Chapter 74 The End of 1482 AD 1 Discovery of Congo
Chapter 74 The End of 1482 AD 1-Discovery of Congo
In late August of 1482 AD, on the Gulf of Guinea in the South Atlantic Ocean.
When Shulot had just landed in the south of the city of Xilotepec on his fleet. Thousands of miles away in the far east, seven Caravia sailboats had just crossed the equator. They sailed southward with perseverance, riding the power of the southeast trade winds and against the weak warm current of the Gulf of Guinea.
These Caravia sailboats are about 20 to 30 meters long and 6 to 9 meters wide, with a length-to-width ratio of about 3.5:1, which can only be regarded as a small boat. At this ratio, the balance of the ship is extremely high, and the speed and maneuverability are relatively suitable. The weight of the sailboat is about 50 tons, with only a single layer, equipped with two masts, and the masts are hung with triangular sails commonly seen in the Mediterranean.
At this moment, under the mild monsoon, the sails of the Caravia sailboats are slightly opened, driving the small boats to travel south at a medium speed of 4 knots, and can run 7.4 kilometers per hour. If the wind is strong enough, the nimble boats can even run at an amazing 8 to 9 knots.
This kind of boat is a powerful weapon of the Portuguese Kingdom, a pioneer in navigation, and is widely used in offshore and mid-sea exploration. From the North Atlantic to the South Atlantic, from Santa Cruz Island off the coast of Portugal to San Antonio in the Gulf of Guinea, the Caravia sailboats explored all the way south, looking for the way to the rich East, and also looking for the kingdom of the legendary powerful King John.
The same is true for the fleet in front of us. They have just passed Cape Lopez near the equator and are now continuing to the south, looking for new land and sea. At the top of the masts of the seven sailboats, the flag of the Portuguese royal family is flying high.
The center of the flag is a blue cross on a white background. The blue cross is composed of five groups of eleven shield-shaped bezans. These silver coin-shaped bezans symbolize the original independent Kingdom of Portugal, which has the right to issue currency independently.
The outer circle of the flag is the green patterned Avesh Cross, plus twelve neatly arranged yellow castles. The Avesh Cross symbolizes the founder of the Avesh Dynasty, Emperor John I. He inherited the kingdom as the leader of the Knights of Avis. The yellow castle symbolizes the common ancestors of Portugal and the Kingdom of Castile, which were once closely connected.
The equatorial sun shines on the largest sailing ship with warm trade winds. Although early artillery has been widely used on the battlefield to expel the Moors, it is not loaded on this exploration ship. The exploration ship is not designed for combat, and the tonnage on it is very limited, so space needs to be reserved for loading more food and water.
In front of the sailing ship deck, a middle-aged white man in gorgeous clothes with a gloomy face is standing at the bow, silently looking at the sea and sky in the distance. He wears a flat captain's hat, a silver Catholic cross necklace on his neck, a neat and decent red and blue captain's suit, and a ceremonial sword at his waist. Even in the hot tropics, he still tightly tied his collar, cuffs and trouser legs, and the belt around his waist showed his upright posture, looking meticulously ahead.
Behind the captain are busy crew members. Every once in a while, a sailor climbs up the tall mast to observe the distant coastline.
On this two-masted sailing ship, the main mast is in front, about 18 meters high, and the secondary mast is in the back, about 15 meters high. On the deck on a sunny day, an excellent sailor can see more than 30 kilometers, and every two-meter mast climb can see about 1 kilometer more. Therefore, without a telescope, the ship's farthest viewing distance is more than 40 kilometers.
This exploration fleet has always maintained a safe distance of less than 40 kilometers from the coastline, and insisted on exploring southward along the edge of the wild jungle of the West African continent.
A dozen meters behind the captain, in the shadow of the mast, a young man in Chinese clothes was sweating profusely. He took off his noble hat, unbuttoned his collar, and wiped the sweat off his head. Then he quietly took out a kettle and drank a mouthful of clear water mixed with wine.
"Aha! Senior sailor Bruno Kang, you dare to steal wine!" Behind the young man in Chinese clothes, a short-haired sailor suddenly appeared. The sailor was tough and his face was tanned. He was only wearing a sailor's short shirt and a Moorish scimitar on his waist. He was staring at the kettle and shouting in a low voice.
