The Rise of the European Emperor

In this trip to India, Marin arranged a total of 8 ships, all of which are over 200 tons, and each ship can carry about 120 tons of cargo. 8 ships with a total capacity of 960 tons of cargo.

Marin has arranged that in addition to the 50,000 pounds of rated spices, Marin will try to buy saltpeter, this time to buy 600 tons of saltpeter. Also, buy 100 tons of copper and 50 tons of tin. For the rest, they bought some Indian untouchable slaves and sent them to Grenada to farm.

There is also the need to introduce a group of Indian craftsmen and women who are proficient in cotton spinning, as well as some cotton spinning machinery. After all, there is a difference between cotton spinning and wool spinning. Indians are good at spinning cotton cloth and know how to grow cotton.

It just so happened that Marin planned to grow upland cotton, so he simply brought back farmers from India who knew how to grow cotton, women who knew how to spin cotton, and craftsmen who knew how to make cotton spinning machinery.

In addition, the fleet also needs to send someone to ask the two kings of Spain to exchange the territory of Cuba with Columbus, and report to the two kings of Spain. , control of the Isthmus of Panama.

As soon as control of the island of Cuba is confirmed, Marin intends to start developing sugar cane plantations on the island. At the same time, rice and cotton can also be grown on the island of Cuba and developed into a production base.

You must know that most of the island of Cuba is a plain, which is very suitable for the development of planting. Also, the Taino (a subgroup of the Arawak) on the island are friendly and not as aggressive as the Indians on the North American continent.

Marin intends to infiltrate the island of Cuba by coaxing and coaxing, and gradually complete the control of the island. Then, plantations were established on the island.

In addition, the nickel mines in the coastal mountains in the southeastern part of the island of Cuba are also one of Marin's coveted targets. As long as you have nickel, you can make cupronickel yourself. As for the white copper? Then you need to ask? Make "silver coins"...

In order to transport more people, Marin thought about it and increased the total number of ships from 8 to 10, lest the cargo and population would not be transported enough.

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As for the preservation method of fresh water, it is naturally the cooking method in a large pot. Specifically, first set up a large pot and bring the water to a boil. Then, it is put into oak barrels, corkscrewed, and sealed with mud. In this way, boiled fresh water can be stored for several months in sealed oak barrels. Unlike ordinary circumstances, fresh water is put into a bucket, and it will be broken in seven days.

In addition, the lemon orchard in Genoa also sent a large number of chopped lemon leaves, so that the sailors can drink hot water to avoid scurvy.

However, Columbus told Marin,

Before sailing with the Spanish fleet, the Columbus fleet had almost no deaths, which attracted the attention of the Spaniards. This time, if a few more people die, the Spaniards will definitely investigate the cause.

To this end, Marin came up with a very good idea, which can not only fool the Spaniards, but also increase the cost of navigation. This method is the rum method...

Of course, this doesn't mean telling the Spaniards to prepare rum. Rum hasn't appeared yet, but you can tell the Spaniards to prepare spirits...

Before the advent of modern freshwater insurance technology, European voyages relied on stockpiling enough strong rum for a long time to deal with the deterioration of freshwater.

Generally speaking, the routes in the early days of the Great Voyage were as close to the land as possible. In this way, it is convenient for ships to dock in time to find a fresh water river and replace fresh fresh water when the fresh water in the reserve has deteriorated.

However, sometimes it is unavoidable that the fresh water cannot be replaced for an extended period of time. For example, across the Atlantic Ocean, without seeing land for at least one or two months, there is certainly no guarantee of timely replacement of fresh water. From Malindi on the east coast of Africa, across the Arabian Sea to India, there is also no land and timely replacement of fresh water for a long time. And drinking spoiled fresh water is very fatal.

Later, navigators discovered that when they went sailing with spirits, spirits were not easy to spoil. As a result, rum became the favorite and most practical nautical drink of sailors and pirates.

