Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 584 Contact (Part 4)

On November 10, just as Xinhua envoy Moreno was trying his best to persuade the Araucanians to form an alliance, five ships flying the red, white, and blue Orange flag and the "GWC" coat of arms were slowly sailing out of the mouth of the Valdivia River.

These were the Dutch West India Company's raiding fleet, but at this moment, their departure carried a sense of desolation and resentment.

This expeditionary fleet, led by the late Admiral Hendrik Brouwer, came from Brazil, circumnavigating the Strait of Magellan, with the ambition to establish a foothold on the Pacific coast and challenge the Spanish monopoly.

They successfully raided the Spanish strongholds of Carrelmapo and Castro on Chiloé Island, looting large quantities of supplies, burning port facilities, and even capturing the Valdivia Castle in early August.

However, fate did not seem to favor them.

First, when the fleet was taking a short rest on Chiloé Island, an unexpected plague broke out, forcing them to stay for several months, which severely weakened the entire fleet's combat effectiveness.

Shortly after successfully capturing Valdivia Castle, Commander Brouwer himself fell ill and eventually passed away.

The deputy commander who temporarily took over command, Elias Hristson de Vries, an old sailor with a stern face and deep crow's feet around his eyes, was standing on the stern of the flagship "Poseidon," watching the Chilean coastline gradually recede into the distance, his brow furrowed.

"Commander, are we really just going to give up like this?" First Mate Johannes van der Heiden approached him, his voice filled with regret. "We finally managed to capture this Spanish outpost. If we just leave like this, wouldn't Commander Brouwer's sacrifice be..."

De Vries didn't turn around, his voice low and hoarse: "Johannes, look at this place."

He raised his hand and pointed to the receding coastline. “The forests were so dense they were suffocating, the rain was incessant, and the local natives (the Araucanians) were hostile towards us, seeing us as predators like the Spanish.”

"We cannot obtain a stable supply from them, and we must be constantly on guard against sneak attacks. The death of Commander Brouwer... may be an ominous sign."

"Moreover, the entire fleet is in poor condition. Many people are recovering from illness and are exhausted. If we are forced to stay here, and wait for the Spanish to send reinforcements from the north, or wait until next winter, we may never be able to leave."

With a sigh, he couldn't help but recall his failed attempt to form an alliance with the local Araukan people.

They solemnly presented several matchlock muskets and a three-pound cannon as gifts, hoping to convey their shared desire to fight against the Spanish through a translator.

But the Araucanians simply looked at them indifferently and replied curtly through the translator: "We can't tell the difference between you and the Castilians (Spaniards). You also came in large ships, wanting our land and food. We will not cooperate with strange predators."

Yes, when the fleet was short of supplies, Dutch sailors plundered nearby Araucanian villages, stealing their cattle, sheep, and grain, and even killing many native Araucanians, which to some extent deepened the hatred and distrust between the two sides.

“And…” De Vries added, a hint of confusion in his voice, “Did you notice the ‘northerners’ those natives mentioned? The so-called ‘New Continent Chinese Republic’… They’re said to have given the Spanish a hard time and even offered military aid to the natives to fight the Spanish together. It seems there’s a new player in this sea area.”

Van der Heiden nodded: "Yes, Commander. The Spanish officers we captured also mentioned that they encountered a powerful new enemy in Mexico and Peru, and the Spanish fleet in the Pacific was almost completely wiped out. This might explain why we encountered almost no significant Spanish naval resistance as we sailed north. Regarding this, we..."

"Alert! Unidentified vessel spotted to starboard forward! Number... one!"

Suddenly, a sharp warning rang out from the lookout on the mast, breaking the tranquility of the sea.

De Vries immediately raised his monocular telescope and looked in the direction the lookout had indicated.

On the horizon to the right, a long, sleek ship is slowly sailing along the coastline, seemingly surveying the hydrographic conditions of the area.

The ship's design is unlike any common European ship type, making it appear exceptionally light and agile.

