Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 608 Prepare for a rainy day
August 2, 1644, Hokyo, Rinkai (present-day Kushiro City, Hokkaido).

The climate in Linhai is cool and pleasant for most of the year—except for the heavy snow in winter, of course—but the frequent fog from June to August causes a lot of trouble for ships.

In the early morning, the salty sea breeze carries the unique fishy smell of the fishing port, which mixes with the fragrance of pine wood wafting from the distant lumber mill and the smoke from burning coal, creating the unique atmosphere of this emerging town.

Although the capital of the Hokyo Colony was located in Eitai Castle (present-day Sapporo), the coastal city of Rinkai, with its more than 13,000 permanent residents, was still the undisputed largest city in the entire colony due to its developed industry and important geographical location.

It was the first settlement established by Xinhua on Beiying Island, the most important hub on the trans-Pacific shipping route to the mainland of Xinzhou, and a symbol of vitality and hope on this land.

On a slightly elevated slope beside the dock, two figures stood side by side, overlooking the city they had helped create.

Qi Yongze, the commissioner of the Beiying Colonization Area, and his old partner Wei Zhonglong, who is about to step down and return to the mainland, are saying their final goodbyes to each other after fifteen years of hard work.

Fifteen years have transformed two once spirited young men into composed and resolute middle-aged men.

Wei Zhonglong's gaze swept over the rows of houses, the bustling port, and the smoke billowing from the factory chimneys in the distance. His tone was full of emotion: "Old Qi, do you remember when we first came ashore? Fifteen years ago (1629), this place was just beaches, forests, and a few small Ainu villages. There were dozens of us living in drafty wooden huts. We were freezing in the winter and covered in mosquito bites in the summer."

A look of reminiscence appeared on Qi Yongze's face as he pointed to a neat cluster of buildings on the west side of the port: "How could I not remember? Look at that immigrant reception center over there. It was an expansion of the small wooden house next to our first stop. Who would have thought that it would become the largest immigrant transit station on the entire Beiying Island, with tens of thousands of people embarking on their journey to Xinzhou every year?"

Indeed, Linhai today is no longer the rudimentary settlement it once was.

As the most crucial link in Xinhua's trans-Pacific immigration chain, it has developed a large and efficient immigration support system.

The temporary immigrant reception center, located on the west side of the port, is a large-scale facility consisting of more than a hundred long, two-story wooden and stone barracks with gray tiles and white walls, arranged in neat rows.

The barracks have spacious passageways, facilitating the movement of personnel and the transport of supplies.

Inside the walled area are a dormitory area that can accommodate 18,000 people, several public canteens that can serve 1,000 people at the same time, a clinic with more than 100 beds, and a dedicated quarantine area.

Every morning, the immigrants, guided by staff, would proceed in an orderly fashion to the distribution point to collect their daily rations.

Adjacent to it was a huge material storage center, with dozens of warehouses arranged neatly like giant building blocks. They were filled with goods such as grain, cloth, medicine, and porcelain purchased from the Ming Dynasty, Japan, and Korea, as well as locally produced gold, dried fish, timber, and furs, which were either ready to be loaded onto ships for shipment to the Xinzhou mainland or distributed to various settlements in the colony.

The quarantine center, located downwind of the port, is heavily guarded, and all arriving immigrants and crew members must undergo rigorous health checks there.

The newly built isolation area is divided into several independent courtyards by stone walls. Anyone found to have symptoms of suspected infectious diseases, such as fever or rash, must undergo isolation and observation here for at least 21 days.

This strict epidemic prevention system is a valuable experience gained from countless painful lessons learned from epidemics.

The city's silhouette stretches along the winding coastline.

Most striking are the densely packed fishing boats near the port and the more than 30 fish processing plants along the coast.

Cod, saury, and squid caught from nearby fishing grounds are transported to the factory by boat. Workers are busy processing the various catches, and the air is filled with a strong smell of sea salt and fish. The production lines for curing dried fish and canning fish run day and night.

This area supplies more than 60% of the processed fish products from the entire aquaculture zone, making it a veritable "fishing capital".

Extending inland, there are timber processing plants and sawmills, where the harsh sound of sawing is constant, and huge logs are processed into various building materials or papermaking raw materials.

Further afield, small coking plants and building material factories were built, relying on nearby coal mines, to provide fuel and materials for town construction and some factories.