"Hush, keep your voice down. Senior sailor Paul! Do you want the respected Captain Diogo Con to find out? This damn weather." Frightened by Paul, Bruno wiped the sweat off his face again.
"Then let me drink a little. Come on, give me a taste. We have been on the ship for two weeks! Fodesse! (Fxxk means) The sun is almost roasting me, and only you nobles can have some wine to drink."
Paul's eyes were only fixed on the kettle, and he couldn't help but stretch out his hand.
"Okay, let you taste it. Damn, enough, enough, don't drink it! I only have this half pot."
"Ah, Fodesse! Praise the Virgin. I finally tasted the taste of wine again." Paul finally poured the kettle hard, licked the water drops at the mouth of the kettle, and savored it with an unfinished taste.
"Damn it!" Bruno grabbed the empty kettle and shook it, but there was no sound of water. The Portuguese's unique melancholy suddenly hit him, and his heart was haggard in an instant.
"Tenho saudades! I miss you! Losing you makes me so sad."
Paul grinned and laughed beside him. He put his arm around Bruno's shoulders and shook the young man's body hard.
"I say, brother Bruno, you should learn from the captain. Look at the captain's expression and movements." As he said this, the senior sailor Paul nodded towards the bow.
"Look at his melancholy eyes, deep face, and slightly sad mood. He is really a perfect Portuguese man. If my sister is not married, I will give my sister to the captain. She will definitely go crazy!"
"What you think is wonderful! The respected Captain Diogo Kang is the illegitimate son of the royal noble Lord Gonsalves Kang. He is a true descendant of the nobles, how could he marry a commoner girl without a surname!"
Paul curled his lips, knowing that this was unrealistic. "Aren't you also a noble with a surname? Why are you hanging out with commoners like me?"
"How can we compare?" Bruno Kang smiled helplessly, "Although we are all from the same family, my grandfather died in the war with the Moors long ago, and my father was also a poor illegitimate son. . All I have is this set of clothes passed down by my grandfather. Come on, don’t ruin my clothes.”
"That's it, then if my sister is not married, it would actually be good for me to marry her to you. You are actually not bad. By the way, she is very beautiful!" Paul looked at Bruno for a while and shouted in a low voice.
Bruno was stunned for a moment, and seemed to be tempted for a moment. Then, he looked at Paul's thick face with suspicion: "Does your sister look like you?"
"How is it possible! She is the most beautiful girl in the town of Faro on the southern coast. Of course, she has some Moorish blood like me."
Bruno rubbed his bearded chin with his hand. He did not reject the Moorish appearance, but felt that it was more refined than the rough girls in Iberia.
"Damn, but you just said she was married!?"
"Yes, she is married, married to a blacksmith in the town, and has two children. A boy and a girl."
"Then what else do you say!" Bruno glared.
"Oh, Fodesse! They are dead, they are all dead. There has been a war in the past few years, and then the Black Death spread to the south. My sister's husband is dead, my nephew is dead, my niece is dead, they are all dead. It's just me. "Tenho saudades! I miss those two kids," Paul said with a heavy expression.
Thinking of the horrific Black Death, the waves that repeatedly harvested life. The two of them were silent for a while. They all had familiar relatives who died among them. All Europeans had familiar relatives who died among them!
They invariably immersed themselves in the most common sadness among Portuguese people.
"Blessed Mother of Mercy! Tenho saudades!" Bruno made the sign of the cross and asked instead. "So how is your sister doing now?"
"Fodesse! She wears a black gauze all day now, hiding alone in her home in a small town, and doesn't go out to meet people. I'm a little worried, thinking it would be better to marry her off." Paul's thick face showed sadness.
"Hiding alone in a small town!? You must be careful." Bruno was also worried about Paul's sister.
"The Inquisition is hunting down witches everywhere. A single woman like this, whose husband and children are dead but still alive, can easily be targeted by the Inquisition! If a neighbor reports it and provokes the mad dogs of the Inquisition, the Almighty Lord I can’t save her, and I’ll definitely be burned at the stake.”
Thinking of the cruelty of the Inquisition, both of them shuddered and fell silent again.
After a moment, Bruno suggested.
