Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 28: Putting blame on someone?

"These Indians may have come into contact with foreign civilizations."

When the "Break the Wave" gathered all the officers and Spanish sailors, armed with live ammunition and ready for battle, they were shocked to find that the seven or eight attacking boats were all canoes driven by local Indians.

They did not carry weapons, but instead brought many dried fruits, wild vegetables, dried meat, dried fish, furs and other goods, obviously intending to engage in a barter trade with the "Break the Waves".

Although everyone was surprised, they still agreed to the Indians' request. However, they still maintained due vigilance and precautions.

A rope was lowered and several Indians were pulled up. They did not seem to be afraid. Instead, they enthusiastically introduced themselves to the guests with gestures of their hands and feet.

I guessed and roughly understood what they meant.

They came from a Cocopa tribe on the opposite shore. They made a living by hunting and gathering, and also went fishing. They may have been instructed by Spanish missionaries and also engaged in some simple agricultural planting. Their living standards were obviously much better than those of the primitive Indian tribes on Qiming Island.

Previously, Spanish merchant ships engaged in trans-Pacific trade had occasionally stopped here for a short rest, and these Indians also came in small boats, carrying supplies to trade.

Now, when they found the "Break the Wave" anchored in the bay, they thought it was another Spanish merchant ship, so they actively came to engage in barter trade.

"It's obvious these Indians have been deeply influenced by the Spanish." Luo Zhenhui watched the Indians who had boarded the ship constantly gesticulating, as if trying their best to express the goods and quantities they wanted to trade. He whispered, "That guy who looks like a leader has a cross hanging around his neck. Maybe he's been converted by Spanish missionaries."

"That's very bad." Wei Yingbin's heart trembled. "If the Spaniards find us here, and we ask them, they will know that we have been here before. They might guess that we have fled to the north. Captain, should we..."

"Do you think they can tell the difference between us and the Spanish?"

"It should be a good difference... right?" Wei Yingbin touched his nose subconsciously, then turned his head and glanced at the Spanish sailors next to him.

Our two faces are so easy to distinguish!

"Given our current situation, we can't afford to waste time landing and wiping out this Indian tribe in one fell swoop, thus ensuring the secrecy of our whereabouts." Luo Zhenhui shook his head and said, "Actually, there's no need for that. Killing people is, after all, a lowly tactic. We could try a different approach. Since we can't eliminate them, why not turn them into our allies?"

"Captain, the Indians aren't so easy to tame. Otherwise, the Spanish, after over a hundred years of colonizing the Americas, still haven't completely assimilated and absorbed Indian tribes, large and small. They can only brutally enslave them, slowly consuming them in mines and plantations. Furthermore, these Indians first came into contact with the Spanish and were somewhat influenced by their missionaries. Even if they aren't being used by them, it's definitely not something we can change their positions and tendencies with just a single encounter."

"To become our ally, we don't necessarily have to subjugate them," Luo Zhenhui said with a smile. "If our enemies and those of the Indians are both Spanish, then we're effectively allies."

"How dare these Indians provoke the Spanish?"

"Why not? The Spanish missionaries only brought them Catholicism and some simple agricultural methods, but no weapons for self-defense." Luo Zhenhui smiled when he saw the Indian leader looking at him. "What if we provide them with some muskets and swords? Wouldn't that make them braver? Then, we could trade them with some of the looted goods from the town. What do you think the Spanish would think if they found out they were in possession of these weapons and looted goods?"

"Putting the blame on someone else!" Wei Yingbin looked at him in surprise. "Will the Spanish believe that this Indian tribe plundered their coastal town?"

"Not all Spanish will believe it, but some will selectively believe it," Luo Zhenhui said, "because the Spanish colonial government needs to give an explanation. ... Later, you arrange for people to exchange some of the matchlocks and swords for these Indians, and then 'sell' them some of the daily necessities looted from the town."

"Yes, Captain!" Wei Yingbin nodded in agreement, then glanced at the other party.

"If we were stronger, why would we resort to such treacherous tactics?" Luo Zhenhui said with a wry smile. "So, we must develop, and we must do so rapidly, striving to acquire the ability to protect ourselves in the shortest possible time. Then, we can squarely confront the Spanish and formally establish our position in North America."
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Adro Papu Gomez leaned over the side of the boat, watching the Indians sail away with their bountiful harvest, his eyes filled with disdain and contempt. What a bunch of ignorant natives!

When the Indians saw the Chinese handing them the matchlock guns, they excitedly danced happily and expressed their endless gratitude to the Chinese with a strange song.

It is obvious that they knew the power of the musket and the value of this weapon.

They have always dreamed of owning this kind of weapon, because they can use it to strengthen the strength of their tribe, whether it is to deal with wars between tribes or resist the invasion of foreign forces.

During the more than one hundred years of contact with the Spaniards, not to mention muskets, even swords and spears were difficult to obtain, and even ironware was strictly restricted.

Your spirit can be inspired by God and sublimated to the greatest extent, but the weapons you wield cannot make significant progress and cannot even have the most basic defensive resistance.

Otherwise, how could you ignorant and backward natives obtain the "protection" of us Spaniards?
"The Chinese are truly generous! Not only did they give these natives muskets, they also gave them swords, spears, and more," Gomez muttered quietly. "Could it be that they're hoping to gain their friendship? The problem is, even if they get these weapons, they're still too weak to provide the necessary assistance to the Chinese."

"Why, do you think the Chinese should take all these natives to that island to enrich their population resources?" Javier Angel Carmona, the former boatswain of the "St. Louis", said unhappily.

"That's right," Gomez said. "This indigenous tribe can deploy seven or eight canoes at a time, and their population must be at least a hundred. If we could capture them all and bring them back to Qiming Island as slaves, it would help speed up the construction of the camp."

"I can't believe you're so considerate of the Chinese!" Harvey said sarcastically, "Then why didn't you proactively propose this suggestion to the Chinese? I'm sure they'd be very impressed. Maybe they'd even promote you to a small-time leader!"

"..." Gomez's face immediately turned awkward as he heard this. He stammered for a moment before whispering, "Xavi, do we have any choice now? Since we participated in the attack and looting of that town, we have no way out. You know, if we are caught and brought back, those Chinese will certainly be executed one by one, but we will also definitely be hanged. ... To the Kingdom of Spain, we are a group of complete traitors."

"Traitor..." Harvey closed his eyes in pain after hearing this.

He did not feel pain and sadness because he betrayed the Kingdom of Spain, but because he was forced to abandon his family and commit himself to a remote and lonely colonial outpost, where there were no noisy taverns, no lively markets, no warm and comfortable houses, and no gentle and beautiful women.

Oh, God, this is exile in disguise!

However, Gomez was right. There was no turning back for them. Even if they managed to escape from the Chinese, they would inevitably be tried and punished by the colonial government for participating in "piracy and looting."

Even if they redeem themselves by assisting the colonial government in capturing these Chinese people and obtain pardon from His Majesty the King, sparing them the death penalty, their future days will be extremely difficult. There is a high probability that they will be sent to some remote colonial territory to live a life similar to exile.

Alas, since the "St. Louis" decided to land and attack the Chinese, their fate has changed dramatically and there is no going back.

The hope now is that the Chinese can manage the Qiming Island well, develop it slowly, and eventually achieve a certain degree of autonomy so that everyone can live the rest of their lives in peace.

I don’t know if any major changes happened in the fortress during the time we were away.

After all, that is our temporary habitat, so nothing serious can go wrong.

(End of this chapter)