Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 305 Heading North (Part 4)

On July 2nd, in the height of summer, the sea breeze from Hejiang Bay carried a salty, damp scent as it swept across the pier. The afternoon sun shone through the tops of the spruce trees, scattering down in a gentle, warm glow that made one feel weak all over and inevitably drowsy.

At the Hejiang (now Courtney, Vancouver) wharf, a newly built concrete pier extends straight into the bay, gently lapped by the tide.

The transport ship, flying the "Shunyun-3" flag, was quietly moored nearby, bobbing gently with the waves. From the deck came the Hokkien folk songs hummed by the sailors as they maintained the mooring lines with tung oil.

In the shade on the west side of the dock, three Comox laborers are sharing half a can of liquor.

The oldest member, Tomasi, said with a smile to his companion, "I bought another cast iron pot from Xinhua, and, well, it... doesn't crack when cooking salmon."

He gestured in a circle with his rough fingers, eliciting low chuckles from the other two.

Behind them, the newly built warehouse still bears the marks of the spring floods on its exterior walls, now faded into a light gray hue by the sun.

Before long, slumped against the wall, slightly squinted, they dozed off contentedly, still slightly intoxicated.

Four years ago, this place was just a fishing and hunting ground for the Comox indigenous people, a wild and untamed area covered with dense jungle. Now, a new town of Xinhua has been built.

The population also increased dramatically from over fifty people to over four hundred and fifty people, making it one of the most important strongholds in the northern part of Qiming Island.

As you walk inland along the rammed dirt road, you will see fields crisscrossed with paths.

Immigrants from the distant Ming Dynasty cultivated one field after another, planting large quantities of potatoes, corn, wheat, and various vegetables.

Occasionally, one can also find a few experimental fields cultivating cold-resistant rice brought from North Korea.

Although the climate in the north makes the rice ears slightly sparse, persistent farmers are still trying to domesticate these crops, just to smell the aroma of rice.

On the watchtower of the small town of Hejiang, several powerful cannons pointed menacingly into the distance, firmly and forcefully safeguarding the safety of the people behind them.

Outside the retaining wall, several earthen kilns were billowing thick smoke, firing cement and bricks for construction.

Further along the riverbank, several huge waterwheels stood, providing a continuous power source for the hardware shops next door, making them clang all day long. Farm tools and knives and axes were gradually taken shape under the processing of craftsmen and mold makers.

At the market, several Comox people from the outskirts came to exchange animal skins and dried fish for iron pots and salt. They spoke broken and brief Chinese, gesturing incessantly with their hands as they bargained.

The mill on the riverbank slowly turned its waterwheel, grinding the newly harvested wheat into flour.

Several teenagers were playing by the stream, while their mother was pounding clothes on a stone slab, humming a folk tune from her hometown.

Although they are far from their homeland, the traces of their lives seem to have taken root in this land.

In the more distant mountains and forests, the sounds of logging teams' axes and saws echoed through the woods.

When the giant tree fell, it startled a flock of birds, which circled and looked down at the increasingly bustling Xinhua town.

In addition to building this small town, the new Chinese also built Fufeng Fort (now Comox) four kilometers to its east, Zhenlong Fort (now Royston) six kilometers to its southeast, and Luohu Fort (now Cumberland) seven kilometers to its southwest, bringing the total population of Hejiang Township to over 980 (excluding local natives), transforming it from a desolate place into a thriving community.

This valley region, backed by the coastal mountains and facing the Yunqi Strait (also known as the Strait of George), is flat, crisscrossed by rivers, and has fertile soil. After four years of development, it has become an important grain-producing area in the north.

“With such good conditions, Hejiang should receive more immigration quotas.” Township head Wang Changshun stood on a high slope with his hands behind his back, looking at the vibrant fields in the distance, and sighed softly.

“Our current development focus in Xinhua is mainly on the core areas such as Dongping and Guangfeng, as well as the Jinsha River area in the east (now Vancouver and surrounding areas) and Xinhua Bay in the south (now Seattle and surrounding areas). As for our northern areas, I'm afraid they can only be ranked later.” Upon hearing this, Liao Guhuai, the civil affairs official of Hejiang, couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Last year, Xinhua emigrated more than 4,500 people from Daming, bringing the domestic population to more than 25,600.

In terms of allocating new immigrants, the government not only kept more than half of them in the two core counties of Dongping and Guangfeng, but also relocated the majority of the remaining immigrants to the Jinshahe area and Xinhua Bay on the mainland.

The northern settlements, including Fenzhou (present-day Nanaimo), Hejiang, and Xing'an (present-day Campbell River), received only a few hundred people, indicating that they were not highly valued by the government.

Without a large influx of immigrants, development will be extremely slow if it relies solely on its own population growth.

