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Chapter 964 Xiaoliuqiu Base
The reason why they mainly lived near the three ports was for safety and because of insufficient population. According to statistics from the Ministry of Revenue, less than 30,000 households and 150,000 people from the Ming Dynasty migrated to Xiaoliuqiu Island to farm over the past decade. More people were willing to go to the Luzon and Annan Special Zones, which had better facilities and a longer development period.

It sounds like more than 100,000 people are not a small number, but the plains on the west side of Xiaoliuqiu Island can easily accommodate a million people, and even if more than 100,000 people were scattered there, they would not be able to occupy the area. Over the years, only three relatively large towns, a dozen villages, and dozens of farms have naturally formed, and large tracts of land are still barren.

Not to mention the mountainous areas, which are still the territory of the indigenous people. It's just that after several large-scale conflicts, the two sides have a deeper understanding of each other and reached a certain tacit understanding. They no longer easily harass each other's controlled areas and are temporarily at peace.

When selecting a base, the Navy inspected Tamsui Port, Weng Port, and Dagou Port, but then gave up on them all. The main reason was that there were too many sandbanks and islands near the waterways in and out of the ports, or the water was not deep enough, and the routes were complicated, making them unsuitable for naval bases.

After more than two years of survey, the Navy found the current location and named it Seabird Harbor by the General Staff, because it is located at the mouth of a river on the west side of Xiaoliuqiu Island, and a large number of seabirds gather on both sides of the river all year round.

Hong Tao didn't say anything after seeing the name, but he felt disgusted. It is said that the disciple is better than the master. It is true that Hai Hu Si taught these students, but their ability to name them is not much better than that of the teacher. They are also vulgar and plain, without any cultural flavor.

Although Xiaoliuqiu Island is relatively desolate and there is not even a decent city, the scale of Seabird Port is not small. The pier made of large stones is more than 300 meters long and extends into the sea parallel to the coastline. Both the inner and outer sides can berth Fuzhou-class armed cargo ships.

When the naval port was first built, the navy wanted to build a small one that could accommodate a few warships. But when the construction plan was sent to the palace and then returned, it was changed beyond recognition.

According to the emperor, Xiaoliuqiu Island has a very important strategic location. It is located at the junction of the East China Sea Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet. It can reach the Japanese archipelago and the Korean Peninsula to the east, support the South Pacific Islands to the south, and radiate to the coasts of Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang.

It is too wasteful to build a small port exclusively for the South China Sea Fleet. It is better to build a large naval base in one step as the main support point for the East China Sea Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet. Then, the scale of warships stationed in Guangzhou and Fuzhou will be reduced, and the military port will be moved away from the civilian port as much as possible to avoid mutual interference.

As for the effect, it is indeed good. Since the completion of the Sea Bird Port, the East China Sea Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet no longer have to go to Guangzhou, Fuzhou and other places to drill commercial waterways and squeeze into the port with merchant ships. It is more convenient and safer to manage.

In addition, once the large warehouse at Hainiao Port is completed, the Navy can also move most of the naval warehouses originally located in Guangzhou and Fuzhou here, and the vacated houses and land can be exchanged for a large sum of transfer fees.

Moreover, there are no merchant ships or fishing boats in the waters near Kainiao Port, so no matter how you fire guns or cannons, you don't have to notify the local authorities in advance, let alone blockade the sea area, which is very convenient for naval training and teaching.

Two years ago, the Navy General Staff simply moved the advanced classes of the Naval School from Dagukou to Hainiao Harbor, opened up a large campus behind the dock, and preserved some forests and wetlands specifically for training Marines in tropical jungle warfare.

In fact, Hong Tao not only wants to use Hainiao Port as an important fulcrum for the East China Sea Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet, but also wants to use it as a basis to prepare for the future establishment of the Pacific Fleet.

The American continent was not in a hurry to explore. When the Europeans woke up and began to go eastward around the Cape of Good Hope, a direct conflict broke out between the two sides, which could not be resolved through negotiations. Only then would the fleet of the Ming Empire appear on the west coast of the American continent and launch a devastating attack on the colonies of European countries there. Whether to occupy and how much to occupy depended on the specific situation at the time. But there was one principle that could not be changed: the Ming Empire must have a share of the American continent.

This day will come sooner or later. We need to prepare the base first, then draw ships and personnel from each fleet and combine them into a new fleet, which can go on expeditions anytime and anywhere.

"Clear out one floor in the barracks so that you can have a good rest. The meals should be based on northern flavors, with some seafood added as appropriate... Are there any local specialties?" Looking at the naval warehouses and the huge playground of the naval school not far away, Hong Tao felt more relaxed, and then he had the leisure to care about the ministers who came with the ship.

These high-ranking court officials may have never experienced such a long voyage in their lives, let alone vomited so many times. It is time to rest for a few days, otherwise most of them will die before arriving at the port of Colombo.

"I will ask the soldiers to pick more coconuts. Drinking coconut juice is good for seasickness. Your Majesty can try the local steamed fish with bird-free dishes and chicken stewed with mountain angelica. They are very unique in taste."

Since the emperor's tour was a secret, Hainiao Port was only notified of the General Staff half a day ago and had no time to make advance arrangements. The only senior military officer present to welcome the emperor was Xiao Si, commander of the Crocodile Guard.

He was the second son of Xiao Ruxun, the former deputy governor of the army. He joined the navy in 1618, but did not completely abandon his family tradition and was eventually assigned to the Land War Guard.

In the blink of an eye, nearly twenty years have passed, and the young man has become a man in his forties. Fortunately, his efforts were not in vain, nor did he bring shame to his father. He was promoted to commander during the second military expansion two years ago.

"If your throat feels uncomfortable, go drink some coconut water instead of making such a fuss here!" The two men were standing on the dock and chatting, and they could always hear intermittent coughs around them, which were not loud but very harsh.

That was Wang Chengen calmly reminding Xiao Si not to introduce food blindly. He was responsible for all the food, drink and accommodation during the emperor's trip, and it was already difficult to control the scale. If he ate wherever he went and only picked rare and unheard-of food, who would be responsible if something went wrong!
"I have heard of mountain angelica. What kind of thing is it that birds don't step on?" After scolding the restless Wang Chengen, Hong Tao continued to ask about the source of the food.

"Uh... that's what the locals call it... Your Majesty, wait a minute, I'll ask a Fujianese! Hey, you, you, come here! Do you know what the bird is called in Fujian?"

This really stumped Xiao Si. He was only here for a short period of time to select soldiers for the guard, and he only had a vague understanding of the island. Fortunately, he was quick-witted, looked around, and called a Marine soldier who was helping unload the ship at the dock.

(End of this chapter)