1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 13 The Land Ends Here
The fleet set sail on the calm Mediterranean Sea.

Over the next few weeks, Isaac's fleet stopped and moved along the western coast of the Mediterranean, passing the coasts of the Kingdom of France and the United Kingdom of Aragon, all the way to the end of the Mediterranean.

When passing the southern coast of Granada, pirates began to increase in number. The Emirate of the North African coast and Granada in southern Iberia occupied this sea area and robbed merchant ships along the way.

However, the pagans' shipbuilding technology is still very poor and they do not have the ability to build large warships.

Isaac drove away several small pirate ships that came to harass him without much delay.

On June 1445, 6, Isaac led his fleet across the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Atlantic Ocean.

As soon as they entered the Atlantic Ocean, the fleet, which was accustomed to sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, immediately felt a little uncomfortable.

The rough waves and changeable weather in the Atlantic Ocean caused the Genoese crossbowmen and French knights, who had gradually adapted to life at sea, to become seasick again.

The fleet had to move slowly along the coast and make gradual adjustments.

On June 1445, 6, Isaac finally arrived at his destination, the westernmost land on the European continent.

Lisbon.

The city is the capital of Portugal and the United Kingdom of the Algarves, situated on the eastern coast of the Atlantic Ocean, with the Tagus River flowing through the south and the Sintra Mountains as a barrier to the north.

Isaac parked the fleet nearby and took William, Fidel and Conte to the city, instructing the remaining knights to step up the training of the refugees.

Lisbon is still a medium-sized city at this time, far inferior to big cities like Genoa and Rome, but it exudes an uplifting atmosphere from head to toe.

In the past decade or so, several kings have continued to use military force against Morocco, successfully occupied the port of Ceuta, built a fortress, and withstood the counterattacks of infidels.

The slaves, livestock and gold from North Africa greatly enriched Portugal's treasury, and people lived a stable and prosperous life.

The previous kings, John I and Duarte I, were both wise and capable rulers. They rectified the land aristocracy, vigorously developed the navy, and established the provincial governor system.

Although the governors were mostly great nobles, this was already a remarkable progress.

They also basically established a national policy suitable for Portugal.

The North allied with England to resist Castile, and the South invaded North Africa to expand its trade territory.

At the same time, it strongly supported ocean adventures, encouraged ship innovation, and officially sponsored exploration of the West African coast.

At this time, Portuguese shipbuilders had already mastered the basic Bernoulli principle and realized that they could sail against the wind by changing the shape of the sail.

During decades of exploration, Portugal discovered Madeira and the Azores, and gradually extended its tentacles to the coast of West Africa.

In 1434, a fleet sponsored by Prince Henry crossed Cape Bojador for the first time and arrived at the legendary "green land".

In 1440, Portugal launched the first caravel. This type of sailing ship, which has both the ability to withstand wind and waves and the ability to sail on the ocean, will continue to appear in various oceans and discover continents in the following centuries.

In 1444, Prince Henry captured hundreds of blacks and sold them in Italy, the first time he had seen a return in a long time.

Prince Henry, the legendary navigator, was the last person on Isaac's list.

At present, Prince Henry has not been able to tap into the huge population and gold business in West Africa. His sailing operations have been losing money for many years and have been criticized by many domestic aristocratic merchants.

It was not until 1448 that Prince Henry, against all odds, built the first fortress on Arguin Island at Cape Brown, and officially began the plunder of West Africa.

The abundance of slaves and gold made Portugal, a small country on the edge of Europe, become a wealthy overlord.

Prince Henry also went from being criticized to being praised.

Now, Isaac wants to take advantage of this vacuum to get a piece of Prince Henry's business.

West Africa is very large, and there are countless black tribes, enough to be divided for many years.

In fact, until the Berlin Conference in later times, there were still many places in Africa that had not been visited by colonists.

The abundance of gold would greatly improve Isaac's tight finances, allowing him to build a huge fleet and hire a powerful army.

Plundering West Africa was the most important part of Isaac's plan to revive Rome.