The decision-making committee may have thought that, apart from a few scattered indigenous tribes, there were no powerful forces in the vast area north of Qiming Island that could compete with the new Chinese for control of the area. Setting up a few small outposts and outposts would be enough to bring it under their control without expending too much manpower and resources.

Now, taking advantage of the Spanish's inability to look north, they must quickly seize territory and extend Xinhua's borders southward in the shortest possible time, thereby legally and in fact occupying more territory.

"However, with the development and construction of Tiesha Island, I think this may be a rare development opportunity for our Hejiang Township." Liao Guhuai changed the subject, his eyes revealing endless hope. "The building materials needed for the construction of this mine, the daily consumption of a large number of miners, the transportation of ships coming and going, and the fur trade between the north and south can all greatly promote the industrial and agricultural development of our Hejiang."

“If we improve people’s livelihood and the economy, it will naturally attract the attention of the committee, and they might increase our immigration quota accordingly. Furthermore, as Xinhua’s maritime transport capacity increases year by year, the number of immigrants will also increase significantly. At that time, the population quota that our Hejiang region can obtain will certainly not be too small.”

"Well, maybe in three to five years, the total population of our Hejiang Township will exceed three thousand, and then it will be upgraded to a county, becoming the fourth county in Xinhua. ...Hehe, at that time, we'll have to call you County Chief Wang!"

"Hehe, Xiao Liao, you're more forward-thinking and optimistic than I was," Wang Changshun raised an eyebrow, waved his hand smugly, and said, "The development and construction of the Iron Sand Island mine has indeed provided Hejiang with an excellent opportunity for development, one that we cannot miss. But we still need to take it one step at a time, work hard to solidify our foundation, and only by building a strong base can we seize this opportunity to rise up and achieve something."

"Mayor Wang is right," Liao Guhuai echoed. "Now we not only need to solidify agricultural production, but also establish and support a number of handicraft industries according to local conditions, so as to build our Hejiang Township into an important industrial and commercial base in the north, providing a solid and powerful material guarantee for Xinhua's continued northward expansion."

“Yes, that makes sense.” Wang Changshun nodded and said, “This time, when Xinhua was conquering the northern natives, we dispatched several armed merchant ships and mobilized more than 300 army and navy officers and soldiers. Among the supplies needed, apart from the military equipment, ammunition and clothing which were allocated from Dongping County, most of the grain, canned food, wood and other supplies were requisitioned from Fenzhou (Nanaimo City), Guangxin (now Parksville City) and our Hejiang, and then transported together to Beitun for the army to use.”

"It is understood that this military operation is not only large-scale but also long-lasting, likely dragging on until October, thus wiping out those northern tribes that refuse to submit to the king's rule. This will also greatly boost the local economic development. To ensure the smooth logistics of the army, we must mobilize all our forces and cooperate fully, allowing no shirking or negligence." "Yes, I understand," Liao Guhuai nodded in response. "After I go down there, I will supervise the entire process, constantly monitoring and urging all departments and villages to do their utmost to ensure the smooth operation of this military operation."

"I reckon that in the fall and winter, the military might have to conscript armed militia to the north to intimidate the local indigenous tribes and to consolidate and strengthen the security and normal operation of the newly built forts and trading posts there."

"Is it really that bad?" Liao Guhuai looked surprised upon hearing this. "To conscript armed militiamen to go north in the fall and winter? Not to mention the treacherous sea conditions and rough seas at that time, the temperature will also drop sharply, which would be unfavorable for travel!"

"After eliminating those natives who are good at starting wars, we can't just withdraw our troops and return south, can we?" Wang Changshun said. "Without the deterrent force of Xinhua, it is hard to guarantee that new unruly people will rise up again and continue to raid our fur trade routes, or even threaten our northern settlements."

“Those remote and uncivilized areas will eventually need to be asserted. Therefore, the government will certainly take advantage of this large-scale military sweep to expand fortresses or trading posts in some key coastal areas or crucial islands, and replenish the corresponding settlement personnel to ensure the existence of our Xinhua rule.”
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"This is a good outpost!"

On July 15, at 4 p.m., Hou Wangchuan, the commander of the Northern Expeditionary Force and a lieutenant of the 3rd Reserve Company of the Marine Corps, stepped off the ship and onto Pingyang Island (now Cairn Island, a small island in western Canada). He praised the trading post that had been established for the fur trade.

The coastal mainland and a small island to the west perfectly shelter this place, protecting it from the ravages of the sea and the fierce waves. Furthermore, the massive coastal mountain range to the north keeps out the harsh cold weather from the north, making the winters mild with temperatures dropping to just a few degrees below zero.

According to the person in charge of the trading post, the water level on the north and west sides of the island is deep enough to accommodate large ships of over a thousand tons.

Even more encouraging is that the waters surrounding the island do not freeze even in winter, and there is no floating ice for hundreds of kilometers around, allowing for unimpeded navigation all year round.

