Australian Storm 1876

  Chapter 182 Countermeasures

   "This is my honour, Lord Governor." Wen Baker bowed and saluted, very gentlemanly, and said in an unhurried tone;

"Following the trail of pioneers, we have come to this archipelago for more than 300 years. We are very familiar with the ocean geography and climate of the East Indies. The possibility of encountering storms and plagues is extremely small. Annihilated, so this possibility can be ruled out.

  Look around

  The French are launching a colonial war in the Kingdom of Vietnam in the Indochina Peninsula, and they intend to advance to the kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia. They have no ability or willingness to make trouble in our colonial zone.

  The same is true for Americans and Fusang people. If they are weak, the local slash-and-burn indigenous people are even more impossible.

  So only Spanish pirates and the British are possible. If it is Spanish pirates, it is a robbery. If it is a British, I think it is more likely to be a personal act. "

  Speaking of which

Wen Baker spread his helpless hands and said, "As the real maritime hegemon in this world, the British do not need to sneak in on which site the British see. After the Battle of Waterloo, the British withdrew from the rule of Java Island to show their goodwill to the Netherlands. With their usual pride, they will not be interested in a desert island."

  This judgment is really a three-pointer, which is close to 60% of the facts.

  Sir Frederick-S-Jacob nodded with conviction, walked to the window, looked at the bustling and bustling Batavia city outside, and said with a sigh;

   "No matter which one is difficult to deal with, we can't get out of it now!"

   "Yes, Lord Governor." Wenbeck did not say much wisely.

  "Thank you very much, dear Wenbeck, if I need to know the relevant situation, I will find you again."

  "We are waiting for inquiries at any time."

  Wenbeck slightly chin his head, turned around and left the governor's office, closing the door of the room casually.

  Batavia is located on the northwest coast of Java. When the Dutch colonists first occupied this place, it was a seaside fishing village with two to three thousand people. Now it has developed into the most important port city in Southeast Asia with a population of more than 900,000.

  It is a trade center between the East and the West, and a channel for material and cultural knowledge transmission. It has a high degree of internationalization in the nineteenth century and is an open trading city.

  At the end of August, the climate in Batavia is as hot, sultry and rainy as always. The climate here is maintained at 25-28 degrees Celsius throughout the year. The rainfall is average. There is no dry season and rainy season. There is only one season throughout the year, that is, summer.

Sir Frederick S-Jacob from the Nordic region now misses the white snow of the Alps very much. His family owns a large castle in Austria. When the snow falls in winter, it will turn into a fairy tale world. .

  And in this Dutch-ruled city, Mr. Governor could not find that kind of gracious belonging anyway.

  Mr. Frank Sneijder's rash intrusion broke the quiet life of the governor-sir and presented him with a problem.

  The current East Indies are not flattened across the world. The Dutch invasion of Aceh began in 1873 and has been going on for 9 years, and there is still no hope of ending.

  Two-thirds of the army forces under the colonial government of the Dutch East Indies are used on the Aceh battlefield to maintain a strong suppression of the rebel forces.

  Really thinking at the beginning

The Dutch soldiers boarded the land of Aceh with full confidence and felt that it was just an easy outing trip. Soldiers recruited from all over Europe came with the Dutch. Facing the native Aceh with only spears and knives, the conquerors were confident. Bursting.

  Facts are completely contrary to expectations

  The indigenous Acehnese caused the colonial army to suffer, and the war became a nightmare for the Dutch.

The Acehnese adopted the tactics of guerrilla warfare. They are good at using the terrain in battle. Tibetan troops are used by the people. The Dutch can't distinguish ordinary Aceh civilians from Aceh soldiers because they all wear the same tattered clothes. They are soldiers when they take up weapons. Let down the weapons are civilians.

  The strategies of the Acehnese include setting traps, setting up ambushes, and raiding Dutch soldiers wandering alone in the streets and villages. This makes the Dutch feel that there is a danger of death hidden in every village.

  In order to dig out the hidden Archie resistance fighters, the terrified Dutch army flattened villages, burned houses, and raised butcher knives against civilians...

