The wind blows from the South Sea

Chapter 114 Singapore

Mid-May 1859

Singapore

As early as 1826, the British East India Company merged the three jurisdictions of Singapore, Penang and Malacca into the Straits Settlements, and established the position of Governor of the Straits Settlements, also known as the Governor of the Three Continents.

The so-called three continents refer to the three colonial jurisdictions of Singapore, Penang and Malacca. In 1858, the Straits Settlements were transferred to British India.

In this era, Singapore, a port city with a population of about 7.6, gradually became prosperous because it was located at the hub of the route from Europe to the Far East.

A small Western-style building not far from the seaside is where the Governor's Palace is located. Compared with the tall church building not far away, it looks much low-key.

The previous Governor Brandel had just left office in August, and the new Governor Cavenner who took over was an ambitious colonial official. He took over this important position at the age of less than 8 years old and wanted to do something big.

Today, several important Dutch guests came to his office. They were senior officials headed by Gosens, secretary of the Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies, who were responsible for purchasing a large amount of supplies needed for the war.

The order includes 8.8 sets of military uniforms, 3.6 flintlock rifles, hundreds of Armstrong cannons, 2600 tents, thousands of tons of black powder and other combat supplies. The total value exceeds 18 pounds, which is an out-and-out deal. of large military orders.

The modern history of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom is a history of constant wars and entangled interests. The two sides faced each other at war more often than in peace.

The British Empire dominates the world today and is entering the heyday of Queen Victoria. With colonies all over the world, it is truly an empire on which the sun never sets.

Governor Gavenner came over with a cheerful expression and asked his assistant Kevin Thomas to give each guest a glass of whiskey with ice. He said;

"We should celebrate and put aside the unpleasantness of the past. This is the beginning of a wonderful cooperation.

The Dutch's continuous expansionary aggression on Sumatra caused serious protests from the British, who did not hesitate to threaten war, forcing the Dutch to slow down the pace of colonial expansion.

After defeating and banishing the French Emperor Napoleon, the British Empire defeated the huge and awe-inspiring Eastern powers in the Opium War that ended in 1842, spreading its imperial majesty around the world.

Come... toast to our happy cooperation. "

no doubt
In the entire South Asian subcontinent, only the British East India Company has the strength to provide our partners with sufficient quantities of high-quality products. I am convinced of this.

"For our close honeymoon-like cooperation, and for the Governor-General, I propose a toast."

Even in the past ten years or so, the two sides have continued to have frictions in the Nanyang region.

Countless brilliant colonial achievements are intertwined, creating a deep-rooted pride for the British.

Governor Gavenner raised his head proudly and picked up the wine glass in his hand. He was in high spirits and found sufficient advantages in the Netherlands, a small country in Western Europe.

British overseas colonies occupied Penang, Singapore, and the Malay Peninsula, and the region's importance grew increasingly.

The two sides are fighting overtly and covertly for the right to speak in this world-wide maritime artery.

Although Gossens didn't like the sense of superiority that Governor Gavenner always showed from his heart, he wisely did not object to it, but stood up and raised his glass in response.

During the period when the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies was Governor of Ports, he launched a continuous war of invasion against the Kingdom of Aceh on the island of Sumatra. The purpose was to completely control this strategically important place in the Strait of Malacca.

As for the goods you need, they will be sent to Batavia one after another. My dear friends, you can rest assured about this.

This made Governor Cavenagh feel particularly good. The Strait Governor's Palace was a colonial institution under the British East India Company. In essence, making profits is the greatest political achievement.

Singapore, the seat of the British Channel Governor's Office, is located at the heart of the Strait of Malacca and has a very important strategic location.

As a veteran maritime colonizer, the Dutch are also aware of the vital role of the Malacca Strait in the Eurasian continental routes, and have tried their best to enhance their voice.

The British East India Company adheres to the concept of free trade and strives to promote Singapore as an open international port. In a few years, you will see greater changes here.

Calculating the time, only more than ten years have passed.

"Excellent, my friends." Governor Gavenner took a sip from the wine glass and said in a condescending tone;

"Please convey my sincere invitation to Governor Shire. Based on the long-term friendly relations between Britain and the Netherlands, the two sides should further intensify their exchanges.

The British Empire has always vigorously promoted the free process of international trade, brought Europe closer to the Far East and South Asia, and promoted the spread of advanced Western civilization around the world.

In many areas, there is room for further cooperation. "

"I will definitely convey your invitation, distinguished Governor-General, and sincerely thank the British side for their material support in our counter-insurgency war. This is a friendship as golden as gold." Gosens replied sincerely.

In fact, he knew that Governor Shire was too busy to entertain a British Governor of the Channel.

At the level of colonial governor, he is basically a feudal official who is in charge of one side.

