North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 232 The Furthest Letter!

This giant bowhead whale, weighing tens of tons, possesses power beyond anyone's comprehension.

After it struck the whaling cannon, it actually dragged the bow of the whaling ship, causing it to suddenly sink downwards!
But that's all!
On the whaling ship, which weighs over a thousand tons, several small boats were launched and quickly approached the stabbed whale.

The giant whale, attempting to dive, was dragged back to the surface by the javelin.

On the small boats that approached the giant whale, the whalers mercilessly used their spears to stab at the whale's massive body!

"Ugh...!"

The giant whale floated on the sea, its massive, mountain-like body struggling and howling, trying to escape its fate of being hunted.

The giant whale's pectoral and tail fins constantly create huge waves on the sea surface.

But those whaling crew members braved the giant waves, leaving deep wounds on the whales' bodies.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Duke Joseph even boarded the small boat himself, ignoring the blood and seawater spraying down on him, and relentlessly thrust his javelin at the enormous whale.

For him, this was the most unforgettable hunt of his life!
……

The giant whale, which had been struggling on the surface of the sea for a long time, bled so much that it completely stained a large area of ​​the surrounding sea red.

But its struggle is destined to be in vain!
After more than an hour, its struggles finally began to weaken.

……

After a long time, the giant bowhead whale, covered in wounds, finally bled out and lost all signs of life, becoming a mountain of flesh floating on the sea!
Only then did the whaling crew tie a thick iron chain to the whale's tail.

Then, using the steam crane on the whaling ship, the giant bowhead whale, weighing tens of tons, was lifted onto the deck.

When this giant bowhead whale, 20 meters long and weighing tens of tons, was laid out completely on the deck of the whaling ship, everyone couldn't help but marvel!

This magnificent and miraculous creature makes anyone who stands before it appear as insignificant as an ant!
This is a real mountain of flesh, no exaggeration whatsoever!

Upon examining this miraculous creature, everyone, including Azu, Duke Joseph, Empress Sisi, and Bismarck, was so shocked that they were speechless for a long time.

"Oh my God...!"

Duke Joseph exclaimed in awe, "This is absolutely the most magnificent creature ever created by God himself...!"

"I can't imagine what other creature in this world could be so astonishing...!"

Duke Joseph stroked the smooth skin of the bowhead whale and said with a touch of sadness, "This is the first and last giant whale I have ever caught!"

"Such a miraculous and magnificent creature should be swimming freely in the vast ocean...!"

"Alas, what a pity!" Duke Joseph shook his head regretfully, saying, "After personally hunting such a magnificent creature, hunting any other animal in the future will probably seem too dull and uninteresting..."

Then, the group took their most precious group photos in front of the freshly made giant whale.

……

After thoroughly satisfying Duke Joseph's hunting desires, the two whaling ships began their rapid return voyage.

Two days later, the two whaling ships returned to Sitka port.

This time, both Baron Nicholas and Wu Qingfeng personally came to the dock to greet him.

Baron Nicholas was also deeply surprised when he saw the enormous bowhead whale on the deck of the whaling ship.

“My lord, I never expected that you would actually be able to catch such a huge bowhead whale in this season!”

Baron Nicholas said, "Even in all my years in Sitka Port, this bowhead whale is definitely one of the largest whales I have ever seen!"

"Duke Joseph, Duchess Elizabeth, Earl of the Gold Mountain...you are absolutely the luckiest people!"

"However, why not dissect this giant whale immediately?"

Baron Nicholas asked doubtfully, "If we don't hurry up and dissect this giant whale, its internal organs will rot quickly, and the value of this whale will be greatly reduced."

"Hahaha!" Duke Joseph laughed triumphantly, "Nicholas, this giant whale that I personally hunted is to be left intact for my wife, Nene, and those little bastards, so they can see it with their own eyes!"

Baron Nicholas understood: the Duke wanted to keep the giant whale to show off to others!
Baron Nicholas couldn't help but flatter him, "Your Grace, you'd better hurry! If this whale explodes before we return to San Francisco... that would be a disaster!"

The cold weather in Alaska slows down the decomposition of whale entrails, making it less likely for whales to explode.

But back in a warm place like San Francisco, it's entirely possible that a whale explosion could occur within a few days.

Therefore, the group did not linger for long.

While the whaling ship was resupplying, Azu and Baron Nicholas sat down for a talk.

"Your Excellency, the board of directors of our Russian-American Company has reached a conclusion regarding your request to lease the port."