  So far, most of the soldiers in the Army have been trapped in the quagmire of the Aceh War, and the rest are less than 6,000.

Among them, there are many mercenaries from various European countries to supplement the manpower-scarce Dutch army. It is necessary to maintain the rule and deterrence of the vast colonies of the East Indies from Malacca to Borneo. There are more than 13,000 islands alone. Really doppelganger.

  So, Sir Frederick S-Jacob has no extra troops to use elsewhere.

Due to the long duration of the Aceh War, high financial costs, and excessive casualties, the Royal Dutch government and the military have serious differences. Some cabinet officials accused the military of blindly launching the war, and the military ridiculed each other. Prosperity is coming from constant colonial wars.

  The nine-year war did not see the dawn of victory. The people showed strong anti-war sentiment, and some officials began to propose to withdraw from Aceh.

  Because of his inaction in the war, the former governor was disgraced and resigned, becoming a scapegoat for the prolonged Aceh War.

  Therefore, the population of the poor Dutch people has always been small. This is a historical tradition.

  Think about it

  Sir Frederick-S-Jacob still maintained his original idea. First, he sent someone to the island to take a look. I hope God bless, it's just some plague or aboriginal troubles, otherwise things will be tricky.

  None of the Spaniards and the British are easy to deal with, especially the British...

  I thought of this

Sir Frederick S-Jacob gritted his teeth and took a breath of air. In this sultry weather, he felt a chill on his back. He had a hunch that the governor’s term this time was not as peaceful as he had imagined. .

  A day at the end of August

   Surabaya Port

The three-masted galleon "Tulip" moored at the pier, the captain Marco Van Nistelrooy is directing the loading. He is an experienced old sea wolf, strong and burly, with a face that has been blown by the sea. Thick beard.

  This time the "Tulip" was loaded with spices, marijuana and copper ingots to Manila, and it took nearly a month and a half to go back and forth.

  If the exploration of Ilian Island is not smooth, the return date will be greatly delayed, which makes Captain Marco Van Nistelrooy very unhappy, but he cannot refuse the secret mission of the colonial government.

  According to the tradition since the great nautical era

The priests, scholars, and civilian ships sent by the Western colonial government are often tasked with secret missions to collect a lot of information from all over the world, customs, geography and humanities, political situation and even characteristic properties. When necessary, they will transform into a leading party or a pioneer of aggression. , The plunder of the open flames...

  Enjoying the convenience of trade, you must bear the responsibility.

  "Hi, dear Mr. Captain, I am Frank Sneijder who runs a plantation in West Java. I am very glad to meet you." Mr. Frank Sneijder came over with the sailor and greeted him first.

"I have always hated trouble, and I don't feel any pleasure. At the end I warn you a **** and remove those three words for my dear." The captain Marco Van Nistelrooy glanced at him coldly. , The words spoken are sufficiently vulgar, which is also in line with the character of the old sea wolf who has been floating on the sea all year round.

   Spicy, decisive and rude, otherwise you won’t be able to keep the unruly sailors on the ship.

Mr. Frank Sneijder's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and the smile on his face quickly converged, staring at Mr. Captain and said; "You don’t need to remind you Mr. Captain that you should receive a letter from the Governor’s Mansion. , This time I will explore Ilian Island, and I will participate as an important member."

"Have you ever told you that your mouth is really stinky? Go away now." Captain Marco Van Nistelrooy drew a thick Cuban cigar from his jacket pocket and bit off his cigarette **** in one bite. , Then put the cigar in his mouth, and the sailor immediately lit him diligently.

  Mr. Frank Sneijder’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and he wanted to kill the rude Dutchman with a single shot; “You don’t need to threaten me Mr. Captain. I’m here on a secret mission.”

After taking a deep sip, the strong and fragrant tobacco smell permeated, and Captain Marco van Nistelrooy sighed with enjoyment. He looked at Mr. Frank Sneijder and laughed disdainfully. ; "Hehehe...what the shit's secret mission is to go to Jayapura to find your two sons.

