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Chapter 1276: Supply Station at Cape of Storms, South Africa

The Cape of Storms on the South African continent is the junction of the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. There are many storms and rough waves. Many Portuguese navigators were buried here.

A fleet of Ironclad General Fubo, sailing warships, merchant ships, and supply ships passed here cautiously.

Even the most advanced steam ironclad ship of this era, General Fubo is still vulnerable to nature.

Once encountering the murderous waves here, the long and narrow hull might break in the middle.

However, this fleet was lucky, and the wind and waves were not too big when they passed the Cape of Storms.

The fleet led by Sun Chuanting, Zheng Zhibao and others not only went directly to the city of London, they also wanted to consolidate the east-west route - to establish the Chinese people's own supply station.

The Nanyang Fleet occupied the Spice Islands, Malacca and Batavia became the ports of their own people, and the Indian Peninsula had three strongholds established by the East India Company in Surat, Madras, and Calcutta. Starting from the mainland, all the way to Myanmar and the Indian peninsula, they have their own supply stations.

However, more remote places such as the Strait of Hormuz and Africa have not yet set up their own supply stations. The fleets of Sun Chuanting and Zheng Zhibao need to temporarily rely on the commercial stations established by pioneers such as the Dutch, British, and Portuguese for supplies. .

It is very important to establish your own supply line. At present, there is no commercial station in Cape Storm, South Africa. In addition to going to Europe, this fleet must leave some people to establish the first commercial station in Cape Storm.This trading station will be the first trading station of the Kyushu Army in Africa, and it happens to be near the Cape of Storms, providing supplies for ships traveling between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Once the weather at Cape Storm is bad, ships can also stop at this trading station , Wait until the rain clears before setting off.

At the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, a bowl-shaped harbor is surrounded by cliffs. This is a deep-water harbor that can berth huge ships.

And the Kyushu Army chose to establish the first commercial station in Africa, and the site was selected here, a place called Cape Town.

A smaller sailing ship transported men and supplies to the still uninhabited Cape Peninsula.

There were 17 official staff in the first commercial station, and 32 prisoners. They brought a batch of necessary materials such as crop seeds, muskets, grain, salt, and agricultural tools.The main labor force is the prisoners sent here. They will be responsible for opening up wasteland, hunting here, and building a permanent trading station here.

Not many people would like to be stationed in the unexplored Cape of Storms at this time.Being here means that you may not be able to see a ship from your hometown once a year, and you have to face the test of cruel nature.

So a group of heavy prisoners were transported here to help open the supply station.In this way, they can mitigate their crimes and fight for early release.

"Everyone, your life here may be difficult, but your mission is glorious. If you successfully establish a permanent stronghold in this place called Cape Town, our ships will be replenished when they pass here. The lives of many crew members can also be saved. After five years of service, you will be able to return to your homeland and receive high subsidies from the military department. If you accidentally die, the military department will give your family a pension to guarantee them Not destitute. Of course, I hope that next time you pass through here, every single one of you will be alive."

Zheng Zhibao followed this group of people to land on the Cape of Storms, which is a wild place surrounded by cliffs, but there is a beach plain under the cliffs, the scenery is very beautiful when the wind is sunny, the waves beat against the beach and the cliffs, African ostriches with long necks can be seen.

The colonists who came have advanced tools such as firearms and iron, so it is not difficult to survive here.Once it becomes one of the supply stations for east-west trade, it is likely to become an important port city.

Zheng Zhibao also ordered two artillery pieces to be removed from the ship to provide the necessary firepower for the garrison team.

"According to the plan, you should collect food while building the fort. We can't stay here for too long. The big fleet will leave Cape Storm when the weather is good. The establishment of the trading station is entirely up to you." Zheng Zhibao said to the people in the commercial station team.

"I will not disgrace my life!" The people of the commercial station team had firm eyes, and traveled all the way to South Africa to set up a supply station, which was like a group of lonely watchmen.

This group of them will have to face this boundless sea, and they will be able to return to their homeland after five years.

And their value is to provide supplies for passing ships.

"If you have gained a firm foothold, if there are merchant ships from the Netherlands and the Portuguese who come to the shore to ask for supplies, provide them with fresh water and fresh food at a reasonable price. Of course, if they try to capture here, if you feel that you can't Resist the enemy's attack, then surrender them, and then try to contact us, our fleet will take this place back without making fearless sacrifices." Zheng Zhibao warned again.

If the Kyushu Army wants to increase its influence on the sea, it must establish ports and supply stations in various important straits and bays. Such supply stations can provide services for fleets of other countries in peacetime to obtain rewards. You can increase your influence.The important thing about an international port is that ships from all countries must come here to berth. If it is only closed, ships that cannot berth here will have to find other supply stations.

As long as there is no war between the two sides, you can often get supplies at supply stations in neutral countries.

During the war, it became a naval base, blocking the route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean.

The fleet left a sailing ship and a merchant team here, and then left Cape of Storms.

Residents and prisoners on the Cape Peninsula began looking for a suitable location to build a fort on the Cape Peninsula.

This is just a seemingly insignificant action. Not many people care about whether Cape Town will become an international port in the future. At present, they just regard it as a small, unformed supply station on the coast of Africa.

"If we bypass the Cape of Good Hope, we will have entered the real western region, and we are not far from the city of London." The crew of the iron-clad ship General Fubo roughly marked the location of the fleet on the nautical chart.

"It turns out that the world is so big. After sailing for so long, our fleet has never seen the end..." The trainee navy soldiers sighed with emotion at the vastness of the ocean. You must know that they have been sailing on the sea for several months. , on the way, only occasionally resupply at several commercial stations along the coast.

(End of this chapter)