"I live in a civilian area of Lisbon, the capital. The capital is a big city of 70,000 people! People come and go every day, and there are merchants from various kingdoms everywhere. People don't know each other, and they don't care about each other. For this adventure, you can save more With a little money, buy a house near my house, and then move your sister to live with me, and I can take care of you."
"Haha, Brother Bruno, I've been waiting for your words! Don't worry, I've been saving the money for a long time."
The capable sailor Paul opened his mouth and showed a bright smile. He patted the scimitar on his waist and took out two bloody gold bracelets from his arms.
"When I first arrived on the Gold Coast, I saw that the local indigenous people had a lot of gold. At that time, the fleet's schedule was tight and I didn't find time. When we stopped in Ghana to build Elmina Castle, I I went out with the sailors and slaughtered two native villages. These natives were much weaker than the Moors!"
"Look at these two big gold bracelets. They belong to the old woman with the highest status in the indigenous village. As soon as everyone passed by, I saw it at a glance. I rushed forward and chopped off everything in the way with two sharp cuts. None of the other sailors could beat me!" Paul continued grinning.
Hearing this, Bruno was a little shocked. He asked eagerly: "Has anyone escaped alive? We haven't established a foothold on the Gold Coast yet. Don't attract powerful tribes."
"Fodesse! How is it possible? It's not like they are novices working for the first time. The guys are already very skilled. The old and the young are dead and alive. Not even a chicken can escape. In the end, they are all piled up and burned. "Yes!" Paul's face was still bright.
Bruno was relieved. "That's good. Anyway, the Pope also said that dead pagans are good pagans, and killing them is also a contribution to God."
Then Bruno looked at the gold bracelet in Paul's hand, and the greedy light of gold reflected in his pupils.
"Is this real gold? Is it so big?"
"Really, I've tried it a long time ago. When I go back, I will take my sister to Lisbon to find you and buy a new big house." Paul smiled simply, looking forward to a better life in the future.
"Tenho saudades! I miss you! I actually missed the opportunity to make a fortune!" Bruno fell into sincere sadness again. Immediately, he thought of something and looked at Paul eagerly.
"When you go back, if you go out again, you must call me and come with you!"
"Okay, brother Bruno, as long as you marry my sister, we will be a family. Let's make a fortune from the black natives together!" Paul gave Bruno a brotherly hug.
"We are working together for God. The merciful Virgin protects us!" Bruno made the sign of the cross again.
After talking about their plan to make a fortune together, the atmosphere between the two became obviously much warmer.
Bruno thought of what he saw in the royal capital and decided to share it with his future brother-in-law.
"Some time ago, many foreigners gathered near the King's Sintra Palace."
"Some time ago? The old king died, and a new king has ascended the throne, right?" Paul thought for a while, and he also heard other sailors say this.
"Yes. The noble King Alfonso V has returned to the Kingdom of the Lord, and the benevolent Joao II has just ascended the throne. Joao II is really a great man like Prince Enrique, and this voyage is sponsored by him. It was under the will of the Pope and the King that the noble Captain Diogo Kang sought the way to the east, found the kingdom of the powerful King John, and attacked the evil Ottomans. "
Bruno's face was full of yearning for heroes and kings.
"Bah. Fodesse! It's okay to go to King John. I heard the priest said that there is a land flowing with milk and honey. But it's a fool who goes back to fight the fierce Ottomans. Ever since he encountered the Ottomans once when he was plundering in North Africa, this I never want to see them again in my life." Paul's fierce face was full of unbearable fear.
"The Ottomans are so powerful? We Portuguese are never afraid of enemies. The independence of the kingdom comes from fearless fighting!" Bruno was obviously unconvinced.
"Let's put it this way, it's not much harder for the Ottoman army to kill us than it is for us to kill these black natives. Boundless cavalry, continuous infantry, thousands of artillery, and new type of matchlock guns. If our ship hadn't run so fast, Everyone will have to stay on the coast of North Africa." Paul sighed, feeling sincerely about the power of the Ottomans.
"Sigh, but to be honest, these black natives are not easy to deal with. Iron weapons, war elephants and cavalry, as well as terrifying jungles and diseases, I don't know how it happened, and the people were gone. When, It would be great if we could meet a tribe richer and weaker than the black natives!”
"Fodesse! Then we can send them all to hell, burn them all, and then have a good time!"
