Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 377 The Dutchman in the Wild (Part 1)

On August 2, 1638, the sea breeze of the Pacific Ocean, carrying a salty smell, blew across the rugged reefs of Cedrus Island.

Two Dutch armed merchant ships—the Seawolf and the Flyer—anchored in the shallow bay, their hulls swaying slightly with the waves.

On one side of them was a medium-sized three-masted sailing ship with its mast broken, sails ripped off, and obvious gunfire marks on both sides of the hull.

At the first mate's command, the Dutch sailors began loading the cargo onto the large ship one by one, the wooden crates rubbing against the ropes making a harsh sound.

Captain Dirk van Hollen of the Seawolf stood on the sterncastle, his rough fingers tracing the gold-inlaid rapier—a trophy from a minor Spanish nobleman.

He was in his early forties, with a horizontal scar across his left eye, a result of fighting the Spanish in the Caribbean eight years ago.

The sunlight shone on his messy, greasy blond hair, reflecting a dull sheen.

"Captain, shall we execute them here?" First Mate Hendrick de Vries turned to look at the twenty-odd Asian sailors kneeling slumped on the deck, spat hard, spittle flying onto the deck, "These damned Orientals, they're resisting even more fiercely than the Spanish!"

Dirk also looked back and saw the sailors bound and kneeling on the deck, their hair disheveled and their faces covered in blood and bruises.

Several of the more seriously injured men lay sprawled on the ground, motionless. It was unclear whether they were dead or unconscious. The dark red bloodstains stood out starkly against the light brown deck.

"How are our wounded?" Dirk asked softly, a hint of regret in his voice.

“Apart from three seriously injured individuals who probably won’t last much longer, the others are relatively stable and should recover in another ten days to two weeks.” Hendrick touched his bandaged right arm. “Oh God, that damned Easterner almost chopped my arm off with his scimitar!”

“Hendrick, do you think we should convert some of them into our sailors?” Dirk suddenly asked.

“Captain…” Hendrick looked at him in astonishment, “According to maritime tradition, any merchant sailors who put up fierce resistance should be killed in retaliation for their radical actions. They killed our men and must be punished accordingly. Besides, they are a group of Easterners, not Christians…”

“Uh, let me think about it some more…” Dirk frowned, gazing at the sea in deep thought.

More than two months ago, the Seawolf and the Flyer crossed the treacherous Strait of Magellan and arrived at the Pacific coast of Spanish America.

They marched north from Chile, attacking several Spanish port towns, killing Spanish colonial officials, looting property, and burning towns, putting the Spanish colonial authorities on high alert.

When they reached the port of Callao, they attempted to plunder the Spanish treasure ships anchored there.

To their disappointment, the treasure ship had already left and sailed to Panama.

After firing a few demonstrative shots at Callao, the Dutch quickly withdrew and continued north, hoping to intercept the Spanish treasure ship in Panama.

However, when they excitedly arrived at their destination, they were met with a devastating blow and almost all perished in Panama.

The Spanish treasure ship was indeed still anchored in the harbor, but the fierce fire from the coastal fortifications made it impossible for the Dutch to break in. They were riddled with bullets and fled in a very sorry state.

They never imagined that such a small city as Panama City would be equipped with so many artillery pieces, including some powerful 24-pound cannons.

Previously, whether it was their English counterparts or their Dutch predecessors, when they ventured into the Pacific waters of Spanish America, they were like wolves among sheep, never encountering any strong counterattack.

The coastal port towns of Spain were almost entirely undefended, making them prime targets for pirates.

Apart from a few important ports such as Callao and Acapulco, which had built some platforms that might make them somewhat troublesome for pirates, the other coastal towns were like naked girls, left to their own devices.

Panama City, though an important hub for the transport of Spanish gold and silver, was never known to be a heavily fortified military stronghold.

Several years ago, there was a rumor that two English pirate ships had successfully stormed and occupied this port, plundered it for several days, made a fortune, and finally returned to Europe safely.

Why did they encounter the fiercest counterattack from the Spanish when it was their turn to raid Panama?

When did they turn this port into a military fortress?

After their disappointing defeat in Panama, the Dutch were unwilling to give up and prepared to continue north to see if they could find some supplies and acquire some gold and silver in other Spanish port towns.

Having come all this way, we can't leave empty-handed!
In fact, within the pirate community, the Pacific Ocean is not considered a good area for raiding.

This is because the important economic activities of the Spanish and even other European countries are generally located in the Atlantic Ocean and the rich Caribbean Sea.

There were countless merchant ships from various countries laden with goods, and many Spanish treasure ships loaded with gold and silver jewels. Just a few laps around the sea would yield a good harvest.

If one is lucky enough to hijack one or two treasure ships, it can definitely bring one's pirate career to its peak, achieve the greatest fulfillment in life, and even retire from piracy to live a luxurious and decadent aristocratic life.

The Pacific Ocean, however, seemed rather "empty," with little to offer in terms of resources. Apart from treasure ships loading gold and silver from the port of Callao, there were no other valuable targets.

It's important to understand that not every pirate has Drake's incredible luck.

