Chapter 1373 The Cross Is Erected, the Rainbow Disappears

“Huahua!…”

The fire burned fiercely, devouring the thatched village. The smoke rising from the flames could be clearly seen throughout the island. The Portuguese waited patiently for half a day, but in the end, they did not wait for the natives who fell into the trap. They only heard faint cries from the jungle. Perhaps the shock of the artillery was too strong, or perhaps the village was too small to gather enough people to fight.

“Foda-se! These damn natives! If it weren’t for the evil black oil lake…even if they hid in the woods…they couldn’t escape!”

The Portuguese sailors transported all the food they found in the village onto the ship, and had a few more days of supplies. And if it weren’t for the “evil” of the black oil lake, they would have definitely gone ashore to search and kill carefully!

In the terrain of the archipelago like this, the Portuguese fleet’s advantage over the natives on each island is actually crushing. The fleet can easily cut off the connection between the islands, and the islands that are too small have no room to move, and they can’t gather enough people to resist. The colonists wanted to slaughter the natives on the island, just like catching birds in a cage, there was no obstacle at all. And the killing in the name of God would never be less...

"Bless the Virgin Mary! May your souls be saved by the mercy of the Lord!..."

The Lesser Antilles chain, like a series of clear coordinates, guided the fleet to continue northward. After a simple sea burial, Bruno counted the number of sailors again.

In this long journey, five people were lost in the storm, four were lost on the Black Oil Island, and the fleet of 54 people was reduced to only 44, including a native guide. As for the newly captured captives, they were not considered people, but laborers and stored food.

"Bless the Lord! This is ocean voyage... It is the brave who put aside life and death, and move forward fearlessly for faith and loyalty!"

Of course, such a slogan is only effective for the upper echelons of the fleet. In ocean voyages, the lower-level sailors are pure consumables, and they are sacrifices that must be provided to the sea god in the search for wealth and new routes. Unlike the captain and important crew members, the bottom sailors who can survive to retirement have only one finger in a palm. To control such a group of sailors who have no future, no faith, and are extremely vicious, they must be tamed like hunting dogs!

"Sailors are the captain's hunting dogs. They must be strictly disciplined to keep them hungry, and their morale must be maintained, and they must be fed from time to time! And there are only a few ways to boost morale, such as wealth, killing and women... But everything must be under the command of the captain, and the hunting dogs must not be allowed to act on their own and become wild dogs!..."

Bruno stood at the bow, recalling the advice of General Dias. The maritime discipline of the Portuguese fleet was obviously much higher than that of the two Spanish Confederations at that time. The key to maintaining this discipline is to establish strict obedience, organize the looting, and clearly divide the spoils...

"After drifting on the sea for three months and encountering this ambush, the morale of the fleet has indeed dropped to the point where it is time to take action!..."

The sailboat flew north quickly, and the sea breeze brought the breath of the distant. Bruno narrowed his eyes and stared at the islands approaching in the north, with a sneer on the corner of his mouth. Because he saw several native canoe fishing boats, and a native coastal village should be in this area.

"Full sail, speed up! Crash these boats into the seabed and capture two alive for interrogation! Remember to let one go, follow it, and find the native village!..."

"Ah! Avante! Forward!..."

Hearing such an order, the sailors were immediately excited and their morale was boosted. Soon, in the panic of the Caribbean people's escape and shouting, the flagship caught two alive. After a while of torture, the two alive became corpses and fell back into the sea.

"Boss! They don't understand what the guide says. They have no clothes on, no iron tools, and their fishing boats are very simple... These savage natives must have nothing to do with the native kingdom Columbus encountered!..."

"Well... take a look at their village! See how many people there are in the village and whether they have any military force... If not, it's time to cheer up the sailors after being restrained for so long!..."

"Okay! Boss!..."

Soon, the Caribbean village appeared on the edge of the island. This tribe was the same as the one we encountered before, with a size of about 100 to 200 people, only dozens of men, and a bunch of naked women and children. Seeing the fleet appear, the tribe did not flee immediately, but gathered dozens of men, holding stone spears, soft bows and blowpipes, trying to resist.

"Well, a village without ironware, simple thatched houses, no clothes... It's time to start! Clean it up and don't leave any survivors!..."

"Yes! Captain!..."

"Bang bang bang!"

"Boom boom!"

"Aha! Kill all the men!..."

After a round of musket and cannon bombardment, the sailors jumped off the ship with scimitars in hand. The two ships also landed in two directions to encircle and prevent the natives from escaping.

Bruno did not get off the ship to lead the team in person. As a noble captain, he had to maintain his dignity and respectability, especially in front of the sailors. When he saw Knight Silveira, who was leading the team in person, wearing a steel breastplate, wielding a knight's cross sword, and killing the natives, he curled his lips in disdain and whispered.

"Ha! How rude and barbaric! Just like those Castilians who fuck sheep!... We are noble officers of the navy, how can we mix with these low-level sailors and do that kind of thing?..."

The screams rang out in the village, and then suddenly stopped, becoming less and less. Then, there were the men's laughter and the women's wailing. Then, all the sounds disappeared again, leaving only the burning flames, which turned all traces of sin into scattered ashes under the pure blue sky.

And a Caribbean village completely disappeared on the island. This disappearance was so complete that there were no witnesses, no records, and even no stories left. Just like the rainbow that disappeared on the horizon, it didn't exist in the first place...

"Lord! The white sandy beach, the emerald green woodland, and the hill in the center of the island... This is really a beautiful island! That hill is a natural turret location, and the flat land under the hill is very suitable for building a fortress!..."

Bruno's sight did not stay in the burning village for long, nor did he look at the "hounds" who came back with all kinds of tattered spoils after eating. He just looked at the mountains in the distance, and looked at this island that could be developed with a professional eye. After a long time, he raised his mouth with satisfaction.

This island has enough potential value to build a good port fortress! He decided to name the island himself and occupy this remote maritime territory on behalf of the Kingdom of Portugal. As for the name of the island...

"May the Virgin Mary bless you! The patron saint of Lisbon is St. Vincent, and there is also the influential Monastery of St. Vincent outside the city... Then, the first island occupied by this kingdom overseas will be named "St. Vincent Island" in the name of the Lord!..."

"Haha! This name will not only satisfy the church, but also His Majesty Joao. And my name should also be able to enter the Monastery of St. Vincent after my death, so that future generations will have more honor!..."

"The Lord is a witness! Make a cross for me and set up a mark of occupation! From today on, this is the territory of the Kingdom of Portugal, St. Vincent Island!"

Bruno prayed devoutly for the glory and power of the Lord. After venting, the sailors were satisfied, their morale was high, their steps were much lighter, and they even sang the sailors' vulgar slang. But the singing was soon stopped, and they were tightened again. Like hunting dogs, they obeyed the captain's orders. The name "St. Vincent Island" was engraved on a wooden board in Portuguese and stood on a striking hill, announcing the occupation of the colonists. Under the hill was the native village reduced to ashes.

From the southern continent to the New World, such things have been happening constantly, from the past to the present, from now to a long time later. And if the Spaniards arrived at this island first, everything would be no different, the same killing, the same destruction and occupation, just like in another period of history. They would even use the same name to commemorate "St. Vincent", the Christian saint worshipped by the Iberian Peninsula!

As for the original indigenous name of the island, "Youloumain", "the beautiful island where the rainbow god Youlou lives", it will eventually disappear in the wind like a rainbow in the sky.