Chapter 327: The White Slave Trader Who Thought He Was Black Planned To

Chapter 327: White slave traders who think they are black intend to fight for freedom

"Mr. Benny, do you think this is still the era of the 15th and 16th centuries when a few merchants brought some mercenaries to go to war with the country?"

This exchange with the other party made Franz feel that he was completely wasting his time. If it was in the early days of the Age of Discovery, it was not uncommon for merchants to directly attack city-states with armed forces.

But with the development of the times and the spread of firearms, as well as the natural elimination of history, this situation is almost impossible to happen again.

What's more, a powerful empire like the Said Dynasty of Oman, its navy has 25 battleships (58 guns), 38 frigates, 79 sailing ships, and hundreds of auxiliary ships, with a navy of up to 32,000 people. Such a number of enemies cannot be easily defeated by merchant armed forces alone.

Strictly speaking, the 58-gun battleships equipped by the Omani Navy can only be barely regarded as frigates in Europe, and other types of ships are also reduced versions.

The standards they used were more like the maritime classification standards of the 18th century, and the number of sailors alone even exceeded that of their Austrian counterparts.

In addition, the Omani Empire's army had nearly 50,000 soldiers, including more than 15,000 cavalry. What's more terrifying is that it is not difficult for the country to support such a powerful army with its financial capabilities, and their dominance in East Africa has even been recognized by the British.

(Of course, it has not been recognized by other countries, especially Portugal and France.)

"You can laugh at my fantasy, but every European businessman who remains in Bagamoyo hopes to be able to carry out free trade and passage rights without hindrance; every generation of residents living in Tanzania hopes to drive the Arabs out of their land."

In a sense, Benny Urbin is telling the truth.

Because after Oman acquired the vast territory of East Africa, it used a multi-pronged approach to exploit the local indigenous tribes more cruelly by monopolizing trade and launching slave hunting wars, and even raised salt and iron to an almost incredible price.

On the other hand, the Omani Empire also continued to exclude Western merchants in a semi-public way, and even strictly prohibited those Western merchants from participating in the slave trade, leaving it to the Arabs to monopolize.

In addition, it introduced a commercial competition mechanism to attract Indian merchants to East Africa, increase the export price of goods, and make Western counterparts frustrated one after another.

"So, this dreamer, what do you want?"

Franz still didn't think that the businessman in front of him was a person who could keep his promise.

After all, he was born too late to catch the glorious Age of Exploration, and was born too early to catch up with the wave of national liberation; living in the present is destined to make him unsuccessful, unless a powerful and capable person intervenes personally.

"I need 5,000 rifles and 20 cannons!" Benny Erbin said solemnly.

After hearing this, Franz and Friedrich couldn't help laughing in their hearts. After all, this request was too low. 5,000 rifles plus 20 cannons (6 pounds or 8 pounds), even with the freight, the total value is no more than 100,000 florins.

This is a difficult task for ordinary businessmen, but it is as easy as a flick of the hand for the two.

Because after the Napoleonic Wars, major European countries have all introduced measures to restrict the circulation of combat weapons among civilians, and large-scale purchases are simply difficult; even if they can get what they want, they have to pay a very serious price; for example, the French often sell to civilians at a level 300% to 400% higher than the original price.

"What can we get?" Franz asked.

"30% of Bagamoyo's annual tax revenue and the ownership of the city. As long as you have the ability to drive Said away, the entire coast is yours." Benny Erbin replied.

(Sayyid refers to the Sultan of Oman at that time, who was a very capable monarch, but also very hated.)

30% tax sounds like a lot, but in fact, as a port city with only 18,000 people, its most profitable industry (slave trade) was banned, and the actual tax revenue must have been greatly reduced.

As for the "tempting" conditions of the other party, "driving the Omanis away will get the entire coastline", it is an absolute pie-in-the-sky behavior.

It is obvious that the risk of this transaction is too high, and the benefits are not ideal. It may even be a trap waiting for one's side to jump in.

And Franz was inspired by the other party, and he has come up with a better idea to manage this land.

"Let's think about it carefully. Sir, it's late, please go back." In the end, Franz still hoped to send the other party away with a polite and decent attitude, hoping to give him a decent look.

"Why are you still hesitating? I'm betting my life, and you're only paying a small amount of weapons."

Benny Erbin wanted to make a stronger effort to close the deal, but unfortunately this trick didn't work for Franz.

"Mr. Benny, life is precious and shouldn't be easily used as a bet. This is blasphemy against God."

Franz finally decided to use God to evade the businessman in front of him.

But the other party didn't give up until he achieved his goal. He wanted to step forward to continue arguing but was stopped by two soldiers.

"I am the prince of the Kingdom of Wegin! With my identity, I can contact the indigenous tribes in Tanzania to fight against the Arabs! I only need 5,000 rifles and 20 cannons!"

"But you don't look like a black man?" Friedrich thought the guy in front of him was very interesting, so he became interested.

"I am a bastard, my mother is Dutch!" Benny Erbin saw hope, and encouraged, he continued, "There are 6,000 warriors in the Kingdom of Wegin! My father is the great King of Wegin, Ye Niumbai!"

The bastard of a black chief is not a glorious thing in this era, but what shocked Franz and Friedrich even more was that there was such a powerful existence in the interior of Tanzania, and the seven tribes mentioned earlier might really be able to fight the Oman Empire.

"Your Highness, this black prince, why do you bear the fate of a slave trader?"

Friedrich asked, he was very curious why a white man who thought he was black would sell black people.

"I knew you would ask this question, because we are different from you! If my country does not rely on the slave trade, it will lose its stable source of salt and iron.

You know very well how important salt is to people. And if we lose iron tools, we will not be able to protect our country and our families!

We are surrounded by tribes in the same situation as us. If we want to avoid the fate of becoming slaves, we have to sell others as slaves. This is for survival!

But now the Omanis are here! We don't even have a chance to survive. They want to treat all of us as objects that can be enslaved at will.

My father, the great Ye Niumbai, once asked me to go to Europe with my mother. What I saw were kingdoms without slaves.

We didn't want this either. If you want money, we will give you money. If you want crops, we will give you crops. But please don't enslave us or kill us. We just want to survive!"