Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 416 Suez Canal

"Pirates, there are pirates, come and see...it's pirates." Someone on the side of the ship shouted in surprise.

Li Jingxi, who was feeling bored in the cabin, heard the shout and immediately jumped up. He rushed out of the cabin in a hurry and looked outside eagerly.

Sure enough, there were several small wooden boats on the sea not far away. On each boat were several to a dozen ragged men, holding knives and guns in their hands and shouting.

If it weren't for the swords, spears, and a few old-fashioned guns in their hands, people would believe that they were a group of beggars stranded on the sea. Are these the Malacca pirates?

Judging from his appearance, he is in a very miserable situation.

soon
The side of the ship was filled with Chinese immigrants who were watching the spectacle. They were pointing and talking loudly at the Malacca pirates not far away, and some even blew loud whistles to tease them.

"Hey, you thieves, come and rob your grandfather if you dare. I have plenty of money."

"Don't be ridiculous. A ship this high can't fly up even if it has wings."

"Hey everyone, you all think piracy is exciting, but look at these poor bastards, their clothes are patched up with patches on top of each other, with only half their butts showing. How long has it been since they had a full meal?"

"Don't be so nervous, brother. We were like this before. It was only when we went to Southeast Asia that we were able to live a good life thanks to the blessing of His Majesty the King of Chu."

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty is benevolent and virtuous throughout the world. We are living a wonderful life."

The people on the side of the ship were chattering away, without a trace of fear, their words full of joy.

The "Qinhuai River" immigration ship is a 10-ton ship with a side more than meters high. It is like a moving mountain, giving people a strong sense of security.

The pirate ships were just some small single-masted wooden boats. The size difference between the two was too great and they posed no threat to the immigrant ship at all. The pirates could only shout a few times in helplessness and anger.

Li Jingxi stood at the side of the boat and watched and laughed. Behind him, a large group of strong men had surrounded him at some point. They were the elite servants of the Li Mansion.

Many of them have military experience.

After all, they were traveling thousands of miles to West Africa for training, not to send the young lord to his death. The security measures were very thorough, and there were many people accompanying him.

these years
Many Chinese adventurers who were bold enough to colonize overseas became rich. Similar reports were numerous in domestic newspapers, triggering rounds of foreign colonization impulses.

Most of the Chinese immigrants on these ships were recruited by the Congo River Company and had three characteristics.

The first characteristic is that they are all Chinese who have immigrated to Chu State for many years. They have all repaid their initial bank loans and are completely free.

The second characteristic is that they are not doing well. Some of them work part-time in factories, some work as maids, and some rent rickshaws to work on the streets. Most of them are middle and low-class Chinese people.

The third characteristic is that they all hope to realize their dream of turning their life around by immigrating overseas, owning a large piece of land of their own, and becoming a comfortable small landlord, that is, to realize the dream of "getting something for nothing".

Especially the third point, which can be said to be a fantasy.

However, the Congo River Company did promise during its recruitment that any Chinese immigrant who went to the Congo River Basin in West Africa (Note: only adult Chinese males) would receive 5 acres of mountain land and strong black slaves.

Those who make contributions will receive generous rewards.

Chinese immigrants could earn generous rewards by serving the Congo River Company, such as participating in armed expeditions, serving as police, supervisors, foremen, cooks, messengers or other positions.

The starting salary was 50 acres of forest or 4 black slaves per year. Depending on the position held, the highest salary for an armed expedition member could reach 200 acres of forest or 16 black slaves per year, which was so generous that it made people salivate.

If you don't have money to buy a ticket, you can take out a loan. The maximum credit limit per person is 300 silver dollars, which can be used to buy tickets and other necessary expenses, and can also be exchanged for items.

Simple calculation

If you work in West Africa for a few years, wouldn't you be a landlord?

Moreover, the price of black slaves there is cheap, even Chinese men pulling rickshaws would be tempted.

He suffered a great loss because of his ignorance of culture and he had no skills. The competition in the native land of Chu was too fierce, so he could only be reduced to pulling rickshaws. His hope of living a good life was extremely slim.

But at least I have the strength, at least I am familiar with wielding the whip, so I can be a supervisor.

As long as you work for a few years, you will no longer be a small landlord, but at least a medium-sized manor owner!

Under the temptation of various wonderful benefits, there are quite a few Chinese people willing to immigrate to West Africa.

Most of the passengers on the Qinhuaihe immigration ship were recruited with unbelievably generous treatment. It was easy to go, but it would be a long time to come back.

A sixth-class ticket cost only 79 silver dollars, which sailed west from Pontianak through the Strait of Malacca, across the Indian Ocean to Chennai.

After a short rest at Chennai Port, it set out again, crossed the western Indian Ocean into the Arabian Sea, and entered the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, traveling more than 1900 kilometers to reach the Suez Canal.

After passing through the Suez Canal, the ship sailed westward along the Mediterranean Sea, skirting the vast Algerian plains before entering the Atlantic Ocean and continuing south to Cabinda, the mouth of the Congo River. This long journey, spanning over 1.4 kilometers, took over 40 days one way, and a sixth-class ticket cost only 79 silver dollars, practically free.

