"Lord God, it's really a big island like a mountain!"
The water and sky are vast and vast, and huge islands loom in the sky. The old militiaman Chihuaco stood at the bow of the galley, dumbfounded, looking at the sudden appearance of the big island. As the expedition fleet approached, the big gray island grew larger and larger until it completely filled everyone's sight, blocking the waves on both sides of the coast!
"Priest Mecat, can you estimate how big it is?"
The ship's priest, Mecat, closed one eye, stretched out his arm, and made an estimate with his thumb across his side. Soon, he reported the numbers in surprise.
"Captain, it's at least a hundred miles long and dozens of miles wide! The peak on the island is estimated to be more than a thousand meters high!"
"Really, what a miraculous big island! There were almost no islands along the way. How could such a big island suddenly appear?... Could it be that it was really transformed by a divine giant turtle?"
Chihuaco murmured to himself, the shock on his face had not dissipated, and he thought a little more.
"No wonder the people of Guayma said that we will definitely see this big island... Shantiao, what is the name of this island?"
"Chief, the Guaima call it Tahejöc."
"What, tower? What does it mean?"
"Well..."
Shantiao Cavado scratched his head. He didn't know what it meant. He only had a vague impression. He took a good look at the island in front of him, and then he began to use the Sri Lankan language he knew freely.
"Tahyok! It probably means 'a sacred, towering, big island with many birds'!"
Tahyo Island is later known as Tiburon Island on the northwest coast of Mexico! It is the largest island in the Gulf of California and the entire Mexico, covering 1,200 square kilometers, about half the size of Shanghai. The entire island was opened up as a bird nature reserve in later generations because of the numerous seabirds that inhabit it.
"Ah! There are indeed many birds, many, many big birds!"
When the fleet arrived at the edge of Tahoek Island, the deafening sound of birdsong came from all directions and drifted leisurely into the distance. Chihuaco raised his head and saw thousands of seabirds circling over the island. They spread their wings and soar from time to time, and rise and fall vertically, perching on the gray and brown mountains in the middle of the island, like elves guarding the mysterious island.
"Hmm...it's so hard to remember the tower, island, etc! It's such a high mountain, and there are so many birds..."
Chihuaco took a look at the towering mountains and the birds that covered the sky, and quickly made a decision. He patted Cavado next to him on the shoulder and said with a smile.
"Cavado, why not name it after you and call it Shantiao Island! Haha, we took Shantiao and found Shantiao Island, and people in the future will remember you!"
"This...I...Santori Island..."
Cavado stared at the laughing leader with wide eyes, not knowing whether to thank him or not.
The old militiaman paid no attention. He quickly put away his smile and stared at the strange big island, his expression revealing his thoughts.
"This big island that suddenly appeared is probably what His Majesty asked us to look for, a holy land for seabirds, right? An island full of seabirds, with rocks solidified by guano..."
"Snapped!..."
Everyone watched from the boat, with birds circling overhead. After staying for a little longer, the thin bird droppings, with the smell of freedom, fell from the sky like raindrops.
"Pah, pah, pah!"
"Ah, damn!"
Huitu Puap suddenly covered his eyes and lowered his head. He tried hard to wipe his face, but the wet stuff was everywhere. Fortunately, this thing only looks disgusting, but it's actually not too smelly and has a slight salty taste. That's the smell of phosphates in bird droppings, which fix the smelly ammonia.
"Huh? A hint of salty taste?...Damn!"
Puap was stunned, and then spat wildly.
"Bah, bah, bah! Damn bird, damn bird poop!"
"Countless birds, year after year of guano...stones..."
Chihuaco stretched out his hand to cover his forehead. After a while, he turned over and over, looking at the green and white softness on the back of his hand, and then at the many gray-white rocks where the birds were perched.
"The colors of the rocks here are very different from those along the sailing route!"
The old militiaman was silent, with a look of enlightenment on his face. Then, he looked at Puap who was coughing hard, and a smile appeared on his old face.
"Old Pu, when bird droppings fall into your mouth, it is a gift from God and a good sign!"
"Bah!...Good omen? Shit! Why don't you taste this good omen!"