Upon hearing this, Azu smiled slightly and said, "Oh? What was the result?"

Baron Nicholas smiled and said, "Our Russian-American Company agrees to lease a port to you! But on the condition that you choose an uninhabited, deserted island if possible, to avoid unnecessary trouble!"

Azu thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Okay! I will send people to investigate those uninhabited deserted islands."

"The uninhabited desert island I want to lease must have a natural harbor, plenty of fresh water, and be as close as possible to transoceanic shipping routes... Even if such an island exists, it's not easy to find!"

Azu stared at Baron Nicholas and said, "With your suggestion, Baron, we should probably lease that island?"

"This...!" Baron Nicholas was immediately at a loss upon hearing this: "Your Excellency, given my status, it is indeed inappropriate for me to offer you any advice in private...!"

"Snapped……!"

Azu snapped his fingers.

Wu Qingfeng, who was standing to the side, understood immediately and took out a check from his pocket, handing it to Baron Nicholas with both hands.

Baron Nicholas looked down and saw that the check was for five thousand dollars!
"Cough cough...!" Baron Nicholas choked immediately, coughing until his face turned red before he could barely catch his breath.

"Your Excellency, what...what do you mean by this?"

“It’s nothing!” Azu laughed. “Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a very generous person!”

"I'm never stingy with money for anyone who has helped me!"

"Baron, the same goes for you! If you can provide us with the necessary assistance in leasing the port, I guarantee you will be well rewarded!"

Baron Nicholas looked at the number on the check, wanting to refuse but also feeling a little reluctant.

Five thousand dollars may not seem like much, but it was equivalent to his entire annual income as a minor nobleman in Tsarist Russia!
Azu smiled faintly and said, "Baron, this reward only requires you to provide a tiny, insignificant suggestion on the issue of port location, how about that?"

“This… cough cough!”

Baron Nicholas glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly and discreetly slipped the check into his pocket.

“Your Excellency…!” Baron Nicholas said solemnly, “I personally suggest that Amacnak Island in the Aleutian Islands is a very good choice!”

“Amacnak Island…?” Azu had no recollection of this name.

“Yes!” Baron Nicholas continued, “Amacnak Island is located in the eastern Aleutian Islands. It is not large, only less than ten square kilometers.”

"So small...?" Azu frowned, somewhat dissatisfied with the small size of the area.

"Hehe!" Baron Nicholas chuckled, "Your Excellency, you may not know this, but although Amacnak Island is small, it has a natural ice-free harbor that allows for navigation all year round!"

"Moreover, the island has no shortage of fresh water and is very close to transoceanic shipping routes...!"

"A natural ice-free harbor!"

Upon hearing those words, Azu was immediately captivated!
This is extremely important!

Even the best ports, if they freeze over in winter, will be unable to provide any supplies for at least six months, which will seriously affect one's immigration plans.

If there were a natural ice-free harbor in the North Pacific, that would be absolutely perfect!

Azu was very interested and turned to Wu Qingfeng, saying, "Qingfeng, take some people and personally investigate this Amacnak Island."

"If it's suitable, rent it as soon as possible."

"As for the price, you can negotiate it directly with the Baron!"

Wu Qingfeng quickly nodded: "Yes, Your Excellency!"

Azu continued, "Once you have finalized and signed the agreement, I will send people to build a supply port on Amacnak Island as soon as possible to provide necessary supplies for merchant ships and immigrant ships."

……

After the matter was settled, Azu asked Baron Nicholas, "Baron, how is my acquisition of the entire Alaska going?"

"Heh heh...!" Baron Nicholas chuckled bitterly, "Your Excellency, you're really putting me in a difficult position!"

"Returning from Alaska to the Imperial capital, St. Petersburg, is simply too far!"

"If we travel by land, we would need to traverse the vast territory of the entire empire, which would take at least six months, or even more than a year!"

Baron Nicholas continued, “Even by sea, we would need to go around Cape Horn in South America, or cross the Isthmus of Panama… from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, then the Caribbean Sea, through the North Sea, into the Baltic Sea, and finally reach St. Petersburg…!”

"This sea route is about 20,000 nautical miles long and will take at least four to six months."

Baron Nicholas looked up at Azu: "Alaska is far too far from the Imperial capital. A round trip would take at least a year to receive His Majesty's reply!"

"My lord, my personal letter is on its way. Please wait patiently!"

(End of this chapter)