In the vast sea, when the fresh water has deteriorated and cannot be replaced, sailors will drink rum to replenish water. Of course, also mixed with boiled and spoiled fresh water. Otherwise, there is simply not enough rum to drink. And under the cover of the smell of spirits, the fresh water that has deteriorated and stinks can barely be eaten...

Marin urgently took out a lot of barrels of dark beer. After processing, thousands of barrels of rye shochu were distilled and distributed to each ship.

Of course, this was not really for the sailors, but to fool the Spaniards. As soon as the Spaniards came to their ships, Marin demanded that the sailors start drinking rye shochu. Then, the captains mysteriously told the Spaniards - this is the secret of our voyages that are not very dead. After all, we don’t drink bad water, you often drink spoiled bad water, and it’s no wonder that you don’t die… Of course, the more economical trick of mixing spirits with boiled and spoiled fresh water will not be told to the Spaniards… After all, even Their aim is to make the Spaniards spend more money...

Although it is said that this method was taught to the Spaniards, it did allow them to reduce the mortality rate of sailing. However, Marin was not at ease. If nothing else, how expensive is food now? Why did you turn the grain into soju? How expensive is that? If each ship sails with hundreds of barrels of soju, the cost will be sky high... Then the profit will be greatly reduced...

Spanish grain prices are already very expensive, reaching as high as 2 pfennig per pound of rye. If they were taught this prodigal method, although a few fewer people died, the cost of sailing would be very high. Moreover, Marin didn't tell them the secret of scurvy. Those who should die of scurvy will die anyway...

However, after Marin came up with this method, the Spaniards had to accept his love. In addition, the real reason for the low number of deaths in the Marin fleet can also be covered up.

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However, it seems that the last time Columbus led the way to the Spanish fleet, he did not know about the invention of the sextant by Leonardo da Vinci, nor did he have a nautical bell.

Therefore, on this voyage, Marin still needs the help of Columbus. But Columbus is now weak and can't play again. Therefore, Marin sent out some of Columbus's most capable assistants who sailed to India last time, and asked them to continue to be the leading party for the Spanish fleet.

Although the coordinates were not recorded, those Columbus assistants could rely on Columbus's logbook and their own sailing experience to bring the fleet to India well. When they record the coordinates clearly this time, the next time they sail, they can easily do it by dispatching a captain.

When the fleet was about to set off, Amerigo suddenly found Marin...

"What? Are you going on a voyage to India?" Marin was a little surprised.

"Yes, my lord, I yearn for the legendary wealthy India, and hope to go to India too!"

This is the thinking of the navigator, Amerigo did not have the possibility of getting credit for this trip. Because, first of all, the right of discovery has been won by Columbus. However, India is described by Westerners as a paradise-like place. As a great navigator, Amerigo couldn't sit still and wanted to see it.

Marin looked at Amerigo who was full of thirst, and suddenly remembered a very popular sentence among ALICE friends in his previous life - "The world is so big, I want to go and see..."

Speaking of which, these great navigators are also some fevered donkeys...

"Well, since you want to go so much, I'll agree. I'll let Christopher (Columbus) give you his logbook. When sailing, you make decisions with Christopher's assistants and record the nautical coordinates. Also, I will transfer two 250-level armed merchant ships, as flagships, you stay on the armed merchant ships, and you must ensure your own safety!"

Amerigo was his own treasure, and Marin didn't want him to be in danger. For this reason, Marin, who did not intend to show the 250-class armed merchant ships to the Spaniards, still dispatched two 250-class armed merchant ships to protect the safety of Amerigo. Although some secrets may be seen by the Spaniards, it does not matter. After all, I still have a 500-ton "Hoffman-class" battleship that I haven't shown to the Spaniards.

"Thank you!" Amerigo, a fanatical navigator, quickly went back to pack up everything, then reunited with the fleet, and boarded a 250-class armed merchant ship, embarking on a voyage to India...