Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 57 "Chinese Ships"

On January 1627, 1, at nine o'clock in the morning, the sun was shining and the sky was clear.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Acapulco Harbor dock, including dignified colonial officials, well-dressed traders, and families of sailors who came to see them off.

While greeting and chatting with each other, everyone would occasionally glance at the three "Chinese ships (because the cargo of the Manila galleon mainly came from China, mainly Chinese raw silk, silk and porcelain, the Mexicans simply called the Manila galleon Chinese ships)" at the berth that were about to set sail, and their eyes revealed expressions of desire and expectation.

Yes, this year's Oriental trade is about to begin. They will carry more than one million pesos in silver coins, cross the vast Pacific Ocean, travel nearly 10,000 kilometers, take three months, and finally arrive in Manila, Philippines.

The "Chinese ship" would stay in Manila for more than two months, and then be loaded with raw silk, silk, cotton cloth, porcelain, as well as some lacquerware, ivory, carpets, tea and many other precious commodities produced in the East. It would take another six months, through countless storms, to return to the port of Acapulco. Finally, these goods would be sold to various parts of the Americas and even Europe, thus bringing huge profits to trade investors.

In fact, according to the trade ban of the Spanish royal family, no more than two "Chinese ships" could go to Manila each year, and the carrying capacity of each ship could not exceed 300 tons.

However, for those greedy businessmen, this ban is almost meaningless and no one takes it seriously.

The trade with the East was highly profitable, and everyone from the colonial governor to the local tax collector and even the archbishop sent by the native church was involved. It involved so many people that it could not be restricted by a royal ban.

Moreover, two years ago, the "St. Louis" lost contact and never returned, causing heavy losses to many traders and investors, and some even went bankrupt and committed suicide.

Thinking about it now, it still makes me sigh (and feel sad).

In order to make up for the losses, three large sailing ships were arranged for this year's Eastern trade activities, and the carrying capacity of each ship exceeded 300 tons. One of the merchant ships, named "Maria", had a full load displacement of 700 tons.

The reason was simple: they hoped that these three large sailing ships could bring more Eastern goods, thereby expanding the total profits of many trade investors and doubling the losses of two years ago.

As for whether too many Eastern goods would impact the handicrafts and traders in Spain, this was certainly not within their consideration.

As long as our pockets are full, other problems have nothing to do with me!
"Okay, get ready to hoist the sails and set sail!" Captain Jose Gabriel Condoraki of the Maria waved to the crowd seeing him off at the dock, then turned around and instructed his first mate.

"Yes, my captain!" The first mate responded and turned to yell at the deckhands, sailors, and helmsman.

"Stow the gangway!"

"Hoist the sails! ... Hoist the sails!"

"Turn the helm!"

"ready to go!"

Trader Miguel Cabrera and port tax officer Diego Rodriguez stood side by side, watching the three large sailing ships raise their sails one after another, without saying a word for a long time.

Several tugboats were working hard to pull them out of their berths one by one so that they could catch the weak wind on the sea.

"May God bless them!" Miguel Cabrera made the sign of the cross on his chest and prayed softly.

"Well, may God bless them to return safely!" Diego Rodriguez also made a cross on his chest when he heard this.

"They will definitely return on schedule." Cabrera glanced at him and smiled. As an official auditing taxes for the king, he was actually looking forward to the safe return of these three merchant ships that had illegally sailed.

I'm afraid a lot of money has been invested in this!

"Let's go back and have a drink together?"

Three merchant ships left the port one after another, and the people who saw them off also left the dock and walked towards the city.

Cabrera invited Rodriguez to ride in his carriage back to the city.

"Have you heard? Yesterday, there was news from the Viceroyalty of Peru that a small coastal town was attacked by pirates."

"Yes, a band of brutal pirates raided the port of Manta, killed a dozen residents, looted several gentlemen's houses, and extorted a ransom of over 20,000 pesos from the entire town. Oh, what a tragedy! ... Those despicable pirates should all be hanged!"

"Some say those pirates appear to be the same group that attacked Banderas Valley (present-day Puerto Vallarta, Mexico) last year," Cabrera whispered. "Residents of both areas reported they possessed a massive ship. Its design was completely different from our Spanish galleons, nor was it a traditional European galleon."

"Well, it's very slender, with a sharp, upward-curved bow that extends forward, like a pair of scissors. Mr. Rodriguez, have you ever seen a ship like this?"

"Oh, a ship shaped like scissors! Forgive my limited knowledge, but I've never seen or heard of such a ship before." Rodriguez shrugged and shook his head. "So, which country does this pirate ship belong to? England? The Netherlands? Or France?"

"That's unknown. ... Oh, a mysterious pirate ship!"

"Mr. Cabrera, you're not worried that this mysterious pirate ship will attack those three 'Chinese ships' that just set out, are you?"

"That's a possibility. Think about it, over forty years ago, didn't the infamous English pirate Drake rob one of our treasure ships?"

"Oh, that damn English pirate!" Rodriguez laughed. "That guy was lucky. He caught up with and intercepted the Cacafuco in the waters near Ecuador. After a fierce battle, he captured the poor treasure ship."

"However, the three 'Chinese ships' that just set sail are different. They are sailing across the vast Pacific Ocean. Even the most astute pirates would not be able to find them, let alone intercept them. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. It's impossible! Such a thing will definitely not happen."

"Besides, there are three ships with more than 400 sailors in total. They are not something that can be easily dealt with by a group of pirates."

"That's not necessarily true! They've removed all their guns to free up space," Cabrera said softly. "The treasure ship hijacked by the English pirate Drake over forty years ago was also unarmed."

"Uh..." Rodriguez's expression froze, and then he shook his head vigorously. "Impossible! I think it's absolutely impossible to find them and accurately intercept them in the Pacific Ocean. Unless the pirate ships are waiting outside the port, waiting for them to set sail, and then following them all the way."

"But that's unlikely. The three 'Chinese ships' that left the port were empty cargoes, aside from a large quantity of gold, silver, and copper. If they were tailed by pirates, they could easily escape them. Once night fell, they could easily escape the pirates' pursuit under cover of darkness. Indeed, if they simply changed their course at night, they could vanish into the vast ocean, leaving no trace."

"Mr. Cabrera, I know you've invested tens of thousands of pesos in the Maria and are extremely worried about any mishaps. But there's no need to worry. It won't be attacked by mysterious pirates or encounter a severe storm. It will arrive in Manila safely and return to Acapulco. I believe your investment will surely lead to a dramatic increase in your wealth. Isn't that right?"

"I hope so." Cabrera's worries eased a little after hearing this, and he forced a smile. "Okay, let's go find a place to have a drink. For the Maria, and for our good luck. ...Oh, and for our friendship."

(End of this chapter)