Count Vananova had already taken off his hat and bowed slightly as a salute. [No pop-up novel website] "Dear gentlemen, it is a great honor for you all to come here." The earl took off his cavalry uniform when playing ball, put on a gorgeous hunting suit, and stood behind him The sailor, perhaps the captain, was as tall and strong as a Nordic, and his dark brown skin was obviously the result of long-term exposure to the tropical sun and sea breeze. He wore a wig and a long-breasted coat decorated with golden double-row buttons. A tricorn hat decorated with iron anchors and oak leaves was held under his arms. His feet were spread apart, and his body was as straight as a mast. The way he looked at others gave the Spaniards the illusion that he was a young sailor who had made a mistake and was fearfully waiting to be punished in front of the captain.
"Your Majesty, is this your ship?" a port clerk asked stupidly, perhaps dazed as he swayed on the sampan. Don Basilio stared at him fiercely. The Count was unfazed and pointed to the top of the mast, where the flag flying there was embroidered with Lando's family coat of arms, the same as the one inlaid on the famous red flag carriage in Manila.
The wind became stronger and stronger, and the waves jumped up high in the dazzling sunshine, smashing into bright pieces on the beaches and rocks. The Esmeralda dropped its single anchor and all its sails were lowered, but it was still tossed by the waves. Weiss was as comfortable walking on the swaying deck as he was walking on the verandah outside the stern of a yacht. The patrol captain became more and more curious about the count. He originally thought he was just a knight, but he walked on the ship like an old sailor. By contrast, the harbor master and clerk were already lagging behind and had to hold on to the bulwarks to maintain their balance. What kind of person is this European nobleman who came from afar?
There is not much to see on the yacht. Compared with the graceful lines of the hull, the deck above shows an amazing simplicity and neatness from beginning to end. It seems that its only mission is to sail quickly and flexibly avoid attacks from enemy ships. As if this is not a yacht. It's an armed speedboat that can go into battle at any time. After watching the cannons on the deck, the patrol captain strengthened his opinion.
"Do you only have two cannons on your ship?" the patrol captain asked. When the count followed his request and ordered the gun jackets to be removed, the black light of the cannon made his eyelids jump sharply. The entire Far East. He only knew that the Portuguese technician Bocaro in Macau could cast heavy cannons from iron. Of course, the Chinese also use iron cannons, but they can hardly be called cannons - the patrol captain once boarded a Junk ship and saw the Chinese iron cannons. They were all small and shabby rotten iron pipes. For any format and processing, it seems that you can just make a clay mold and cast it with molten iron. The ropes tied haphazardly to the side of the ship were no match for the finely cast cannon before us.
"No gyrocannons or harriers. How do you deal with the Radrosaurus pirates? Their fireships and speedboats will come flooding back."
The count turned around and spoke, and the wigged yacht captain shouted a few orders in an incomprehensible language. In the blink of an eye, four sailors rushed to the gun position, untied the mooring cables, and turned several screw turntables under the gun body. Wherever the count's riding crop went, the muzzle of the gun turned accordingly, raising and lowering. It seemed that it was not a heavy cannon, but a spring-loaded short gun that could be held with one hand. The demonstration was conducted twice, proving that the short cannon on the bow deck and the cannon on the stern were both authentic "swing cannons", except that they did not fire 2-pound small iron balls or shotguns, but destructive 24-pound and 68 pound bomb.
"Whether it is Ladeslon or Malay pirates, I have prepared the best gift for them here." The count pointed the tip of his silver-inlaid whip to the ammunition slot next to the 68-pound carron cannon, and the formidable grape bullets were neatly placed Put the code there.
"Your Excellency, your warships are so sophisticated that even in various parts of Europe, Seville and Genoa, which are the most prosperous in fast ships, will probably be difficult to create." Even if the naval gun aiming drill deliberately avoided patrol ships, the Spaniards suffered The shock is still not small. Anyone with a little knowledge of naval warfare can see that only two or three cannon-laden fast ships like the Esmedala can outflank and capture a large sailing ship from its weak stern. And Weiss's guests had not yet seen the horrors of 68-pound explosive and incendiary bombs.
"You are right. The Esmedala is my ship, and I am a soldier. My ship, like my sword, is a weapon serving God. I would love to hear you call it a battleship." The Earl said proudly: "My warship must be able to sail quickly against the wind to pursue the Malay pirate ships; it must have a shallow enough draft to facilitate penetrating into the bandits' lairs densely covered in shoals to rescue Christians who have been robbed as slaves." None of the local ships suited me, so I ordered the Esmeralda to be built at a shipyard in Hong Kong. There was another local factory that manufactured mining machines for me. I designed a gun mount that could flexibly rotate and ordered them to Made. As for the cannon, it was ordered at Mr. Bocaro’s foundry in Macau. All these expenses came from my personal income.”