Several fur processing plants processed mink, fox, and beaver pelts transported from Heishui, Sakhalin Island, and Haidong region. These precious furs, after preliminary tanning, were also important export commodities of the colonization area.

Although most of these industries are primary processing industries, which are cumbersome and inefficient, they constitute a solid economic foundation for Linhai, making it not only a transit point for immigrants but also an important industrial engine for the Beiying colonization area.

"Let's go to the dock and take a look. The fleet should be almost ready." Qi Yongze patted his old partner on the shoulder, and the two walked side by side toward the dock.

Inside the port, masts stood like a forest, and sails blocked out the sun.

Sixteen immigrant ships, about to set sail, appeared and disappeared in the morning mist, their imposing presence striking.

This is the last batch of immigrant ships to return to New South Wales this year, consisting of four "immigrant express ships" and twelve dedicated immigrant ships.

The so-called "immigrant clipper ship" is actually a clipper sailboat.

They have elegant and pointed prows, long and narrow hulls and huge sails, with a displacement of between eight and nine hundred tons.

These ships, aside from their speed advantage, offer virtually no passenger comfort.

This was because its hull was narrow, its cabins were low and damp, and it was extremely violently rocked in the wind and waves, earning it the nickname "sea roller" among sailors and immigrants.

Crossing the Pacific Ocean in these ships was an absolute test of willpower and physical strength, but their advantage lay in their speed, enabling the rapid delivery of important messages and personnel. The other twelve dedicated immigration ships, on the other hand, appeared bulky and sturdy, with a displacement generally between 1,200 and 1,300 tons.

The design of these ships did not completely break away from the technological framework of the 17th and 18th centuries, but it incorporated some later ideas and made improvements.

They typically have three decks, each divided into countless narrow cabins filled with densely packed double or triple bunk beds just big enough to accommodate one person.

During the months-long voyage, the immigrants spent most of their time huddled on their own narrow beds, unable to sit up, with extremely limited space to move around.

To stand, move around, or breathe fresh air, sailors had to strictly follow a schedule set by the sailors and proceed in batches through narrow passageways to designated areas on the upper deck for "breathing out."

Despite the still harsh conditions, these "floating fortresses" offer at least a relatively stable environment and greater carrying capacity compared to the turbulent clipper ships.

These massive, dedicated immigration ships could each hold seven to eight hundred people.

The two walked to the gangway of the leading large immigrant ship, "Xin Yun-3," and watched as the immigrants, carrying simple belongings, boarded the ship in an orderly manner under the guidance of the crew.

These immigrants from the Ming Dynasty had a mixture of longing for their homeland, uncertainty about the future, and a hint of anticipation for a new life on their faces.

“I’m leaving too…” Wei Zhonglong sighed deeply, his eyes filled with reluctance. “Fifteen years, I’ve left the best years of my life here, watching it transform from a barren wasteland into what it is today. Now that I’m really leaving, I feel a little… empty.”

Qi Yongze nodded understandingly: "Yes, it was a tough journey, and starting a business was difficult. Almost twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and we're all getting old. It's time to go back and take a look. The changes in Xinzhou in recent years have been even greater. I heard that they've even built steamships."

When steamships were mentioned, Wei Zhonglong became interested: "Steamships? Hmm, I did see them in a briefing. It said that the special shipyard had built a few, small boats of six or seven hundred tons, mainly for coastal transport. I just don't know how effective they are."

"According to feedback, it's not bad," Qi Yongze said. "At least, it's no longer restricted by wind direction and water flow, which is much more convenient than sailing ships. However, the existing steam engine power is still too small. It's estimated that it's still not enough for ocean voyages, especially for driving immigrant ships of thousands of tons."

"I reckon it will be another two or three years before more powerful steam engines can be put into practical use. As for building the steel behemoths we imagine, weighing thousands or even tens of thousands of tons, I'm afraid... we'll need an even stronger industrial base."

"Just an iron ship!" Wei Zhonglong said dismissively. "As long as the steam power is sufficient and the steel hull technology is mature, it shouldn't be long before we can build a 'Wavebreaker'. Hmm, we should be able to see it in our lifetime."

"Ha, think back to when we first came into this world, we had nothing. It's a miracle that we were able to build the foundation we have today by relying on a little bit of foresight."

