Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 107 Expectation
About 120 kilometers northwest of San Diego Bay lies a narrow, uninhabited island. It's about 40 kilometers long, 8 kilometers wide at its widest point, and covers nearly 150 square kilometers.

On November 1602, 11, Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino discovered the island while traveling north to explore the unknown world and named it San Clemente Island (now San Clemente Island in the United States).

However, the Spaniards did not land on the island, nor did they set up a colonial outpost, allowing the island to continue sleeping in the sea.

However, on January 1629, 1, two large ships visited this uninhabited island and sailed near a beach in the southwest of the island.

On the beach, there were two stranded galleons, each weighing about 150 tons. The masts of the ships had been lowered, the canvas had been collected, and the supplies on board had been thoroughly searched.

Despite being abandoned here for nearly a year and suffering from wind, rain and waves, most of the conditions of these two galleons are still intact. With sails installed and the corresponding sailors equipped, they should be able to resume sea voyages.

In the following days, several small boats shuttled back and forth, and a large number of people boarded the two stranded merchant ships to inspect the ships, repair damaged parts, connect supplies, erect masts, and reinstall sails.

By the fifth day, after digging a simple waterway, the "Poxing" towed the two ships from the beach into the water, restoring their power.

"Li Liang, your mission is to safely sail these two small boats back to Shixing Port." Fleet Commander Wei Yingbin looked Li Liang in the eye and said solemnly, "I'm also handing over the fifteen Spanish sailors captured last year to you. You must supervise them closely during the operation and ensure they don't develop any other intentions."

"You must know that this sea is very close to Mexico. If you're not careful, you might encounter patrolling Spanish armed merchant ships. Given your situation and the lack of any weapons on board, you're completely unable to resist them. You can only try to escape pursuit as quickly as possible. If the Spanish sailors on board cause trouble again when you encounter danger, I don't need to describe the consequences in detail."

"Yes, Commander!" Li Liang saluted and responded loudly.

"Well, you're thoughtful and prudent. I'm quite relieved to leave this operation in your hands." Wei Yingbin patted his shoulder. "Over the past few years, all the cadets, including you, have grown rapidly and are now ready to take on major responsibilities. However, when sailing at sea, especially on two Spanish galleons you're not familiar with, you still need to be cautious and serious to ensure the safety of both crew and vessel."

"Yes, Commander!" Li Liang nodded and replied, "This time we'll bring the two ships back to Shixing Port. I plan to keep close to the coastline, just in case."

"Well, be careful along the way!"

"I wish you a safe journey too!"

On January 1, the four ships left San Clemente Island one after another, heading in the north and south directions respectively.
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February 2, Marias Islands.

A Spanish galleon with a displacement of 400 tons was quietly anchored in the waters west of Maria Madre Island, the largest island in the archipelago, with its sails lowered and its anchor dropped.

A gorgeously dressed Spaniard was holding a monocular telescope and looking around constantly, as if waiting for something.

"Mallorca, have you found anything?" Pedro del Alamober looked up and shouted loudly to the lookout on the mast.

"No!...Mr. Alamober, I found nothing!" The lookout stuck his head out and replied loudly.

"Oh, nothing..." Pedro put away the monocular telescope a little anxiously and threw it to Captain Reyes.

"Sir, why don't you go back to your cabin and get some sleep?" Captain Reyes said flatteringly, "Perhaps when you wake up, those Eastern pirates will have appeared before us."

"Oh, damn it! We've been eating and sleeping these past few days, and we've been waiting here doing nothing for a week." Pedro shook his head and said, "Tell me, how can I sleep now!... These Eastern pirates are too unpunctual. Reyes, do you think they encountered a storm on the way? Or were they intercepted by our Spanish Navy?" "Oh, you know, a new Pacific Squadron was established in Acapulco Harbor last year. They were ordered to patrol the entire Pacific coast of America to investigate pirates and crack down on illegal smuggling activities. Moreover, the squadron's key patrol area is along the coast of Mexico. Wouldn't it be very dangerous if we happened to encounter them?"

"Sir, I'd like to say that your worries are completely unnecessary."

Seeing his employer so agitated and filled with worry, Captain Reyes could only offer solace in a gentle voice, "The ocean is vast and boundless. Not to mention that our temporary Pacific Squadron only has four armed merchant ships, even if we moved the former Invincible Armada of the Kingdom of Spain here, it wouldn't be able to cover the entire Pacific."

"Therefore, the probability of those Eastern pirates encountering our Spanish navy is extremely small, perhaps even impossible. Unless they brazenly plunder a coastal town again and then boldly stop there, waiting for the Spanish army to surround and kill them. ... Don't worry, the reason they haven't arrived yet is likely that they've encountered some trouble. We just need to wait patiently for a few more days, and there will definitely be a good result."

"Oh, God, how long will it take them to arrive?" Pedro sighed heavily. "You know, for this deal, I've temporarily handed over the important cocoa bean trade to my cousin. I've also invested almost my entire fortune in this Eastern trade. If anything goes wrong, I won't hesitate to jump into the sea and end my life."

"No, sir, you will definitely complete this transaction smoothly." Reyes said with a smile, "And we are the witnesses of this grand transaction."

"Thank you, Reyes." Pedro took a deep breath. "Hearing what you said, I'm very relieved and inexplicably at ease. Oh, this place is terrible. I don't know why those Eastern pirates chose to trade here. Don't they know that the land port not far from this island is the Banderas Valley they once plundered?"

"Haha, sir, I have to admit, these Eastern pirates are quite bold. They probably thought that since they plundered the Banderas Valley, our Spanish Navy would definitely not pay attention to that area again. After all, no bandit would return to the original site after stealing something."

"But I'm sure they don't know that these islands are covered with disgusting bird droppings, making it almost impossible to stand." Pedro glanced at the islands in the distance and said with disgust, "What's worse is that these islands made of rugged rocks lack the necessary fresh water, making it impossible for people to take a comfortable bath. Oh, if we delay for a few more days, I'm afraid the fresh water on our ship will become smelly and sour and no longer drinkable!"

"Sir, if you need us, we can dock in Banderas Valley and arrive early tomorrow morning. It will only take five or six hours."

"Oh, forget it." Pedro shook his head and said, "That's too much trouble. Besides, if we stop at a mainland port, it will be easy for people to discover our secret."

Reyes shrugged upon hearing this, raised the monocular in his hand and looked around.

"Ok?"

He seemed to have discovered something, and subconsciously leaned towards the side of the ship and adjusted the telescope slightly.

"Sir, I think the guest we are waiting for has arrived." As he said this, he handed the single-channel telescope to Pedro and pointed to the northwest at sea.

"Oh!..." Pedro immediately took the telescope and looked eagerly in the direction Reyes pointed. "Two sailboats!... That must be them! We've finally found them. Dear Reyes, I feel like they're not two sailboats, but two mobile treasure houses. Believe me, the pesos we earn this year will be more than double what we earned last year!"

"Yes, sir, everything is as you wish!"

"Well, I'll go back to the cabin and wash up so I can be in the best condition possible to welcome our sponsor. Oh, damn, these Eastern pirates are extremely particular about cleanliness. I don't want them to be disgusted by my sweaty odor again when we meet later."

"Okay, sir. I'll keep an eye on their movements and report anything to you immediately."

(End of this chapter)