These fur dealers really know how to pick a location!
After the war with the Spanish ended, Xinhua not only continued to expand its sphere of influence to the south and east, but also established a state-owned fur holding company, the Northern Trading Company. It allocated 5,000 Xinhua silver dollars as capital and injected a 300-ton transport ship into it, thus beginning its northward expansion of the fur business.

In less than two years, the Northern Trading Company acquired a total of about 16,000 pelts of various colors from many indigenous tribes in the north, making a profit of more than 100,000 silver dollars, with a return rate of more than 200%.

During these two years, the Northern Trading Company also established three trading posts in Bosing (now Bella Bella, western Canada), Pingyang (now Prince Rupert), and Lijin (now Ketchikan, Alexander Islands, Alaska), almost extending their reach to the Alaskan region.

In other words, the colonization and development of Xinhua Bay and Jinchuan River areas were mainly driven by the Xinhua government, while the colonization of the vast northern region was handed over to the Northern Trading Company. Using the fur trade as a channel and economic control as a means, the company continuously infiltrated the region and exerted influence on the indigenous tribes.

Of course, the fur trade was not always conducted in a completely peaceful and friendly environment. Just like the fur traders in Britain and France on the east coast of North America, there were deceptions, disputes, and even bloody armed conflicts during the transactions.

Sure enough, a fierce battle broke out last year when the Northern Trading Company went to the Qing'ai Islands to trade with the local Haida people.

Perhaps dissatisfied with the low prices offered by the newcomers, or perhaps believing that even a powerful force can't suppress a local bully, or perhaps simply wanting to get something for free, last September, the Haida people robbed several newcomers who had just landed.

If it weren't for the fact that the Xinhua people realized something was wrong and escaped quickly, they might have lost their boat and all.

The Chinese immigrants, having suffered a loss, were not about to let it go. They summoned one of their newly purchased armed merchant ships and bombarded the coastal tribal camps of the Haida people with cannons, and rammed their dugout canoes with their own ships, letting them experience the strength of the Chinese immigrants' fists.

Northern Trading Company did not take the conflict seriously, regarding it as nothing more than a minor inconvenience during business development.

Beating up the Haida people would not only teach them a lesson for their stubbornness, but also greatly deter the surrounding indigenous tribes, preventing them from daring to challenge the authority of the new Chinese.

The north is vast, with extremely rich fur resources, and there are no other competitors here, so the new Chinese don't need to consider the feelings of individual indigenous people.

Could it be that they might retaliate?

Oh wow, the Haida people really are retaliating against the Xinhua people.

After more than half a year of preparation, they gathered nearly two hundred people, traveled in more than ten large dugout canoes, and crossed hundreds of kilometers to launch a fierce attack on Beitunbao.

Although they failed to break through Beitunbao due to outdated weaponry, this action was a resounding slap in the face to the Xinhua people.

Haida people are not pushovers!
When the report of the attack on Beitunbao was delivered to the decision-making committee, a swift response was immediately taken.

More than 160 officers and soldiers, including two platoons of the 1st Marine Company stationed at Daningbao (now Viulroyal Town) and the 3rd Reserve Company stationed at Pingshanbao (now North Vancouver), were transferred and transported by two armed merchant ships, passing through Fenzhou and Hejiang, to Beitunbao.

After a few days of rest, they marched in a mighty force to the Qing'ai Islands, launching a decisive military attack on the Haida people there.

Xinhua's army did not immediately launch an attack on the Haida people. Instead, it temporarily occupied the trading post built by the Northern Trading Company on Pingyang Island to make final preparations for the upcoming military operation.

According to intelligence from the Northern Trading Company, the Haida people were mainly distributed in the Qing'ai Islands, North Ridge Island (now Prince of Wales Island in the United States), and the southern region of Linzhou, and their culture had great ties with the Tlingit.

Their tribal members were assigned to branches based on their birthplace, and were divided into several local clans based on the matrilineal system.

These clans claimed absolute ownership of the land, possessing several separate villages, each of which consisted of one or more families.

A clan has a tribal leader, and each family has a patriarch.

Clans were economically and politically independent, and each clan leader had supreme power, capable of declaring war, negotiating peace, and holding various sacrificial ceremonies on their own.

They have the capability to build large ocean-going canoes, some of which can accommodate sixty paddlers, with each paddle made from a whole western redwood.

What is particularly frightening is that the Haida are extremely aggressive and have learned naval warfare through frequent battles. They have mounted a simple catapult on their ships, allowing them to attack enemy vessels from a distance.

It is said that when they conquered the surrounding indigenous tribes, they would use a large number of prisoners of war as slaves, and the entire social structure showed a trend of transformation from a clan society to a slave society.

Given time, these Haida people might grow too powerful and pose a potential threat to Xinhua.

Well, even if they are not enough to shake Xinhua's rule, they are still an obstacle to the growing fur trade and must be suppressed and divided.
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(End of this chapter)