Two pirates on the side of the ship cooperated. One of them threw the rope with wood chips tied to the front end into the sea, and the other was responsible for timing. When the time was up, the person who dropped the rope reached out to grab the rope, counted the rope knots released, and shouted. road.
"The current speed is 10 knots!"
This was also the method used by most Western ships to measure ship speed in the 18th century. Of course, there will definitely be some errors because the sea water itself is also flowing, but the impact is not too great. The method of measuring absolute speed had to wait until the 20th century. will appear.
Zhang Heng, dressed in black, stood on the deck, directing the pirates to adjust the sail angle according to the wind direction. The Jackdaw had just raised the top sails on the main and auxiliary masts. Now it was sailing close to full sail, and the pressure on the masts was borne. It was very big. Several pirates were busy pulling back the back rope and fixing it at the stern, while Zhang Heng personally took the helm and adjusted the draft of the bow.
After a period of violent jolts, the ship finally adapted to the current speed. When it gradually stabilized, Zhang Heng returned the rudder to the previous sailor and ordered the lookout to continue observing.
Karina stood aside and watched all this silently.
Her heart was not as calm as it seemed. When she was on the island, she found someone to learn something about Zhang Heng. She knew that the latter was just a passenger on a merchant ship a year ago, and later became a member of the Sea Lion with his excellent marksmanship. It is said that he was not accustomed to life at sea at that time. He became very seasick on the way back to Nassau and almost lost his life.
However, in just one year, he went from being an inconspicuous ordinary sailor on the Sea Lion to becoming the captain of the sails and cables. Then he left the Sea Lion with a group of old people. When he returned to Nassau, he was already the captain of a pirate ship.
With such a rapid rise, people can't help but wonder whether he has enough wisdom and experience to lead his own crew. This is also the reason why the Jackdaw is generally viewed in decline on the island.
Karina had had such thoughts before, but she changed her mind when the two met for the first time. The man in front of her was obviously different from the pirates she had met before. There was something about him that was far beyond Maturity of age and unique charm, but that is more of a subjective inner feeling
But this time, when she went to sea with Zhang Heng, she really saw the other's command and leadership skills at close range.
Zhang Heng's performance was completely unlike that of a rookie captain who was going to sea for the first time. He skillfully dealt with various situations and challenges on the ship, as if he had practiced it countless times.
However, after getting along with each other these days, the businesswoman is not as surprised as before. In her opinion, no matter who has such self-disciplined living habits and attitude of continuous learning, it is difficult not to succeed.
Karina once saw Zhang Heng and Annie practicing swordsmanship on the deck before dawn. She also often saw Zhang Heng consulting and discussing various navigation issues with the old sailors on the ship. When they were free, someone would still be there. Looking through some books left by the original owner in the captain's cabin.
The predecessor of the Jackdaw was originally a naval battleship. It contains many navy-related tactical classics. In addition, there are also some travel notes from various places. Especially the latter part is what Zhang Heng likes to read the most.
His understanding of this era is more from the perspective of a later generation, which can certainly keep him awake, but there are also many things that he cannot understand. These experiences and travel notes can help him better integrate into this era. , and also allowed him to indirectly learn about many local customs, customs and anecdotes.
On the other side, Zhang Heng was also re-evaluating Karina. This woman was more decisive than he thought. Instead of sending her subordinates as agreed, she chose to deliver the letter herself. In addition to ensuring nothing went wrong, she also used this way to show your sincerity in cooperation.
Although black market merchants are an important part of Nassau, they are different from pirates after all. Most of them have identities and families in civilized society. These people are usually only responsible for acquiring and transporting the pirates' trophies, and do not actually Participate in the looting process.
In this way, they can quickly pick themselves out if something goes wrong. It is very dangerous to board a pirate ship directly like Karina, which is equivalent to completely tying their fate to Zhang Heng, but the latter cannot Without admitting it, there is no way to win her trust more than what Karina is doing now.
This woman is a natural gambler. Maybe she can really carve her own way in Nassau, which is almost controlled by the Black Business Alliance.
But now Karina didn't think about such distant things, and the anxiety in her expression became more and more obvious as she looked at the empty horizon in the distance.
It is now the thirty-second day since the Jackdaw left port. Most of the water and food on the ship have been consumed, and the supply of lemon juice has also stopped. There are still some vegetables and dried fruits left, but because this is the first time to do this. Zhang Heng couldn't take all the details into account. The humid environment at sea made the dried fruits and vegetables quickly become damp and moldy, so everyone returned to the hard days of eating biscuits and smoking fish.
Even so, the remaining food and water would only be enough to last another twenty days. In other words, the Jackdaw was not far away from returning home.
Zhang Heng was also a little helpless. Reality is not about playing games. Many times, even if you are fully prepared and have prepared many backup plans, you may still face various unexpected situations.
Even the best pirate captain in the entire Caribbean cannot guarantee that every time he goes to sea, he will return with a full load. However, although everyone knows this truth, he does need a big game now more than ever. win.
As time went by, Zhang Heng could feel the emotional changes of everyone around him. Not only the newcomers who had just boarded the ship, but also the old sailors including Billy and Dufresne began to become taciturn. Even Karina was already shaken.
She quietly knocked on the door of the captain's cabin last night and confessed to Zhang Heng that her suspicion about her father had spread throughout the colony. His former friends in the customs had also betrayed him. The so-called spice ship had no basis at all. It doesn't exist. It's just a fabricated lie. It may even be a bait thrown by the Office of Naval Intelligence.
The businesswoman looked around nervously and lowered her voice, "I thought about it again. No matter how outrageous the Spice Islands ship is, it is impossible for it to reach the New World. There must be something wrong with it. I remember my father mentioned it when I was a child. He seems to have two enemies in Boston."
Zhang Heng had to go to the kitchen to get a bottle of rum and let Karina drink it. "You said it yourself. This news is so outrageous. If it is a trap, shouldn't it be made more reasonable?"