"Haha, of course it's a good sign! It's a good sign to go home! There are so many birds on the island, so much guano, and there is so little rain..."
Chihuaco looked around the island and saw very little green in the vegetation.
He thought about what he had seen along the way. As he sailed to the northwest, the precipitation decreased significantly. The road became increasingly desolate, and even large villages could no longer sustain themselves. By the time they arrived near this big island, the surrounding tribes had changed from the settled Yaqui people to the semi-hunting Sri people. Naturally, there is surprisingly little rain here, perhaps only one or two a year.
"His Majesty ordered that there are many birds, a lot of guano, and no rain... This is the holy land of seabirds we are looking for, Guano Island!"
"Ah? Old man Qi, are you sure this is the place His Majesty asked us to look for?"
"Well, I think it looks like it! You see, His Majesty's words are all right, and the surrounding tribes also know about this place. At least... it should be able to be used for business, right?"
Chihuaco touched his wrinkled old face and spoke in a deep voice. The longing for homesickness surged in his heart, and the trek down this road, even though he didn't know it was thousands of miles away, was really difficult. He wanted to go back and take a look at his dumb daughter Luwei, and also wanted to give his son-in-law Weziti a few spankings. Just His Majesty's orders, lightly spoken, were like a mountain, weighing on his narrow shoulders...
"Hey! Blind God... let's go to the island and take a look at the rocks on the island!"
Everyone immediately docked in the south of the big island and landed on a gentle beach. As soon as I landed on the island, the faint scent hit my face. The smell is not very bad, but it is a bit pungent, which is difficult to describe in detail.
"Huh? This smell..."
Puap sniffed, a few memories flashing across his face.
"It's a bit like the old dung pile outside Qincongcan City that has been piled up for decades..."
"Lao Pu, let the warriors be careful! This is the territory of the Sri people, and you may encounter each other. If you encounter them, don't make the first move, and try to show goodwill..."
"I know! But how can some hunting tribes be the opponents of the kingdom's warriors?"
"It's best if you don't have any conflicts! Since we brought the brothers out in one piece, we have to take them back in one piece. Along the way, we have already broken into pieces..."
"...Fine!"
Puap nodded and gave orders to the thirty or forty Prepecha warriors who landed.
"You are a team of five, go and look around to see if there are any tribes or savages on the island. Put on your leather armor and bring a big bow. If you encounter a tribe, don't attack first, try to be friendly! Then bring the distributed ones. Conch trumpet, blow the trumpet if necessary! God bless you!"
"God bless you!"
The warriors bowed their heads, saluted, and dispersed. This island is huge, with mountains crisscrossing it, so it will take a lot of effort to explore it clearly.
The old militiaman looked at the nearby towering hills and estimated that they were at least seven or eight hundred meters tall. He thought for a moment and looked behind him.
"Priest Mecat, I will ask a few people to follow you and climb the nearby mountain peak to measure the size of the island."
"As you command, Captain!"
Mecat nodded respectfully, submissive to Chihuaco. He took some simple tools and suggested again.
"I will spend the night on that mountain so that I can measure the angle of the North Star and determine our position."
"Okay! There are probably no ferocious beasts on the island, but be careful of possible tribes. God bless you!"
"God bless you!"
Everyone got busy. The sailors chose a high ground and prepared to build a simple camp and spend the night on the island tonight.
"Stones of guano...struvite..."
Chihuaco muttered in his mouth, wandered for a while, and finally found a pile of gray and brown rocks. The pile of rocks was covered with bird droppings, and there was a bright bird sitting on it, looking curiously at the visitor.
"Chirp, chirp?"
Chihuaco lowered his old face, imitated the voice of Nighthawk, and roared hoarsely.
"scare!"
"Chirp!"
The bird suddenly shivered, fluttered its wings and flew away without looking back.
"Ha ha!"
The old militiaman laughed. For some reason, he felt particularly happy today. He couldn't wait to walk to the pile of rocks, reached out and picked up a piece of gravel, and squeezed it hard a few times, until the gravel turned into small gravel.
"Not hard, very crisp, a little soft..."
Chihuaco stared at the powder in his hand, pondered for a while, and then lowered his head to taste it. But he thought of something again and stopped immediately.
