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Chapter 345 Manila Galleon

The pointed bowsprit and jib, the tall mainmast, the towering forecastle and stern that stand as solidly as a castle, the swept jib at the stern, and the eye-catching Burgundy cross flag, all, without exception, represent the direction of the ship. The world announced that this was a Spanish Carrick type sailing ship.

The castle, lion, and blue shield flag flying high on the mainmast remind everyone that this is not only a Spanish sailing ship, but also a royal fleet belonging to Philip II and the Habsburg family!

The Montanis, with a displacement of 400 tons, has one and a half artillery decks and is equipped with 20 long guns and 2 heavy cannons. Compared with the main warships, which often have nearly a hundred heavy guns and three or four gun decks, it is indeed a bit shabby, but as an armed merchant ship traveling between Acapulco and Manila, it is not small.

After all, this is not Europe, where the maritime environment is extremely harsh. There are no warships from the rebel Netherlands and rival Britain to cause trouble. Arms of this size are enough to protect ourselves. You can even go for a stroll along the coast of the Ming Empire, as long as you don't get too close to local ships, it's absolutely safe.

In addition to weapons and equipment, the core of an armed merchant ship is not the armament, but the merchants. The Montanis carried more than 200 sailors, more than 60 Spanish soldiers and officers, and more than 100 boxes of silver ingots, silver coins and a few gold coins from the Viceroyalty of New Spain.

These are properties belonging to the Spanish royal family and the governor of New Spain, as well as the much-needed additional troops for the Philippine colony and the family of Baron Marcos de Silva, the new governor of the Philippines who succeeded Governor Aguna.

The person responsible for delivering these properties and personnel to the Port of Manila safely and on time is Colonel Rodrigo Escalante. This is also an officer with a noble background. He is young but has made great achievements in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and has won a lot of honors. The confidence of the emperor and governor.

However, Colonel Escalante is from the Army and has never independently commanded any ship before, so all navigation on the sea is under the responsibility of the operating captain, Mr. Diego Angelo. With more than 20 years of voyage experience, even the journey across the Pacific Ocean is hassle-free.

As soon as the sun was halfway exposed, Colonel Escalante couldn't wait to get out of the poop. Although this cabin is located above the deck and is much drier than the cabin below, it is still very uncomfortable to be an Army soldier. Every part of the body seems to be rusting and is in great need of sunlight.

"Captain Angelo, where are we now? How many days are there until Manila?" The other thing is to ask the real captain of the Montanis how far it is from the destination. Judging from the departure time, it should be almost there.

"The Montanis is about to enter the eastern route of Felipe Islands, and will be able to board the Port of Manila in about six days."

Compared with the gorgeously dressed and meticulous Colonel Escalante, the operational captain Angelo is full of the wild and unruly nature of the sea. His long unkempt hair is tied back casually with a piece of cloth, and his wrinkled shirt front is open. Wearing her clothes, revealing her bronze chest muscles and thick hair.

"Praise Jesus, this damn journey is finally coming to an end! Angelo, what is the Port of Manila really like? Is there really countless silks and fine porcelain there?"

Six days was good news for the Army, which had been sailing on the sea for a full 6 days. Colonel Escalante finally wiped his annoyance from his face and began to look forward to the new post where he would be stationed for at least three years.

"Colonel, except for the Governor's Palace, churches and military camps, Manila is full of dense forests and indigenous people. They are short, dirty, slow, lazy, and have no redeeming qualities." But Captain Angelo didn't seem to cooperate. Talk about finding fault with others. "But that's not what Governor Aguna said. He wrote in his letter that the Port of Manila is a good place to make a fortune, with fine silks and porcelain, as well as spices, tea, and cloth. Isn't that true?"

Colonel Escalante was a little disappointed with this answer, and then he was deeply skeptical. Even without Governor Aguna's letter, the Port of Manila is still famous in New Spain.

When each Manila galleon arrives at the port of Acapulco, it is the grandest festival in the area. People sing and dance, welcome the crew with flowers and wine, and of course the cargo in the cabin.

These goods from the East Indies were so popular in the New World that they affected the sale of Spanish goods. The king had to order a limit on the number of sailings of the Manila Galleon. Only two trips were allowed per year, and the displacement of each ship must not exceed 400 Ton.

He gave up his chance to return to his hometown for promotion and volunteered to go to Manila to replace the outgoing commander of the garrison fleet. In addition to wanting to make a difference at work, he also saw an opportunity to make money. If there was another hidden reason behind all this, wouldn't it be in vain? !

"Governor Aguna is right, but those goods are not produced in the Felipe Islands. Most of them come from the mainland in the north. There is a very large country there, and its merchants are called Chinese in Manila Port.

These people have slightly lighter skin than the natives of the Felipe Islands, and also have straight black hair and pupils. But they are more diligent, smart and obedient. The silk, porcelain, tea and cloth mentioned by the colonel all come from the Ming Dynasty. "

Captain Angelo has been working on this route for 8 years. Although he only stays at Manila Port for two or three months each time and has never lived there for a long time, he has been there many times and is still very familiar with the customs and customs here, including Many surrounding countries.

"Is it far away?" But this explanation had another meaning in the colonel's ears. Although he had heard of the Ming Dynasty, it only came from the place where the goods were produced, and he did not know the specific location.

"On the contrary, if the Montanis returns to Mexico, it will pass through its southernmost waters. Chinese merchant ships and fishing boats can often be seen, only about 2 days away from their ports."

"Then why didn't we go to the Ming Dynasty to occupy a port and choose Manila instead?" This answer confused the young colonel even more. If the Ming Dynasty is really as good as Angelo said, are the Spanish kings and successive governors all fools? Want to sacrifice the near for the far?

"Colonel, the emperor of Ming Dynasty does not allow us to trade on his land, and we are not even allowed to approach the port. As far as I know, only the Portuguese have obtained the charter, and God knows what methods they used, damn fishermen!"

Captain Angelo couldn't help but get angry from the bottom of his heart when he talked about this matter. Although the King of Spain is currently also the King of Portugal, and the two countries have merged in a sense, most of the Spanish and Portuguese are unwilling to do so. Recognize each other as compatriots.

(End of this chapter)