In fact, with the widespread use of the compass and the development of astronomy, the technical problems of exploring West Africa have been solved.

The fleet of caravels and carracks was sufficient to carry ample supplies.

The reason why exploration and discovery progress is slow is simply because there is no visible benefit.

Enrique and his supporters may hesitate, or they may become disappointed after seeing the ignorant black people in West Africa.

But no one knew better than Isaac that this land held untold riches.

After Enrique's death, the gold hidden in his house was enough to shock Lisbon for a whole year.

Isaac went into Lisbon, found an inn to stay in, and appointed William to deliver the letter to Regent Pedro.

The previous king, Duarte I, died young, leaving Alfonso V to succeed him, with his younger brother, Prince Pedro, as regent.

At this time, he was in charge of state affairs.

Isaac strolled through the streets of Lisbon, looking at the thriving city and the people coming and going.

"Have you heard that Prince Enrique was questioned by the Merchant Council again?"

"This is ridiculous! If the ocean adventure is successful, the benefits will definitely be beyond imagination."

"Over the years, it seems that only a few hundred black people were brought back. My cousin bought a black family in the South. They don't know how to do anything and waste food..."

"Oh! Your cousin himself is as dumb as a wild boar in the mountains, and you still expect to find a clever slave?"

"you!"

……

Along the way, Isaac saw hope and well-being.

Rather than the panic, anxiety and confusion in Constantinople and Athens.

This country, which was built during the Reconquista, has now embarked on the right path under the governance of several generations of wise rulers.

The power of the nobility was restricted, the citizen and merchant classes rose up, and the ocean was gradually developed.

The successive discovery of several archipelagos expanded the sphere of influence and eased the conflict between people and land.

People's confidence in navigation is growing and technology is constantly innovating.

At this time, the entire Christian countries in continental Europe were in a downturn, with only Portugal emerging as a rising force.

The next day, Isaac was received by Prince Pedro.

Isaac stepped forward and received the king according to etiquette.

"Hello, respected Regent."

Isaac spoke in Latin.

"No need to be polite, young boy."

Pedro put down the letter in his hand and spoke fluent Greek.

Isaac was a little surprised.

"Don't be surprised, my dear child. When I was a prince, I loved traveling just like you. I traveled to all the major cities in Europe and met your father and the Ottoman Sultan."

"Father has often told me of you, a learned and virtuous nobleman."

Isaac was talking nonsense.

"When I met him, he was only eight years old and had a runny nose."

Isaac was a little embarrassed, and William beside him couldn't help laughing out loud.

"Tell me, you came all the way here, what do you want to get?"

Prince Pedro stared at Isaac.

"Your Highness, Regent, I am very interested in Prince Enrique's adventure and would like to join him. I have come to ask for your permission." "Oh? How are you going to join?"

"I have a fleet, a printing house in Rome, and a trading company. I have a fixed income every month."

"I hope to join Prince Henry's cause by providing funds and a fleet."

Isaac produced the Pope's letter and the Genoese decree.

After reading this, Pedro was silent for a while.

"Kid, you are already amazing for being able to accomplish such a career. Why do you need to gamble these things on an illusory possibility?"

"Enrique is asking for help now. If you want to join, I'd love to help you, but you have to be prepared to lose everything."

Pedro walked up to Isaac and tapped him gently on the shoulder.

“In the past, some merchants responded to Enrique’s call and set out on expeditions.”

"Some of them never came back, some went crazy, and some returned successfully but found nothing."

"In any case, I wish you success."

Pedro walked up to the table and signed a permit.

It bore the seals of the Pope and the King of Portugal, guaranteeing that the fleet could stop at ports along the Portuguese coast for supplies and that it would have control over the proceeds of the expedition.

Isaac put the permit in his arms as if it were a treasure.

"Thank you for your help!"

Pedro waved his hand and let Isaac go.

That night, Isaac summoned all military and political personnel to arrange subsequent affairs.

Isaac joined Prince Henry's fleet with the Grand Duke of Morea and the San Nicolas as exploration ships.

