This is a rich land!
Any explorer who sets foot on the southeastern coast of the Southern Continent will probably come to the same conclusion within a few days!
After Major General Blake, Captain Worster, and Yang Yandi Qianhu landed at the mouth of a large river flowing from east to west into the Indian Ocean, they quickly reached an agreement—they not only discovered the west coast of the southern continent; A very fertile land.
The land here is very flat and open, covered with a large number of plants, with large green grasslands and dense forests.
In addition, they also discovered many amazing animals.
One of them was the big black bird that was occasionally spotted on the sea that day. They look a bit like swans, but no one has ever seen black swans elsewhere in the world... I don't know if they are poisonous?
There is also a strange animal with short forelimbs, thick hind legs, and a long and thick tail. The strange thing about this animal is not the limbs and tail, but the strangeness of one of the hunted "exotic beasts" A pocket was found in the upper abdomen.
This is really strange. Why does this strange beast have a pocket? What is it used for? Is it used to hold snacks? Why don't we just call him "Snacks Monster" first?
Yang Yandi, Worster, and Blake also studied the body of a hunted "Snack Monster" for a long time, and finally came to the conclusion that it must be cooked thoroughly and add more spices to make it taste better...
In the officer's mess room of the "Oliver Cromwell", the black swan, which was roasted to a gleaming oil, and the "bitter monster" meat that had been stewed for several hours were already placed on the table.
Of course, we had arranged for the cats on the ship to taste it before people ate it. The cat is still alive and well, and there is nothing unusual about it, so it seems safe to eat.
Yang Yandi and his Ming naval officers were not on the ship. They brought weapons and a group of Annan mercenaries (after the Japanese suffered a large number of losses due to malaria, the Ming principalities in Nanyang began to recruit Annan people, and some Annan people also He became a mercenary) and rowed eastward along the E River (called the E River because black geese were found on the river) to find local people who could trade.
Now that the Chinese officers are gone, Blake, Vorster, and the other British officers on the exploration fleet can talk freely and make a good plan on how to make a fortune in the Southern Continent, and at the same time, stir things up for the Ming Dynasty... It has to be done It would be great if the southern continent was mixed into a territory that would give the Ming Dynasty a headache! Otherwise, how could he live up to the nickname of the British shit-troublemaker?
"It seems that this southern continent is the new continent left by God to the Easterners!" Major General Black used a knife and fork to cut large chunks of juicy "Snack Monster" meat, while commenting in a regretful tone, "Open, Fertile, rich in food, comfortable climate... very suitable for the development of agriculture, there should be no strong indigenous people, maybe better than New England!"
As a rear admiral of an old colonial country, Blake certainly had a good view of the colonies.
I just took a quick look and got a rough idea.
The land is flat, rich in vegetation, has a suitable climate, and there are river systems nearby. On the surface, this land is particularly suitable for farming or grazing.
However, no traces of civilized human activities were found near the mouth of Eshui, indicating that this area is an ownerless wilderness, at least without human settlements that have mastered farming or herding techniques.
This means that the southwest area of the southern continent is very easy to conquer!
"It's indeed a good place, but it's not easy to get to." Worster added, "If you come directly south from Java Island, you should have a headwind all the way, otherwise civilized people would have crossed the sea long ago."
"But it's not too difficult to take the Indian Ocean route," Blake said thoughtfully. "The immigration fleet can set off from Java Island and circle around the central and southern Indian Ocean. It can arrive in two months at most... and there is no need to use us. The soft sailing ship can be used to travel with the Chinese Pacific hard sailing ship."
"Maybe we can send some Indians or black slaves over." A British officer suggested, "And then send some immigrants from the mainland, so that we can turn this place into a British colony!"
Blake glanced at Worster, and the East India Company's senior officer considered it, shook his head and said: "Major General, our East India Company's capabilities are limited and we cannot do everything... Normally, we are only responsible for establishing colonial and Establish a commercial base, establish shipping routes, recruit immigrants, contract land and mines, and at most run some self-operated workshops and shipyards.”
He paused and then said: "Based on the current situation, the most valuable asset in the southern continent should be land suitable for farming.
The only way to make the land in the southern continent generate profits is to lease or sell the land to private farmers. As for who should be used for planting, it should be decided by the farmers. "
Yes, you can’t just think about making trouble, you also have to think about making a profit! Otherwise, if it loses money and goes out of business, how can it continue to stir up trouble?
To make a profit, the East India Company had to consider operating costs and management capabilities. So you can’t set up a very big stall and do everything yourself. In this case, there is too much investment and too difficult to manage.
Worster added: "And judging from the land and climate conditions here, it is not suitable to use black slaves for labor. This is a good place for growing wheat and raising sheep... Some bankrupt English ranches can be recruited. The Lord came here to raise sheep, but the number was always limited. After all, the southern continent was too far away from the British mainland.
As for the Indians... there may be some businessmen and craftsmen coming, but it will be more troublesome to attract Indian farmers. "
In the 17th century, black slaves were commonly used on sugar cane and other plantations in the tropics. The climate in the Eshui area of the southern continent is relatively cold, which is not suitable for black people to live.
The southwest corner of the Southern Continent is located in the middle of the southern temperate zone. With large plains and forests, it looks like a good place for growing wheat and grazing sheep. The British mainland is now in a good time for sheep to eat people. It is not difficult to find some ranchers who are good at raising sheep and cats (what is a loss-making thing? What can you do without losing money?), but the British mainland is so far away from the southern continent. It is impossible to immigrate in large numbers.
"What's the trouble with Indian farmers?" Major General Black asked.
"Caste," said Vorster, who once served in India, "is a very complex system that links people's occupations to their bloodline... People of a certain caste can only engage in certain specific occupations. Occupation. And marriages between different castes also have very strict regulations. Unless we can move an entire community made up of various castes and establish a Hindu society in the southern continent, it will be difficult for us to attract a large number of Indians Immigrants come here.
In fact, the most suitable immigrants to attract to the southern continent are the Chinese! "
"Chinese again? Why?" Blake asked with a frown.
Worster said: "Because their social hierarchy is not clear... there are no layers of feudal lords to control the lower-level farmers, so farmers can move freely. And starting more than 20 years ago, most provinces in China have A significant reform was carried out in the countryside, allowing land to be bought and sold relatively freely.
Therefore, China's rural areas are the same as those in England and the Netherlands. There are a large number of farms operated under a commercial model... Of course, there are also a large number of bankrupt farmers who know how to operate, and some of them still have some capital. Some of the costs of developing the colony can be shared. "
Blake frowned even more tightly, "Are we just going to watch the son of the Chinese Emperor come to the Southern Continent and become a ready-made king?"
Worster glanced at Blake, a fanatical Puritan and Republican, thought for a while, and said: "Major General, if we want to use the southern continent colonies established by the East India Company to fight against the Chinese emperor, the best way is to open schools. , spread the ideas of Puritanism and republicanism!
In fact, the Chinese people also have republican ideas in their own political philosophy. The Chinese "Book of Rites" once said this: In the journey of the great road, the world is for the common good, select the virtuous and capable, maintain trust and cultivate harmony..."