  I transported army soldiers, weapons and ammunition in the Aceh War, led sailors in the war to destroy the indigenous people, and performed important secret missions in 80 cases.

  This mess of yours can only be at the end at best, don't bother me with this **** thing, get out of me now.

  Otherwise, I will let you wipe the deck with your white **** bare for two months. Your white skin and Dutch accent won't do much to me.

  Remember now, you stinky white boy, I am the tyrant here, and I have the final say in this boat. "

  After finishing speaking, he took another sip of cigar.

  Mr. Frank Sneijder almost exploded his lungs, but facing such a vulgar captain, he had no temper at all, so he could only leave the captain's sight sullenly.

  "Tulip" is a large three-masted sail cargo ship, which can carry up to 680 tons of cargo to and from the ocean, with more than 150 sailors on board.

  After setting sail

On a three-masted galleon full of cargo, the narrow deck and cargo space are where the sailors rest, especially between the huge masts. The sailors sleep on canvas beds like dense silkworm pupae, one after the other. Layer by layer.

  The whole ship

  Only the captain has a small and separate captain’s room, which embodies the status of absolute authority and does not allow any provocation.

  A few hours later

The three-masted galleon   Tulip is driving on the sparkling sea, and the brilliant sunset on the horizon seems to be reflected in the sea, showing a beautiful blurred picture.

  The white sails on the main mast are full of sea breeze, and dozens of steel riggings tremble incessantly as they cut through the waves, like a huge lyre played by an invisible hand, making high and low noises.

Captain Marco van Nistelrooy came out of the captain’s cabin with a heavy wooden wine glass in his hand. The golden barley beer was frothed in it. He raised his head and took a big sip, letting it overflow. The beer flows down the thick beard to the chest, which looks very pleasant under the sea breeze.

   "Hi, Old Brown, is that white boy still honest on my boat?" Captain Marco van Nistelrooy walked to the gray-haired helmsman, and while questioning, he handed the beer glass over.

The helmsman Old Brown took the wine glass, unceremoniously "guru, guru", took a few big mouthfuls, wiped the corners of his mouth and said; Nothing happened."

   "That's good, even if he is acquainted."

   "Hey hey...Do you want to add some stuff to him?" Old Brown smiled unkindly while manipulating the huge wooden steering wheel.

"Forget it, we don't have the time to take care of this self-righteous idiot. More than 60 white settlers with live ammunition have disappeared. I suspect that there is a huge danger here. You must understand the situation before you can act." Marco Van Nistel Under Captain Rui's rude appearance, there is a delicate mind.

  "Boss, we are heading to Manila with a full load of goods this time. Do we have to make a detour to Irian Island (Shangri-La Island) on the way?"

"Just go around, the heavy ship has such a deep draft that it can't be relied on. I'll talk about it when I return." Marco van Nistelrooy responded casually and took a drink from his beer glass. Gulping, seeing that it has bottomed out, he couldn't help but cursed; "You **** old fellow, I curse you for going to hell, and the big glass of beer that I just poured killed most of it."

"Don't be so stingy, Boss, if you don't drink a little, I will doze off at night." Old Brown said as he took out another tin jug from his arms, the lid opened and the strong smell of rum came out, and he raised his head. He took a big sip and handed it to the captain; "There is not much left, remember to fill it up after drinking."

"Hehe...you old guy will die in the barrel sooner or later." Marco van Nistelrooy laughed, poured the remaining rum from the tin jug into the beer glass and gently shaken it. Shake it to mix evenly, then raised your head to drink a clean drink, and hiccup a satisfactory wine; "You wait, I will pour you some more wine."

  The sea breeze blew across the deck, and the heavy pulley block hit the bulkhead with constant muffled noises. The three-masted galleon cut the waves all the way to the north, becoming smaller and smaller against the sunset, and finally disappeared on the sea level.

  　 Two chapters of 8,000 words are updated as scheduled, ask for monthly pass, ask for recommendation, ask for collection, and ask readers and friends for encouragement!

  (End of this chapter)