Eighth year of Chongzhen

Chapter 705
If we want to develop a super-powerful military and build first-class troops and equipment, we need a strong industrial foundation as a guarantee, and the development of industry cannot be separated from the support of various mineral resources.

Although the resources of Ming Dynasty are very rich, the taste of metal deposits such as copper and iron is not high, and these strategic resources are irreplaceable. For the sake of future generations, it is necessary to find areas rich in mineral resources, as the future of Ming Dynasty. resource reserves for development.

Therefore, the development of a resource-rich New World has become a topic on the agenda.

This new continent is Australia.

As far as Zhu Youjian knows, although Dutch navigators discovered parts of Australia as early as [-], that is, during the Wanli period, their compatriots did not try to settle there, and Australia is still undeveloped. Whoever occupies it first will have the sovereignty of Australia.

In the original history, the British only occupied Australia at the end of the eighteenth century and declared it a territory of the British Empire.

As early as two years ago, under the instruction of Zhu Youjian, the Four Seas Ocean Group under the name of the Four Seas Trading Co., Ltd. consciously sent a fleet south to search for this ancient and vast continent.

After more than a year of exploration, the fleet finally discovered and landed on the target. According to Zhu Youjian's prior instructions, the captain of the team buried a stone tablet on the land near the landing point, engraved with the words "Da Ming Nan Ya announced the ten characters of "Political and Envoy Secretary", which means that this place has become a new province of Ming Dynasty.

In order to prevent the stele from being damaged by the local uncivilized aborigines, after the stele was buried, it was covered by a cage made of fine iron, and the four corners of the cage were also firmly nailed to death with huge iron nails.

With the ability of the aborigines who were in the Stone Age at that time, even if they occasionally found stone tablets and iron cages, let alone being unable to destroy them at all, they might even worship the stone tablets and iron cages as miracles.

However, although the New World was discovered and declared its sovereignty, it is impossible to fully develop this huge land without huge material assistance and a large number of immigrants, which requires huge sacrifices and a long process.

At this time in Australia, the natural environment is quite harsh.

Away from the coast, the climate is swelteringly hot, and although several sizable rivers flow into the sea near Botany Bay, others prove to be highly seasonal, drying up completely for many months of the year.

In the inland area covered by various plants, there are countless kinds of creatures, many of which are highly poisonous.

A wide variety of snakes, spiders, and scorpions all carry deadly venoms that kill instantly if bitten.

In summer, all kinds of mosquitoes are rampant. If there is no support of a large number of protective equipment and medicines, perhaps a large number of immigrants will die after the rainy season passes.

Development must be done, sacrifices must be made, and the mastery of various survival skills and experience is essential. However, how should civilian casualties be reduced as much as possible?

The Department of Health will produce a large number of decoctions and preparations. The mosquito nets invented during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods will provide effective protection. While setting fire to the wilderness, many harmful organisms will be killed and expelled. Just find a suitable land for survival and use it as the center Slowly spread to the surrounding area.

Zhu Youjian can only think of these big strategies first. After arriving, how the immigrants will respond and adapt to the local environment can only depend on themselves.

With such a long distance from Daming, it is unrealistic for a large number of immigrants,

The resettlement project on Taiwan Island has been carried out for more than three years, and a total of more than [-] people have been resettled until now. This is still only a short distance of more than [-] nautical miles, let alone Australia, which is thousands of nautical miles away.

Since development requires sacrifice, let a group of unimportant people sacrifice first.

That's what the British Empire did.

All kinds of criminals detained in government prisons in various places should become the vanguard and main force in the development of the New World. No matter what crimes you are imprisoned for, they will all be collected and sent to Nanyahang Province to make their own contribution to the future development of Ming Dynasty. contribution.

After the criminals got used to and stabilized in Nanya, the relocation of Ming civilians would follow. Let's talk about the relocated people at that time, everything is voluntary.

Zhu Youjian is not afraid that no one is willing to go.

As long as the news of the discovery of gold mines in Nanya Province is disclosed, there will be people with lofty ideals who are not afraid of suffering, death, or poverty.

After the Spaniards massacred more than 2 Chinese in Manila for the first time, within a few years, a large number of poor people from the southeast coast of Ming Dynasty went to Manila by boat. This fully shows that as long as there are enough benefits, death is not the most terrible thing of.

Decades later, the development of Nanya Province has achieved certain results, and New Zealand in its southeast will also be mentioned, but how to treat New Zealand, Zhu Youjian has not yet given a definite answer in his thinking .

Different from the Nanya Province, there are already Maori people living and living on New Zealand Island. Although the total number is only tens of thousands, they are the first to arrive.

What's more, the Maori people have a relationship with Daming.

The Maori are the aborigines who moved out of Taiwan 2000 years ago, and Taiwan has been recognized as a Chinese people, and it has been the territory of China since ancient times, while the Ming Dynasty has inherited all the territories of the past dynasties, and has undisputed Landlordship.

In fact, from another perspective, the Maori are actually a branch of the Chinese people, and they are also a race with black hair, black eyes and yellow skin. Even if Ming immigrates to New Zealand in the future, it will only be reunited with these Chinese people who have emigrated overseas.

Isn't that how history is written?

The current production and lifestyle of the Maori are still quite backward. They still live and live together in the primitive tribal way, and their production tools are still in the extremely backward Neolithic Age.

In order to help the vast number of Maori compatriots (this name is more helpful to shorten the distance between each other) get rid of poverty and ignorance as soon as possible, it is necessary for the Ming Dynasty to extend a helping hand so that they can live a happy life.

However, the Maori compatriots who have always had a tradition of cannibalism are not so easy to get along with. In the process of getting along with them, the immigrants of Ming Dynasty may bloom with passion of iron and blood.

Everything is aimed at improving the quality of life of Maori compatriots, where conflicts can be tolerated or acquiesced.

that is it.

A few days later, an imperial decree was issued from the Qianqing Palace, and then the cabinet issued a letter to the local governments: from now on, a three-month special campaign to severely crack down on various criminal activities will be launched in the whole of Ming Dynasty.

In the next three months, with the close cooperation of the local government, almost all Jinyi guards in various places were mobilized, launching a merciless attack on the city foxes and rats, kidnappers and liars in various prefectures and counties.

All of a sudden, the prisons of the local governments were overcrowded, and the atmosphere in the markets in various places was also changed.

On weekdays, a large number of gangsters who used various methods and methods to endanger the normal production and living order of Ming Dynasty were swept away. In less than three months, the governments of various places sent reports to the capital one after another. Said that the task deployed by the court has been completed ahead of schedule.

With the completion of a series of preparations, in November of the 13th year of Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty, a fleet of 8000 large merchant ships, loaded with more than [-] prisoners and related supplies, set off from Shanghai Port and headed all the way to the South China Sea.

The first batch of residents of Ming Nanya Province came.

(End of this chapter)