If one's resume in the colonies is gilded, after returning to the kingdom, one can basically enter the cabinet and hold ministerial positions that are not high in the rankings, such as minister of religious affairs, minister of the seal, minister of commerce and trade, and other noble positions. In the UK there are also the options of Secretary of State for Ireland and Secretary of State for Scotland.

As for the highly powerful positions such as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Secretary of the Colonies, Home Secretary, and Secretary of the Admiralty who are ranked high in the cabinet, there is basically no hope unless a miracle happens.

Chatted for a while
Gossens couldn't help but said, "Dear Governor, please forgive me. Your country's current policy of vigorously importing Chinese workers from the Far East may also have hidden dangers. The current rebellion in Java is a lesson learned from the past."

He had ulterior motives. The British vigorously introduced Chinese workers to develop Singapore and Penang, which actually put great pressure on Sumatra across the Strait of Malacca. This was a plan to kill two birds with one stone.

In the past 20 years

The number of Chinese workers introduced by the British from the Far East is increasing, and the number is rising sharply year by year. These Chinese workers have played an irreplaceable and important role in opening up the vast tracts of barren land under the Straits Settlements.

After hearing what he said, Governor Gavenna thought about it for a moment and understood what the other party meant.

The smile on his face also faded and he said;
“The British Empire has unparalleled rich experience in controlling colonies, and relevant policies have stood the test of time and proven to be mature and effective countermeasures.

You don't need to worry about this.

The Chinese laborers were hard-working and highly obedient immigrants who performed well in pioneering wasteland and were highly praised by the former Governor Brandel.

I have the same attitude about it, this is indentured labor at its finest. "

Gossens shook his head like a rattle, and rarely retorted seriously; "Dear Governor, you have been deceived by these cunning Easterners. They are gentle on the surface, but in fact they are treacherous and vicious in their hearts. As long as there is a chance, they will Violent and hurtful."

"Oh... I've heard about it too. It's said that 200 heads were sent to you."

"This is a heinous crime. The Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies will definitely respond forcefully and use the blood of Easterners to wash away the numerous crimes committed."

"Unfortunately, this is indeed a sad story..." Governor Gavina replied in a dull tone, obviously not wanting to comment further.

In his opinion
The Batavia Port tragedy should not have happened at all. It was a smear on the face of the colonial government and showed that the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies had lost its control and was unflattering both internally and externally.

What's the point of allowing indigenous mobs to torture and kill those Chinese civilians?

This will form serious ethnic antagonisms, create more and greater troubles in the colonies, and lead to greater chaos in social security. Is this what the colonial authorities want to see?

If the British Empire wanted to establish its power, it would simply use the army to suppress it. The effect would be much better and the hidden dangers would be much smaller.

It's a joke to even come here to provoke someone at this level.

On the street outside the Governor's Palace
There was an endless flow of people, most of whom had typical Chinese faces, and a large number of them wore small caps with a braid hanging from the back of their heads.

If it weren't for the Western-style buildings and churches that can be seen everywhere on the streets, people would mistakenly think that this is a small city in mainland China.

It's just that the market seems much more prosperous.

Here you can see imported products from various parts of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, as well as porcelain, tea, pens, inks, paper and inkstones from the Far East.

Several strong men walked along the street, vaguely protecting a tall young man in the middle wearing a light-colored top hat.

Occasionally, this person would raise his head and glance at the Western-style building of the Straits Governor's Palace from a distance, and the sharpness in his eyes would flash away.

He was Feng Guohui, walking on the street with a confident expression at the moment.

Feng Guohui also purchased some urgently needed supplies for the Nanyang Army. By the way, he could appreciate the people and customs of important Nanyang commercial ports in this era and deepen his memory of the times.

He also did not expect that he would arrive in Singapore with a group of people from the Dutch Governor's Palace. This can only be explained by coincidence.

It has been more than two months since we occupied Semarang and other places. All things have been sorted out. Military preparations have been ongoing, and the corresponding material gap is not small.

I just took advantage of the temporary free time to replenish supplies and set up trading points belonging to the Nanyang Company in places such as Singapore and Saigon.

In the future, many supplies can be purchased directly and shipped back, without having to rely on others.

"Master, do you want to take this opportunity to kill all these red ghosts?"

"Don't make too much trouble. This is the territory of the British. Making trouble here is equivalent to slapping the British in the face. It is unnecessary to create one more enemy."

"I understand, just do your own thing."

"That's roughly the principle, but you don't have to be too rigid about it. You can find out more about what these red ghost guys bought, and how much is it? What kind of merchant ships will they use to transport it? Send back the exact information immediately. We also have a navy. Battleship's guy, kill him if you get the chance."

"Hehe...I understand."

(End of this chapter)