The most striking feature was the red flag hanging on the mainmast. Even though it was somewhat blurry through the telescope, a large golden five-pointed star in the center of the flag could be clearly seen, standing out against the gray sea and sky.

“This isn’t a Spanish ship, and it doesn’t seem to be… a ship from any European country we know of,” van der Heiden murmured.

“Yes, a strange ship.” De Vries gripped his binoculars tightly, a serious look on his face.

“Commander, could it be a warship from the ‘New Continent China Republic’?” Van der Hayden’s heart skipped a beat.

"Hmm?" De Vries turned his head and glanced at him.

"On the Pacific side, Spanish ships were almost completely wiped out by the navy of the so-called 'New Continent Chinese Republic'. So, besides them, would there be any other European ships appearing in this area?"

“Yes, Johannes, your analysis makes a lot of sense.” De Vries nodded, raised his binoculars, and carefully observed the ship again. “Order all ships to remain vigilant, but do not provoke any attacks. Raise signal flags and inquire about the other party’s identity.”

However, upon spotting the Dutch fleet, the "Xinhua" ship nimbly steered away from the coastline, maintaining a cautious distance from the fleet without straying too far, like a lurking sea wolf silently observing them.

“It’s monitoring us.” De Vries lowered his binoculars, his face grave. “Send the ‘Zeland’ over there, with an interpreter who understands both Spanish and the local dialect. Signal that we are harmless and try to make contact. Remember, do not show any aggressive intent; be as friendly as possible.”

“Commander, you mean…” Van der Heiden looked over in surprise.

“The enemy of my enemy may be my friend.” A meaningful smile appeared on De Vries’ lips. “Since this ‘New Continent China Republic’ is at war with the Spanish, we can try to establish contact with them, or even reach a cooperation agreement, to jointly target the Spanish.”

As they spoke, the "Ze Lan" slowly approached the "Xin Hua" warship, stopping when it was a quarter of the way from the ship.

It launched a small boat, carrying more than ten officers and sailors, and carefully rowed toward the other side.

De Vries and the other Dutch sailors on the ship watched nervously.

The ship seemed to hesitate for a moment when it saw the approaching small boat, but in the end it did not avoid it. Instead, it slowly adjusted its hull and came to meet it.

Upon approaching, the people on the small boat climbed up the rope ladder that the other side had lowered.

"It seems there's some hope," Van der Heiden breathed a long sigh of relief. However, their expectations were quickly dashed.

About half an hour later, the small boat returned, but there were only two sailors, both of whom were pale and looked terrified.

"Commander!...They, they are indeed the Navy of the Republic of China in New Continent!" A sailor climbed aboard the "Poseidon" and reported breathlessly, his voice trembling, "They detained Lieutenant Vanville and the translator, as well as Hans and Peter, and everyone who boarded the ship!"

"What?!" De Vries' expression changed drastically. "Why? We clearly expressed goodwill!"

"They...their commander, an Easterner with an icy expression, told us through a Spanish-speaking officer..." the sailor swallowed hard, repeating with difficulty, "He said it was in retaliation for the attack and capture of one of their merchant ships by our West India Company privateers in the Pacific five years ago."

"They demanded that we hand over all the Xinhua sailors who were captured back then, otherwise... otherwise they would treat our people as pirates and punish them with the most severe measures."

"Five years ago? Our privateers attacked Xinhua's merchant ships?" De Vries was stunned. He turned to the old sailors beside him. "Is that true?"

A bearded sailor thought for a moment and nodded: “Commander, it seems there is such a thing. I remember five years ago (1638), there were indeed two privateers from the company, the ‘Seawolf’ and the ‘Flyer’, which were ordered to go into the Pacific to try their luck.”

"They later reported attacking several Spanish ships, and... also hijacked a seemingly wealthy Eastern merchant ship, capturing a dozen or so sailors. The ships and cargo were disposed of, and the captured sailors... were reportedly sold to sugarcane plantations in Brazil. Oh God, that's been five years!"