If you go by cost, it would cost at least 120 silver dollars.

This is because the Chu State's Colonial Ministry subsidized the Congo River Company. This subsidy was not in the form of money, but rather tacit permission for the shipping company to smuggle some valuable items on the return journey.

Opium is definitely not allowed, it is absolutely prohibited.

However, Arab female white slaves, Armenian women under the control of the Ottoman Empire, Balkan women and Caucasian women could all be sold at a good price in the Chu State.

There are also famous Arabian horses, Damascus scimitars, Persian carpets, French red wine and some other interesting things, which you can take some with you on the return trip.

If customs duties are unavoidable, they must be paid.

Just this part of the popular cargo that has no trouble selling can make shipping companies earn a lot of money, thereby making up for the loss of low-priced tickets and making shipping routes profitable.

If you don’t make money, no matter how much you talk, it’s useless.

Several pirate ships were soon left behind by the speeding "Qinhuai River" immigration ship, which had already sailed from Pontianak Port for many days.

Counting on my fingers, we should have reached the Strait of Malacca.

really
Before long, some sharp-eyed people saw the endless coastline and couldn't help but cheer loudly.

After sailing on the vast ocean for a long time, seeing the endless coastline always makes people feel a deep yearning. That is the longing for land hidden in the bones of ordinary people.

Li Jingxi looked at the reflections of the mountains and rivers along the Strait of Malacca. At this moment, a strong longing for home suddenly surged in his heart, and his expression became silent.

When he followed his father and family to migrate to Southeast Asia, he was only ten years old and still a young boy.

All these years, he went to school and got married and started working as a low-level official in the Colonial Office. He had never left the Marquis's Mansion. This was his first time traveling far away.

In Li Jingxi's heart, the Marquis' Mansion located in Longshouyuan, Manila is his long-cherished home, where his beloved parents, wife, children, aunts, uncles, and nephews, as well as countless members of the Li family, are located. It is his eternal root.

His mood suddenly became depressed and he turned and walked into the cabin.

Uncle Fu beside him could understand the young master's current mood very well. He reached out and grabbed Li Qiang, preventing him from going back to the cabin with him.

In the face of Li Qiang's slightly surprised gaze, Uncle Fu smiled slightly, looked at the young master's departing figure with a vicissitudes of life, and said softly: "The young master misses home, let him stay alone for a while."

Li Qiang suddenly understood, and a smile appeared on his usually serious face.

After 23 days of sailing, the sixth fleet of the Congo River Company arrived at the city of Suez on the coast of the Red Sea on November 1875, 11, and from here entered the Suez Canal, known as "the greatest waterway project in history."

Li Jingxi was obviously much thinner than he was more than 20 days ago, with hard stubble at the corners of his mouth. It was obvious that he had suffered a lot during the long voyage at sea, but his eyes became sharper and deeper.

This long journey of more than 20 days went through two Indian Ocean storms. When the raging ocean tossed the immigrant boat up and down, everyone faced the great fear between life and death.

After going through all kinds of things, I matured quickly.

At this moment, Li Jingxi and his friends, including Lieutenant Tang Yingyuan, were standing on the side of the ship on the 4th deck, looking at the man-made Suez Canal, and they were inevitably shocked.

Both sides of the canal are covered with endless yellow sand desert, and occasionally a few half-dead date palm trees can be seen, which are the only embellishment in the monotonous scenery.

This boring scenery did not dampen the interest of these young people at all, and they could not help but admire it again and again.

"Brother Yingyuan, seeing this magnificent canal carved out of the desert is truly awe-inspiring. From the proposal of this astonishing concept to its realization, the Franks' engineering prowess is undoubtedly unparalleled in the world."

"My dear brother, what you say makes sense. In ancient times, Emperor Yang of Sui excavated the Grand Canal. Today, the Franks have dug deep through the desert Gobi, connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. These are both immortal feats that benefit the present and future generations."

"I never thought that there would be such an outstanding person among the ghost elders."

"Brother Fan, you are truly ignorant. Europe is truly the leader in industry and technology today, unrivaled anywhere in the world. How can you say that?"

"Reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles will truly bring you great benefits. The ancient sages said this with all their heart."

On this straight Suez Canal, the immigrant boat was full of people. When they heard that this was a man-made canal that had just been opened for six years, everyone was amazed.

The 10,000-ton ship was sailing on the calm canal. When it arrived at the lock, the Chinese people on the deck who were watching the Western scene became even more excited, and exclamations could be heard everywhere.

On the third floor of the Suez Canal Authority
James Joy, the new British chairman of the Canal Authority, stood by the window with a glass of champagne in his hand, watching the huge immigrant ships enter the lock one after another. His gray-blue eyes looked much gloomier.

He said, "What the hell! I don't like these Orientals migrating like locusts. They only bring poverty, ignorance, plague, and terrible old Oriental witchcraft."

(End of this chapter)