“Yes, we… have changed some things, haven’t we?” Qi Yongze looked into the distance, his tone somewhat complicated. “At least, this dilapidated house of Daming, although still drafty and on the verge of collapse, hasn’t completely crumbled yet.”

Wei Zhonglong smiled and shook his head: "We can only say that we slowed its slide into the abyss, but we failed to completely reverse its fate of destruction. Beset by internal and external troubles, natural disasters and man-made calamities, as well as Emperor Chongzhen's various blunders, the fact that the Ming Dynasty has survived until now is already a miracle."

"Most importantly, we managed to suppress the Jurchens in Liaodong. Although the Battle of Songjin was fierce and the Ming army suffered heavy losses, the core defense line was not breached and the strength was not destroyed. Ningyuan, Jinzhou, and Shanhaiguan are still in the hands of the Ming army."

"Although Hong Chengchou was dismissed, Sun Chuanting, Ding Qirui and others were still struggling to hold on. The Qing army would most likely not be able to easily seize the Central Plains after Li Zicheng captured Beijing, as was the case in the original history."

"They are firmly tied down in Liaodong by us, by Liaonan Town and Dongjiang Town, by Kong Youde's troops from the direction of Korea, and by our strongholds on the Heishui River and the Ussuri River. More importantly, their external supply channels have been cut off by us, and they are exhausted internally due to years of war. Dorgon's life may not be much better than Chongzhen's."

"So, the next part of the drama will mainly be the infighting within the Ming Dynasty," Qi Yongze concluded. "Watch how heroes like Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, along with Emperor Chongzhen, local government troops, and even themselves, engage in a love-hate relationship."

"The Ming Dynasty is like a giant jar of poison, and it is still unknown what kind of monster it will eventually breed. Will it be a second Zhu Yuanzhang, or another Shi Hu or Huang Chao? All we can do is take advantage of this chaotic window of opportunity to absorb as many people as possible and strengthen ourselves."

Just then, a melodious bell rang out from the dock, signaling that the fleet was about to set sail.

"The war between the mainland and the Spanish has been going on for more than two years, hasn't it?" Qi Yongze glanced at the immigrant ships leaving the port one after another and suddenly mentioned the war that was taking place on the mainland of New Zealand.

“Yes, it’s been more than two years.” Wei Zhonglong nodded. “According to the latest battle reports, we have gained an absolute advantage along the Pacific coast. The Spanish have almost no chance to fight back. We have even captured Panama and the port of Bello, and cut off half of the silver transport. The Spanish should have been hurt badly.”

“It’s time to end this,” Qi Yongze pondered. “The war has dragged on for too long, and it’s a burden on us. If we completely destroy Spanish America and cause the Spanish colonial system to collapse, we simply don’t have the strength to handle such a huge mess.”

"Furthermore, if the entire Spanish America were to descend into anarchic chaos, it would be a problem for us. Our small size is not enough to swallow such a large 'fruit'."

“I estimate that the decision-makers on the mainland probably think the same way,” Wei Zhonglong agreed. “If the Spanish sue for peace, our best option is to accept our gains and withdraw. Once we obtain the trade privileges we want and seize some key territories, we can consider a ceasefire.”

"Next, we must shift our main focus to the situation in the Ming Dynasty. The variables in Liaodong are under control, but the variables within the Great Wall are unpredictable. Who knows how the situation on the mainland will ultimately evolve if the Qing invaders fail to enter the Great Wall smoothly? We must concentrate our efforts, monitor closely, and respond promptly to prevent changes in the situation from affecting our future mainland strategy and immigration program."

"Yongze, Beiying, and the mainland, I'm entrusting them to you!" Wei Zhonglong gripped Qi Yongze's hand tightly.

"Don't worry, Lao Wei! Have a safe trip! When you get back to your homeland, give my regards to all the old buddies!" Qi Yongze shook hands tightly in return.

Wei Zhonglong took one last look at the land he had fought for for fifteen years, at the bustling coastal port, at the towering immigration reception center and the huge warehouse complex, then nodded, turned and stepped onto the gangway of the "Xin Yun-3".

The huge sails slowly rose, and the anchor chains were retracted with a clatter.

Guided by tugboats and propelled by the sea breeze, the massive immigrant ship slowly began to leave the dock, heading towards the vast Pacific Ocean and towards the New Zealand mainland.
-
(End of this chapter)