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Chapter 1064 American Development Company

However, the Imperial Navy currently knows very little about the waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean. Aside from the ocean-going exploration ships that conduct regular surveys, most commanders and sailors have never been there.

It is better to prepare in advance than to pierce the ears before getting married. In the past, there was no money or reason to send an expeditionary force to America to fight, after all, there were still strong competitors in the sea and land of western Asia.

Now, the Spaniards have come all the way to deliver an excuse. Judging from the contents of the memorials submitted in recent days regarding the negotiations, officials from the Ministry of Rites and the General Staff are very disgusted with the arrogance of the Spaniards. At this time, it would be much less difficult to persuade them to send a small number of naval forces to the eastern waters to find out the real situation.

"Your Majesty is going to rob the Peruvian fleet!" Upon hearing the letter of marque, Governor Cohen couldn't help but think of a possibility.

He did not see how the Imperial Navy took Manila, but he heard about it from the escaped Spanish sailors. The experiences of the ports of Salem and Banda Aceh were almost identical, using the same tactics, a naval landing raid.

Spain's two largest silver mines in the New World were located in Zacatecas in southern Mexico and Potosí in Upper Peru (now a city in southern Bolivia). Both were located hundreds of kilometers within the coastline and were not easily attacked from the sea.

But the Spaniards had to transport most of the silver and gold back to Europe, so they had to first send them to the seaport and load them onto Spanish galleons, then assemble at the Port of Havana to form a fleet and sail directly to the Port of Seville. This was the famous Spanish treasure fleet in history, also known as the Silver Fleet.

However, before arriving at the port of Havana, the silver fleet was divided into two: the New Spanish fleet and the Peruvian fleet. The former went to the port of Veracruz in southern Mexico, while the latter went to Portobelo (now a port city in Panama) in the Viceroyalty of Peru to wait for silver, gold and gems shipped from inland.

But if you look at the map, you will find that it was almost impossible to transport large amounts of silver from southern Upper Peru across half of South America to Central America by land given the geographical environment and productivity level at the time.

So the Spaniards came up with an idea. They first used the mountain roads originally built by the Inca Empire to transport the silver produced from the Potosí silver mine to Lima, the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru, by camel, and then shipped it from Lima to Panama City.

Panama City was once the base of Spanish colonists and the seat of the Governor's Office, and is only a few dozen kilometers away from Portobelo Harbor. Only when the silver was loaded onto a carriage and transported to the port and then loaded onto a ship did it officially join the silver fleet.

If the Ming Empire sent privateers to the east coast of the Pacific, the most valuable objects to be robbed would be the Spanish silver ships sailing from Lima to Panama City.

Due to geographical barriers, the number and quality of ships of the Spanish Governor of Peru on the Pacific coast were far inferior to those in the Atlantic. Coupled with the strength of the Ming Empire's naval ships, it would not be easy to take something out of a bag, but it would not be too difficult either.

Some book lovers may say that even without the Panama Canal, ships can still be sailed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean via South America. It is impossible for a living person to be suffocated to death by urine!

In theory, it is possible, but in the 17th century, large sailing ships were basically impossible, but small sailing ships were relatively easier. People like Columbus, Magellan, Drake, etc. all used ships of to tons when they sailed and explored.

The sea area between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica is called the Drake Passage. It has strong winds and high waves all year round, with waves easily reaching more than ten meters high, and the water temperature is very low. Compared with it, the Cape of Good Hope is much more docile.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the British Royal Navy had a tradition of wearing gold earrings for sailors passing through the Drake Passage. Not only was it a symbol of status, but it also allowed them to get a free drink in all bars in British ports. This shows how dangerous the Drake Passage is. If it was so easy to pass through, the British Admiralty would have been drunk out of business. "I also heard that the New World Governor's Office is also a coastal city. I wonder if you have been there?" After hearing Cohen's question, Hong Tao smiled very greedily and evilly, and he almost licked his lips with his tongue.

"Unfortunately, I have never been to Lima. But there are thousands of Spanish troops there and very complete defense facilities, which are much stronger than Manila. Moreover, the local natives do not know about the Ming Empire and only serve as vassal troops for the Spanish. There may be tens of thousands of them."

Cohen had thought about this hypothesis, but he thought it was unlikely to succeed. Although he had never been to Lima, he had heard Spanish and Portuguese sailors introduce it more than once, so he had some understanding of the local defense capabilities.

Even though the Imperial Navy had strong ships and powerful guns, they were not very effective against a fortress built of large stones. Moreover, the Spanish also had a lot of artillery, and taking advantage of the terrain, their defensive capabilities were still considerable.

The most disadvantageous thing to the Imperial Navy is not the defense system, but the people. There are many Chinese businessmen in Manila, and they are likely to tip off the Imperial Navy, so there is no secret at all.

However, when they arrived in the New World, the local natives only knew their Spanish masters and had never heard of the Ming Empire, so it was impossible for them to provide any information. Even if a few natives wanted to help, the two sides could not communicate effectively.

If too few troops are sent, the attack power will be insufficient, and if too many troops are sent, where will they eat and drink? Once the attack is blocked and Lima cannot be taken in a short time, they will be in a dilemma.

"Back then, Pizarro was able to gain a foothold in the Inca Empire with only a hundred or so men. Less than a thousand men were able to effectively rule over millions of people. This shows his fighting power. Like fathers, like sons, like daughters. Like sons, like rats. Let alone tens of thousands of people, even hundreds of thousands would not be a threat.

But the Chinese ancestors also said that knowing yourself and the enemy will ensure victory in a hundred battles. There is no harm in getting more relevant information. This is why I invite you to buy shares of Kaituo Company. You will only do your best if it is related to your own interests. "

Regarding the attack on Lima, the Naval Staff conducted a sand table simulation a few years ago and concluded that it would not be too difficult to take it down, but it would not be easy to gain a foothold.

After all, the Spaniards have been operating in the area for hundreds of years. After they are driven away, the locals will not immediately surrender. Instead, they will be filled with fear due to lack of understanding, which will in turn lead to hostility.

With the instigation of the remaining Spanish troops, missionaries and immigrants, even if they could not defeat the Imperial Navy head-on, they could still resort to covert tactics, such as hiding in the mountains and launching sneak attacks.

If that were the case, the empire would need to invest not only an expeditionary force and fleet, but also a second and third batch of land forces to implement military control, clearing out and assimilating the people at the same time. It would probably take ten to eight years to achieve basic stability.

Hong Tao did not want to persuade Cohen to provide information about the defense of Lima City. He simply wanted to recruit him into the company. As long as it did not violate the principles of the East India Company, the extra income would not be considered a betrayal.

As for whether Cohen would hand over this information to the top executives of the East India Company, it didn't matter at all. Even if he told the Spanish negotiators about this matter in person, it would not pose any threat to the business of the American Development Company that was about to be established.

(End of this chapter)