.

Those armed merchant ships returning to Mexico reported that the number of Orientals entrenched on the island was between 150 and 180, with more than a hundred muskets and no artillery.However, in a short period of time, the opponent built a relatively strong small fort with wood and rammed earth, causing the Spanish sailors and Creole armed militia (native whites) who attacked the island to suffer a lot of casualties.

According to Colonel Mikel San Jose, although the group of Orientals fought back sharply and caused great trouble to the armed militia, they were not difficult to deal with.After they were shipwrecked and stranded on that deserted island, they couldn't get any supplement at all.That being the case, why not seal off that island, and after the group of Easterners run out of ammunition and food, they can easily clean up the mess?
And now, the bigwigs in Mexico City even have to mobilize their regular colonial troops to attack the islands occupied by the orientals.

You must know that the Qi people located in the Strait of Magellan and the coastal areas of Gotabonia are their most important enemies.

Six years ago—well, maybe even longer, the Qi people from the southern New World suddenly appeared in the Gotabania region at the southern tip of America, and carried out colonization activities there.

The Viceroyalty of Peru once ordered the General de la Plata to send troops to expel those Qi people who brazenly invaded the territory of the Kingdom of Spain in order to maintain the dignity of the kingdom and the reputation of His Majesty the King.

However, the armed militia sent by General de la Plata's jurisdiction were defeated by the Qi people several times. Not only did they fail to expel the opponent from the Gotabana region, but they lost more than 800 people in a few years.

Two years ago, the Viceroyalty of Peru dispatched more than [-] colonial troops and armed militias from the Paraguay General District and the General Bogotá District to cooperate with the colonial forces in the General La Plata District to jointly attack the Qi people who invaded the kingdom.

Just last year, the Governor of Peru sent a letter to the Viceroyalty of New Spain, requesting them to send a squadron and carry a large-scale combat landing force to go south to Chile and the Strait of Magellan to attack several colonial strongholds established by the Qi people there. , so that the beginning and the end cannot be taken into account.

Originally, the governor of New Spain attached great importance to this. In a few months, he gathered four armed merchant ships, more than 800 soldiers and armed volunteers, led by Colonel Mikel San Jose, and prepared to go to the vicinity of the strait at the southern tip of America.

But now, the governor suddenly sent a new order, instructing him to capture a group of Orientals entrenched on Cedros Island first, and try his best to get the big ship stranded on the small island to the port of Acapulco.

Perhaps, there must be some shocking secret hidden in it.