"No. If it's true...it's better to let Lao Pu do it...Put all the credit on him. I don't want to go to sea again...Lao Pu, Lao Pu!"
"Ah? Old man Qi, why are you calling me?"
Puap looked up when he heard this. He was sitting cross-legged on a stone, nibbling on a cactus fruit. The sweet and sour taste falls in the mouth, making people feel comfortable all over.
"Come here, hurry up, it's business!"
"Um?"
Puap scratched his head, ate the fruit twice, and strode over.
"Lao Pu, reach out, then... come on, taste these minced powders!"
"What?"
Puap stretched out his hand blankly and took some grayish-white and yellowish pieces.
"Taste it?"
"Yes! Lick it and see if it melts and what it tastes like."
"???"
Puap was confused. He lowered his head and just opened his mouth to lick it when he suddenly woke up.
"Damn it! Damn it! Old man Qi, you bastard! What is this? Is it dried bird droppings?"
Chihuaco suppressed a laugh, shook his head, and told the truth.
"I don't know either, so I'll let you try it."
"If you don't taste it, I won't taste it even if you kill me!"
Puap looked angry and was about to throw away the broken pieces.
"Old Pu, if this is the guano stone His Majesty is looking for, it will be a great achievement!"
"Huh? What? A great achievement?"
Puup paused, then clenched his hand and took it back. Then, he looked at the inconspicuous pieces in his hand suspiciously.
"Are these the guano stones that your Majesty is looking for? According to legend, they are blessed by the Lord God, which can increase farmland yields? But aren't these stones all over the mountains and islands? Could it be that they all have the power of good harvests?"
"How do I know? Of course, only Your Majesty knows about His Majesty's divine revelation. He casually pointed to the northwest, and we traveled thousands of miles to the horizon..."
Chihuaco scowled and shook his head. Then, with a slight smile on his old face, he asked in a low voice.
"How about it, Lao Pu, do you want to try it? If you don't want to try it, I will! When the time comes, the credit for discovering the divine stone will be credited to me..."
"taste!"
Puap quickly opened his mouth and poured a handful of the crushed powder into his mouth. Then, he was stunned, and a bitter look suddenly appeared on his face.
"Uh! Bah!..."
"Don't! Don't spit it out yet. Let's taste it carefully so that I can tell His Majesty!"
"..."
Puap immediately closed his mouth again and his face turned the color of pig liver. After a while, he spat hard.
"Bah, bah! Damn it, it all melted in my mouth!"
"Ha ha!"
Chihuaco couldn't help but laugh.
"What does it smell like?"
"Bah, bah, bah! It's salty, astringent, and bitter! It doesn't smell bad..."
"Huh? Struvite doesn't smell bad?..."
The two looked at each other, both of them unsure of their minds.
"Old man Qi, is this the struvite your Majesty is looking for?"
"Lao Pu, ask me, who should I ask? Otherwise, why don't you try other stones?"
"Bah! You want me to taste it again?"
Puap looked dissatisfied. Then, his eyes flashed and he looked towards the east coast.
"Old man Qi, do you think the Sri people nearby know about it? If it can fertilize their fields, wouldn't they use it?"
"Sri people only hunt and fish, but don't know how to farm. What do you know?"
"Hmph! Just grab a few Sri people and ask them! They have lived in this area for hundreds of years, they will definitely know something..."
In front of the rock where the birds were perched, the two of them were discussing in a deep voice, unable to make up their minds for a moment. Suddenly, a sharp conch sound suddenly sounded not far away, echoing over the entire island, startling the birds!
"Didi! Didi! Di!..."
"The short conch number indicates enemy signs!"
"Dry!"
But in an instant, the old militiaman Chihuaco had a tough spear in his hands. In the hand of the dust warrior Puap, he held a bronze dagger tightly. Both of them were wearing leather armor, and although they were chatting and laughing just now, they both maintained the vigilance of veterans.
Within a moment, dozens of sailors gathered around, wearing cotton and leather armor and holding spears and bows. Everyone gathered for a moment, prepared for battle, and hurried towards the direction where the horn was blowing!