Therefore, pirates generally did not venture into the Pacific Ocean to hunt for food. Of course, another important reason is that, unlike the numerous islands and complex coastlines of the Caribbean, the Pacific coastline of Spanish America is relatively straight, lacking natural harbors and islands that would allow pirates to hide their ships and establish bases.

Without safe hiding places or necessary supply ports, it would be difficult for pirates to operate here for an extended period without being detected.

In the Caribbean, some port cities and local residents provided pirates with supplies, intelligence, or shelter for various reasons, such as dissatisfaction with Spanish rule or economic interests.

However, the Pacific Ocean does not have such a deep "popular support".

However, the Seawolf and the Flyer still took great risks and came to the Pacific region.

Because they discovered a wealth secret unknown to most people.

On the distant northwestern coast of America, a powerful new local force has emerged.

It is said that this force thwarted a campaign organized by the Spanish Mexican colonial authorities a few years ago and forced them to recognize their status and allow them to establish a foothold on the northwest coast.

This emerging power not only imported a large number of precious oriental goods from the wealthy Ming Dynasty, but also possessed countless high-quality fur resources, which were continuously transported to the European continent through Spain.

Upon hearing this, the Dutch became immediately interested and turned their attention to the Pacific side.

In order to strike at the Kingdom of Spain, the Dutch not only fought back against the Spanish army's invasion on their home soil, but also used their growing naval power to attack Spain's overseas colonies.

From the Caribbean to the Spanish Americas, from the Philippines to Formosa, Spain relentlessly strangled and weakened its colonial power around the world, hoping to keep it constantly bleeding.

This emerging power from the northwest coast of North America was actually exporting large quantities of oriental goods and high-quality furs to Spanish America, which then flowed into the European continent. Wasn't this indirectly giving the Spanish a lifeline?
Although the Dutch do not have specific data on the resale of furs by the Spanish, market feedback suggests that the number of furs sold annually should be no less than five thousand, generating profits of hundreds of thousands of pesos.

This made many Dutch businessmen, especially the Dutch West India Company, extremely jealous.

In their early years, the Dutch engaged in the fur trade, initially reselling furs to the Russians. They made a fortune by leveraging the Baltic trade network the Russians had built.

However, as the French brought cheaper furs from North America, Dutch fur traders became less competitive and were forced to turn to North America as well.

In 1609, Henry Hudson, an English adventurer employed by the Dutch East India Company, discovered the rich fur resources of the Hudson River basin while exploring North America, thus marking the beginning of the Dutch fur trade.

Dutch merchants initially traded furs as independent companies, such as the Van der Wernhorn company, which organized a fleet to trade on the Hudson River in 1611.

Due to intense competition, violent conflicts often occur between businessmen, making them a laughing stock for their competitors.

In order to regulate trade and enhance competitiveness, the Dutch government established the New Netherland Company in 1614, granting it a five-year trade monopoly in the Hudson River basin.

The company established trading posts in Manhattan and Orange (now Albany) to trade furs with local Native American tribes.

In 1621, the Dutch government established the West India Company, replacing the New Netherland Company and granting it a monopoly on colonization, military, and trade.

The company formally established the New Netherland colony with the fur trade at its core.

Although the Dutch West India Company's fur trade was not as large as that of the French, it was far more successful than that of the English, who were only good at enclosure and farming.

In 1624, the Dutch West India Company brought back 5246 beaver pelts and 1850 sea otter pelts, worth 2.8 guilders.

By 1635, the trade volume had increased to 1.5 beaver pelts and 3500 sea otter pelts, worth over 16 guilders.

But those foolish and lazy Spaniards did nothing but resell thousands of high-quality North American furs, making a fortune in gold and silver.

This must have been incredibly frustrating for the Dutch, who had worked tirelessly in the fur trade for decades. How could they not be consumed by envy?

Not to mention, the Spanish also resold large quantities of precious goods from the East, such as porcelain, silk, raw silk, and lacquerware, which flooded into the European continent in waves, making the entrepot trade flourish. This caught the Dutch, who thought they had a monopoly on the Eastern shipping routes, off guard.

The West India Company then decided to send people to investigate the situation in the Pacific Ocean off Spanish America and whether the rising new power was colluding with the Spanish and providing them with continuous financial support.

As luck would have it, the two privateers, shortly after leaving Panama, encountered two medium-sized three-masted sailing ships in the waters near Palita Bay, with a red flag flying on their masts that was different from that of the Kingdom of Spain.

Without hesitation, the Dutch pounced on the two merchant ships, ready to capture them.

After a tense chase and fight, the Dutch successfully caught up with a merchant ship and subjected it to sustained fire, eventually breaking its mast.

However, during the boarding maneuver, the Dutch encountered fierce resistance and only managed to gain control of the merchant ship after suffering more than ten casualties.

Unfortunately, the other merchant ship seized the opportunity to escape, heading north and disappearing into the vast ocean.

After a brief interrogation, although the Dutch did not fully understand the prisoners' confessions, they immediately guessed their identities based on their distinctive Eastern faces and the fact that their ships appeared on the Pacific side of Spanish America.

New Chinese! —
(End of this chapter)