Paul's eyes were filled with the desire for wealth. As for the lives of pagans, the devout believers just look at their pain and laugh!
Bruno curled his lips. He felt that Paul lacked heroism. Then he changed the topic: "This time the kind-hearted Joao II has ascended the throne, and the Spanish also sent envoys to congratulate him."
"Bah, the Castilians are bulls that are in heat at any time. The Moors can't hold on for long, and the trial court in Madrid has been prepared for a long time. This bull can't find any other target, and now it keeps salivating at the kingdom. Fodesse! They are our biggest threat!"
"Alas, the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon have merged long ago. Now they have created a new name, Spain, Espa, which is a country with wealth and minerals." Bruno's noble surname gave him the opportunity to contact more knowledge.
"Bah, Foda-se a ovelha, Espanhol! The Spaniard of the sheep!"
"God, nobles and commoners are always two completely different groups, destined by blood!" Bruno thought quietly.
Due to the legacy of Prince Enrique, there were always a large number of children of minor nobles in the Portuguese exploration team. In fact, among the navies of various countries, the Portuguese fleet was the most reserved and civilized at this time. It will be difficult for future generations to imagine what kind of hell the Spanish exploration team, which was composed purely of the dregs of society, was like.
No Portuguese can ignore the threat of Spain, and cursing Spain is also a common pleasure for everyone. The two cursed quietly for a while before Bruno continued to tell some novel experiences.
"After the benevolent Joao II came to the throne, a rogue sailor named Columbus came from the commercial city-state. Hearing that the king supported navigation, this guy repeatedly wanted to see the king, saying that he wanted to sail to the west and reach India!"
"Ha, he must have drunk too much, and he is full of devilish lies. Columbus? No surname, Fodesse! Still a commoner?!" Although he has never met Columbus, this does not prevent Paul from hating the people of the city.
"Yes. I heard that he is the son of a woolen weaver in a commercial city-state, a gangster who has been on a ship for many years, a captain without a ship, and a smuggler without goods. He didn't know where he heard that the world is round, and he asked the king to sponsor him. Head west into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean to find your way to India and China.”
Bruno made a joke and laughed at this city-state gangster as one of the sources of fun for everyone.
"Ha, Fodesse! The people in the commercial city-state are Satanists who sold their souls to the devil. They are demons who hoard food, lower prices, and make loan sharks everywhere! They should be sent to the stakes of the Inquisition!"
Bruno agreed. "This man is just a boastful rogue. We Portuguese are silent and practical people. We don't like this kind of chatterbox who shouts all day long. The nobles of the Sintra Palace ignored him and told him to get out!"
Paul also laughed. He posed as a captain gazing at the sea and sky and shouted softly.
"Fodesse! Tenho saudades! I miss you! King John, where are you?"
Just then, the sailor on the mast suddenly shouted loudly: "The sea water in front has changed color, there is a freshwater estuary!"
Diogo Con, who was as gloomy as a sculpture, suddenly came to life: "The fleet turned left and approached the coast! Boatswain, distribute weapons! Sailors of all levels are ready for battle!"
Bruno and Paul stopped talking immediately, and the noble sailors and civilian sailors showed the agility of old sea dogs at the same time.
They took the scimitars, crossbows and matchlocks, grabbed the ropes between the ships, and had a strong murderous intent on their faces, and made all preparations.
In less than two hours, a mighty river appeared in front of everyone. The river is ten kilometers wide, and its edge is invisible at a glance. It rushes from the depths of the jungle and rushes into the sea. At the end of the river is an open floodplain, and a few smokes are rising from distant villages.
"God! Such a big river! Where is this big river? Have you heard of related rumors?" Captain Diogo Kongo strode forward, grabbed the Fon translator who converted to Catholicism in the Gold Coast a few years ago, and asked seriously and eagerly.
The black-skinned native translator thought hard for a long time before stammering in his newly learned Portuguese.
"The only river that is very big and long is the Zaire River in the distant legend! Nzadi Kongo!
I tried to condense the social life and national relations at that time into a short dialogue. Well, saudades is difficult to translate. It means nostalgia, optimism in suffering, and probably joy in sadness. Now I try to add some distant plots related to Mexica, mainly based on important historical nodes. Finally, please recommend!