Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 1214 Batavia's Rubber Plantation
A rubber plantation outside Batavia has a large neat array of rubber trees.Although the rubber trees are not yet mature, the tall trees are already quite large, forming avenues of trees.

"The rubber plantation is not my property alone. There are Chinese businessmen and I have invested together. They are returning to the mainland at this time and handing over this place to me to take care of. This large area of ​​hills is what we bought from the government three years ago. The rental period is 15 years, and the first three years are rent-free. As long as we don’t change the use of this mountain and produce natural rubber for the government, the rent is not much at all. I think this is because the government needs a lot of natural rubber, so they leased the land to us for planting almost free of charge.” Otomo Nobutada followed the mule, proudly pointing to the 100-hectare large rubber forest.

"Natural rubber, what is that?" A dozen warriors who acted as forest rangers asked puzzledly.

"It is to cut a cut in the rubber tree, and a white liquid will flow out of it. Collect and store this liquid, and sell it to the government. Of course, there are many links and points that need to be paid attention to...you are do what?!"

Originally, Otomo Nobutada was introducing the situation of rubber trees to these hired forest rangers. When he saw a samurai pulling out his samurai sword and wanted to cut a wound on the rubber tree to see what natural rubber looked like, he hurriedly stopped him.

"These rubber trees can't be tapped yet, at least we have to wait another three years!" Otomo Nobutada has invested a lot of money and energy in the rubber plantation industry, treating immature rubber trees as treasures, and samurai can't destroy rubber trees .

"I've never heard of tree sap being specially purchased by the government. Only desperate people and insects in the forest will eat this tree sap!" A samurai laughed.

Others who didn't know what natural rubber was also laughed.

"If you don't know what natural rubber is, don't be so arrogant. Although we don't know the use of such things purchased by the government, the first batch of people who planted rubber trees have already made real money. We started from the rubber plantations in Hainan Island. Buying seeds and transplanting seedlings, it is hard to get to the current scale. It will take some time before it matures." Otomo Nobutada said solemnly.

He made a special trip to inspect the Hainan Island Rubber Plantation, which was first established by the Kyushu Army, and saw the official galleon transporting barrels of natural rubber to the north.The government has not announced what products can be used to produce large-scale collection of rubber, but when the rubber industry just started, the government's demand for natural rubber can be said to have reached the point where it can buy as much as it can, and there is no need to worry about no sales.

Otomo Nobutada brought a dozen samurai to the simple shed area, where there are more than a dozen huts.However, many huts were empty, and only 8 huts were occupied, and each hut was crowded with about 9 to [-] Java rubber farmers.

When they saw Otomo Nobutada coming with a dozen warriors, they came out to greet Otomo Nobutada one after another.

"They are all farmers of the local indigenous tribes. They don't earn much money all year round, and they have to pay tribute to the tribe's chief, so they simply choose to be hired by us to learn how to take care of the rubber forest here. These people work very hard. , the wages are low. The only bad thing is that they lack the willingness and ability to fight. When the Mataram Kingdom and the surrounding tribes invaded our plantation, they did not dare to resist at all, but fled here as soon as possible. As a result, the food we hoarded in the shanty area was robbed by the other party." Otomo Nobutada said to Miyamoto Musashi and others.

"These people have no fighting spirit, and they are just soldiers who serve as cannon fodder when they go to the battlefield." Miyamoto Musashi agreed.

"I still have three firearms issued by the government here. Even if they are not more advanced than the rifles used by the imperial army, they are still sharp weapons when the natives attack our rubber plantations."

Otomo Nobutada opened the iron lock of one of the unmanned sheds, and took out three muskets, a bag of gunpowder and bullets from the hidden basement inside.

"Every musket has a number, and it has to be brought to the government for inspection every year. If any musket is lost or damaged, you need to explain to the government. I plan to give these three muskets to the three of you for safekeeping , I don’t know who wants to take over these three muskets? If you lose the guns for no reason, you may be executed by the government.” Otomo Nobutada asked while holding up the three muskets.

Originally, the warriors heard that there were muskets, and they all planned to win the right to use the three muskets.But when they heard that losing the musket might be punishable by death, they hesitated again.Who can guarantee that the musket will not be lost while keeping the musket?
When Miyamoto Musashi saw the Suihuo gun, there was some fanaticism in his eyes.

"Let me, Miyamoto Musashi, take care of one of the muskets. If any natives dare to invade the rubber plantation, I will use the musket to defeat them." Miyamoto Musashi stepped forward and took the lead to receive a musket.

He is now more fanatical about muskets than katanas.

Miyamoto Musashi took the initiative to take one of the muskets, and two ronin took the other two muskets.

That's right, if you lose your musket, you may be executed by the government, but having a musket will be more beneficial when you have a conflict with the aborigines.

"You must take good care of your muskets. Don't lose your muskets, or I won't be able to keep you." Otomo Nobutada reminded them again.

"In my opinion, apart from the endless oak forest, there are only sheds here, which are not conducive to defense at all. It is better to pile up a small fort here with soil blocks, stone blocks, and wooden fences, leaving only one exit. As long as there are enough Even if thousands of people come to besiege us, we can hold on for ten days.”

When Miyamoto Musashi and a group of samurai arrived at the shed area of ​​the rubber plantation, the first thing he thought about was building a fortress.

The Warring States Period made them have a soft spot for mountain cities and castles.

"I think so too, but it's a pity that the Javanese are not proficient in building castles, so that's it. If you can build a small fort here to resist the indigenous tribes, then I can pay you a little more wages." Otomo Nobutada said.

A dozen samurai heard that they could process money and build fortresses to prevent the aborigines from invading the rubber plantations, and soon began to discuss how to build a castle.

"If only one exit is left, it will be easy to defend and difficult to attack, but we will have no retreat when we are surrounded. Unless there is a horse or mule always in the shanty area, when the natives attack us, we can send a person to Baba Look for reinforcements in the city of Davia, and the rest of the people hide in the fortress to defend. You can also prepare wolf smoke in the fortress, and you may be able to see the wolf smoke from the lighthouse in the city.”

Miyamoto Musashi vaguely became the leader of more than a dozen warriors, using branches to draw out the layout of the rubber plantation fortress on the ground.

There is no need for a special bastion to deal with the natives, and simple fortifications can cause huge damage to them.

(End of this chapter)