"Hong Kong. Are you talking about the small island off Guangzhou that is now in the hands of those Australians?"
"It's true that the Australians have established very good shipyards and cannon foundries on the island. They are very good at manufacturing machinery, and the cannons are especially sophisticated - but it is a pity that they are unwilling to sell them no matter how much they pay."
"You have a very close relationship with the Australians!" the tax officer said maliciously.
"Of course," Lando stroked his beard proudly, "A nobleman like me, a loyal servant of God, will be welcomed wherever I go, not to mention Australians are a group of money worshippers!"
As he spoke, he patted the velvet money bag on his waist, and a crisp jingle sounded from inside. There was a burst of laughter on the deck immediately.
Lando continued: "The Jesuit priests in Macau have proposed to raise funds for the construction of this ship, so that it can patrol the waters off Macau to catch pirates. I hope that the gentlemen in Manila can raise this amount - —If it can be raised. As long as two or three more Esmedalas are formed into a small fleet and given to me to command, the fierce and cunning Moro rowing fleet will be completely destroyed, invading Cebu and Mi The pagan bandits in Sayan can only be captured without help. By then, the glory of God and the glory of His Majesty will surely shine on the entire Eastern Islands from Malacca to Maluku."
Don Basilio looked at the count with an expression that was half astonishment and half suspicion. The patrol captain excitedly held his sword tightly, "Ah, the Mercury is also a good and well-equipped ship, but Mr. Sanavria will never be able to give birth to such a noble and great person as you in his mind." idea."
"What this distinguished gentleman is referring to," the count said to Don Basilio, "must be the sea palace of your dear friend Don Sanabria?" He turned back and continued to listen to the patrol captain. He slapped the tax officer with an embarrassed look on his head.
"...There is no faster or more gorgeous three-masted sailing ship in the royal colonial fleet of East India. Mr. Sanafria spent a lot of money to hire Goa's first-class shipbuilder Dia. Brother Louis personally supervised its construction. Its rigging and sails are also of the best quality. It can travel two to two and a half leagues an hour in good winds..."
"But a strong crosswind can overturn it." The wigged yacht captain suddenly interjected. His Spanish tone was quite strange, but it was still understandable. "Carved beams and painted walls on the side of the ship. Erecting intimidatingly large statues of Apollo, Minerva, Neptune, etc. will only add useless weight, reduce speed, and make navigation more unstable."
"Oh, Mario, my good captain," said the count: "Have you really seen Don Sanabria's Ocean Express? For the sake of the merciful Virgin, you have not offended his ship, have you?"
"Sir, we entered the bay and just passed by May Island and Nuns Island, and the three-masted ship followed us." Captain Mario touched the wig on his head from time to time, as if he was afraid that it would be blown off by the wind. "I'm sure it's the ship you're talking about. The bow and stern are covered with gilded statues, just like those Chinese women showing off their wealth. Their hair is covered with glittering gold jewelry, but it can't even walk steadily. Its captain may have put it on We acted like pirates and chased after him with all our sails hoisted."
"Then what did you do?"
"I ordered a circle around the three-masted ship so that the blind captain can recognize your flag more clearly. It still tried to overtake us, even the aileron sail was hung out, and of course it was finally caught Get rid of it. How can a buffalo outrun a horse?"
"Well, look at you, you are so frightening to all the distinguished guests. Dear Mario, if Don Sanabria hears you describe his treasure ship in this way, I am afraid that he will use the weapons of Jupiter to kill him. You and I will be blown to pieces." The Count continued pacing until he reached the open hatch at the rear of the deck. He took off a heavy silk bag from his waist and patted it, making a clear and sweet clink of gold coins: "Your Excellency, tax collector, I guarantee you on my honor that this 180-ton boat does not contain any preparations for the trip to Manila." The goods for sale. However, I am still prepared to comply with the decree of His Excellency the Governor and pay a parking tax of 12 silver pesos per ton. You and your colleagues can inspect every cabin and every corner to check whether there is any untruth in my words. "
Don Basilio was so embarrassed that his hat was almost crushed in his hands. He could only bow his head and praise the count's virtue of forgiveness. He repeatedly expressed his apologies and declared again and again: The count's private yacht Esmera The Da is berthed in Manila without inspection, and there is no need to pay any taxes and fees for merchant ships.