"Damn it!" Van der Hayden kicked a nearby mooring post in anger. "This happened five years ago! It was done by privateers! And now they're coming to investigate? Besides, those captured sailors are long gone, what are we going to offer in exchange?!"

An uproar erupted on the deck.

The Dutch sailors looked at each other, both angry and somewhat uneasy.

De Vries also felt a surge of anger rising to his head, a mixture of resentment towards the vengeful nature of the new Chinese and helplessness in the face of the current thorny situation.

Detaining negotiators is extremely disrespectful; it's blatant provocation!
"Commander, what do we do now?" Van der Heiden asked anxiously.

De Vries took a few deep breaths of the cold sea air, forcing himself to calm down.

"Raise the battle flag! All ships, prepare for battle! We need to use gunfire to make them realize reality until they hand over our sailors. We... cannot succumb to blackmail like this!"

The Dutch fleet began to turn, attempting to gain the windward position. The gun ports of the five warships were opened one after another, revealing rows of dark cannon muzzles, exuding a sense of intimidation.

However, the Xinhua warship reacted extremely quickly and calmly.

It seemed to have anticipated the Dutch move, and almost at the same time the Dutch fleet began to turn, it had already skillfully adjusted its sails and, using its excellent maneuverability, quickly distanced itself from the Dutch fleet, always remaining at the edge of the effective range of the Dutch guns.

Like a nimble petrel, it darted through the waves, and the cumbersome Dutch warships could not keep up with it at all.

"Oh, damn it! It's too fast!" Van der Heyden cursed as he watched the other side glide gracefully across the crest of the wave.

With a grim face, De Vries ordered several intimidating artillery barrages.

The shells landed on the sea around the Xinhua warship, kicking up high columns of water, but the enemy was unharmed and did not even retaliate. They simply maintained their distance, as if mocking the Dutch for their futile efforts.

After nearly two hours of fighting, De Vries realized that with his poorly maintained and slow-moving fleet, it was impossible for him to catch or even effectively threaten the agile Xinhua warship.

If we continue to waste time, we will only be wasting precious fresh water and food.

"Cease fire!" he finally ordered, his voice filled with frustration. "Fleet, turn and continue south. We're getting out of this hellhole!"

The Dutch fleet readjusted its course and, filled with frustration, headed south toward the distant Strait of Magellan.

The smoke on the sea surface dissipated quickly under the sea breeze, as if nothing had ever happened.

However, that agile shadow did not disappear.

"Commander! It...it's catching up!" The lookout's voice carried a hint of surprise.

De Vries turned around sharply, and sure enough, after the Dutch fleet abandoned its attack, the Xinhua warship also stopped its evasive maneuvers and instead followed at a distance of about two or three nautical miles behind the fleet, following at a leisurely pace.

Its unique silhouette stands out starkly against the backdrop of the gray-blue sea and sky.

"What does it want to do?" Van der Heiden felt a chill run down his spine.

“It’s sending us off,” de Vries said coldly. “Or rather, it’s warning us that they’ve remembered this debt and have the ability to cause us trouble at any time.”

The rest of the voyage became unusually "anxious" for the Dutch fleet's sailors.

Whenever you look back, you can always see the Xinhua warship that follows you like a shadow. Sometimes it gets closer, as if confirming its target; sometimes it moves further away, as if disappearing into the waves, but it won't be long before it reappears in your sight.

It's like a silent ghost, a lingering nightmare, seemingly exerting psychological pressure on them in silence.

The sailors began to talk among themselves, calling the ship "the Red Avenger," fearing it might launch a surprise attack at night or in bad weather.

De Vries stood at the stern, gazing at the distant shadow for a long time, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

“The Republic of China in New Continent…” he repeated the name in a low voice, imprinting it deeply in his mind, “Our West India Company… may have really met a formidable opponent in the Pacific.”
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(End of this chapter)