The remaining ships were temporarily parked in the port of Ceuta and were commanded by William. They could go out to sea at normal times and plunder the pagan transport ships.

Conte took the knights and refugees from southern France to temporarily live in the port of Ceuta, training diligently every day and waiting for news from Isaac.

After Isaac gave them another sum of money, the Genoese crossbowmen agreed to go out to sea on the ship, led by Maruna.

The next day, Isaac took the Archduke Morea and the São Nicolas to Cape São Vicente in southwest Portugal, which was the base camp and source of Prince Henry's expedition plan.

Taking advantage of the northwest wind, Isaac hoisted the long sail and arrived at San Vicente that evening.

This place was deserted decades ago, but since Prince Henry used it as the base for his maritime operations, it has gradually developed into a prosperous trading town.

Enrique was a devout believer, and there were many churches and monasteries near his residence.

Saligaoshi, near San Vicente, has a famous navigation school and a naval arsenal.

Henry also recruited talents widely, regardless of their origins, Moors from North Africa, Arabs from the Middle East, and Norman pirates from Northern Europe, as long as they had talent in sailing, they could become the prince's guests.

The security here is tight, with a sentry every ten steps. Isaac entered the harbor with the help of a small boat.

The servant took Isaac to Prince Henry's reception room.

There were no expensive decorations in the reception room, and what caught the eye was a nautical chart of Northwest Africa.

In Isaac's eyes, this map was full of loopholes and very rough. But in that era, every route needed generations of navigators to risk their lives to try it out, so you can imagine how much effort the Portuguese put in.

Isaac stared at the map in a trance.

“It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?”

Enrique walked into the room through the side door and looked at Isaac with a smile on his face.

"of course."

"I heard you want to gamble with me?"

Enrique sat down and poured wine for Isaac and himself.

After taking a bite, the spicy taste went straight to my throat.

"Cough cough!"

Isaac couldn't help but cough.

Enrique laughed.

"It's a strong liquor made from sugar cane, and sailors love it more than their women."

Enrique picked up the glass and drank it all.

Then he smacked his lips with satisfaction.

"Your Highness, I am indeed very interested in your expedition."

"I saw the boat you brought. That carrack is in good condition and can be used directly."

"That large galley needs some minor modifications, with both Arabic triangular sails and traditional square sails."

Enrique gave Isaac another glass of wine,

Isaac gritted his teeth and drank it all in one gulp.

"This is so true!"

Enrique nodded and took out an agreement.

"In the past, there were courageous businessmen who discussed cooperation with me. These are the terms we negotiated at that time. Take a look at them."

"If you have anything to add, you can talk to my consultant. I will be refitting your ship first."

"how much is it?"

Prince Enrique waved his hand.

"Since you accompany an old man like me to drink, I'll let you go. It doesn't cost much anyway."

Over the next few days, Isaac and Enrique's advisory group engaged in a heated argument, neither side giving in.

Finally, Isaac agreed to pay 5,000 ducats as compensation for the use of the Portuguese port.

At this time, Isaac had emptied his wallet and had to pay the debt first.

Isaac provided a carrack, a converted San Nicolas, to join Enrique's fleet.

Enrique dispatched four caravels and several supply ships.

Isaac himself accompanied the fleet, and Enrique sent Captain Fernando as his representative.

The main purpose of the fleet was to explore the estuaries of the major rivers mentioned by the natives and to find islands suitable as colonial bases.

On July 7, Isaac finally received the profits from the Rome Printing House and the first dividends from the Monferrato Trading Company.

The trade fleet sailed smoothly and the first trial voyage was a complete success.

Isaac finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After slapping five thousand ducats on the table of accountant Enrique, Isaac walked out the door and looked at the ready fleet in the distance, his heart trembling slightly.

The next day, the fleet weighed anchor.

Isaac looked at the land that was getting farther and farther away, feeling extremely emotional.

There was no Belem Tower or Monument to the Great Voyages in this era, but Isaac still couldn't help but recite those widely circulated words.

The land ends here and the ocean begins.

(End of this chapter)