North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 256 Pirate Queen
Ah Zu's desire to develop engineering machinery has been long-standing.

With Azu's mechanical experience and skills, designing a steam-powered bulldozer was no challenge at all.

The steam bulldozer didn't appear until several years later, in 1859.

However, the prototype steam bulldozer of 1859 had a series of serious problems.

For example, it has poor reliability, low thermal efficiency, slow preheating, and is difficult to operate, etc.

The truly practical steam bulldozer didn't appear until 1886, when Caterpillar introduced the tracked steam bulldozer.

Thanks to the practical application of Caterpillar's tracked steam bulldozers, the United States was able to construct the Panama Canal much faster than the French after taking over the project.

With so many infrastructure projects underway, Ah Zu has no choice but to personally get the steam bulldozer up and running as soon as possible.

Once the steam bulldozer is successfully developed, there will be no problem with steam excavators, tracked steam tractors, and other engineering machinery.

Once upon a time, Azu planned to develop internal combustion engines and then these heavy engineering machinery after acquiring a large amount of oil resources.

If you can achieve this in one step, then why bother with steam-powered engineering machinery?

But now it seems that I won't be able to wait until I develop an internal combustion engine... It's not that I can't develop one, but once I do, the importance of oil will increase day by day.

In Azu’s plan, oil resources are of paramount importance, and the land containing oil must be plundered on a large scale before its importance becomes apparent.

Therefore, we shouldn't rush into developing internal combustion engines.

Since internal combustion engine-based engineering machinery cannot be developed for the time being, steam power will have to be used as a temporary solution.

Regarding construction machinery, Ah Zu, Zuo Zongtang, and Edgar Allan Poe didn't really have much in common, so we won't go into that here.

Azu simply said, “Mr. Zuo, Ellen, by the end of this year you should be able to see for yourselves the heavy construction machinery produced in California… of course, it will still be steam-powered.”

"You don't understand machinery, so I can only tell you that with these engineering machines, the construction period and difficulty of various infrastructure projects will be greatly reduced."

"Really?" Edgar Allan Poe and Zuo Zongtang both breathed a long sigh of relief. "That's wonderful!"

California's main focus is now on various infrastructure projects.

The scale and difficulty of these infrastructure projects are almost unprecedented.

Moreover, the boss's tight deadline requirements undoubtedly put enormous pressure on everyone.

Hearing their boss talk about construction machinery did relieve some of their pressure. Although it was still unclear what significant use these so-called construction machines would actually have.

But they would believe whatever their boss said without reservation.

Since my boss said that the construction period and difficulty would be greatly reduced, then it must be greatly reduced.

Azu continued, "In the past six months, Ellen, you went to Brazil, and Mr. Zuo has been stationed in Panama."

"Without you two as Secretaries of State, I have to personally oversee almost everything in California's administration."

"I'm so tired... so incredibly tired!"

"As you all know, I hate doing these tedious administrative tasks the most."

"Therefore, I will continue to entrust the complicated administrative affairs to you, Ellen. For a long time to come, my focus will be on various projects and construction machinery."

"As for the situation in Brazil, well... only you, Mr. Zuo, can handle it all... After all, in the early stages, the Karaska iron ore mine was only involved in some exploration and preparatory work, and there weren't many specific tasks."

"Furthermore, Panama isn't that far from Brazil...! I just wonder what Mr. Zuo thinks?"

Zuo Zongtang rose, cupped his hands, and said, "I, Zuo, will certainly not fail the trust placed in me by the master…!"

After Zuo Zongtang sat down, he reported, "Boss, my main task during my months in Panama has been to stabilize the situation...!"

"After all, we just got that land."

"Moreover, the port of Colon and Panama City were almost completely destroyed in the previous war."

"Many people who have lost their families and lives harbor hatred towards us!"

"Furthermore, there are still those in the New Grenada who are unwilling to give up... The collusion between internal and external enemies has made the situation in Panama quite unstable."

"After I arrived in Panama, my first task was to provide work relief. In the process of rebuilding Panama City and Port Colon, I tried to hire as many locals as possible so that everyone could have food to eat."

"There are also the Panama Railway and the subsequent Panama Canal. This series of large-scale infrastructure projects can at least guarantee that almost all Panamanians will be able to have a relatively stable job in the next few years."

"As long as people have stable jobs and income, they can gradually settle down."

Zuo Zongtang continued, "This is only one of the means to stabilize Panama!"

"In addition, I also tried my best to place the Eighteenth Division, the Guard Division, and the Hidden Knights in various parts of Panama."

"To date, we have established a relatively complete intelligence network in Panama."

"Any slightest movement should not escape our notice," Zuo Zongtang added. "And the Panama Garrison Brigade was already fully formed two months ago!"

"The garrison brigade is currently intensifying its training and has initially acquired the capability for combat. Of course, it will take at least another year and a half to form full combat capability."

"But as long as this 5,000-strong garrison brigade is there, the local Panamanians won't be able to cause any trouble...!"

Zuo Zongtang gave a brief report on the current situation in Panama.

After listening, Azu said, "Mr. Zuo, once the situation in Panama is basically stable, I will also arrange for some immigrants from China to be settled directly in Panama."

"Only when our people have settled down in Panama, and even become the dominant ethnic group, will we truly own Panama!"

Zuo Zongtang nodded and said, "Boss, I had already thought of this!"

“In the redevelopment of Panama City and Porto Colon, I have already planned out separate districts, which are intended for future domestic immigrants.”

"Haha!" Azu laughed with satisfaction, "I knew that entrusting Panama to you would be the right decision!"

Zuo Zongtang stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "Boss, you flatter me!"

"In addition to stabilizing the situation, the Panama railway project that we took over is also progressing smoothly."

"As originally planned, the Panama Railway was to be completed in 1855."

"If the boss could also provide some construction machinery, we might be able to finish the project ahead of schedule."

"As for the preliminary exploration of the Panama Canal project, it is also being accelerated."

"We can at least guarantee that the preliminary exploration, planning and design work will be completed before 1855."

"However...!" At this point, Zuo Zongtang couldn't help but frown and say, "Panama faces a rather serious piracy problem in both the eastern and western oceans!"

"Currently, when it comes to traveling across the Americas, whether it's logistics or people, the vast majority will choose to cross the Isthmus of Panama."

"That is why Panama's trade has always been extremely prosperous. Even after the war, it is recovering at a very rapid pace."

"This is also why piracy is rampant in Panama, both in the Caribbean and on the other side of the Pacific."

Zuo Zongtang said in a deep voice, "Boss, if possible, I hope that a fleet can be permanently stationed in the port of Colon in the Caribbean Sea and in Panama City on this side of the Pacific Ocean."

"The fleet doesn't need to be too large, but it should at least be able to drive away and deter those rampant pirates... If the piracy problem isn't solved, it will not only affect Panama's trade, but it may also affect the construction of the Panama Railway and the Panama Canal."

“Pirates of the Caribbean…!” Azu tapped his finger on the table, pondering, “That is indeed a problem!”

This era marked the gradual decline of Caribbean piracy from its peak.

Originally, the primary targets of Caribbean pirates were Spanish gold transport ships, followed by American cotton transport ships.

As steam-powered warships became more widespread, they gradually outpaced traditional sailing pirate ships in terms of speed and maneuverability. Pirates who used to run away when they couldn't win were now unable to even outrun them.

In addition, the United States Navy has grown stronger day by day, and has organized fleets on several occasions to wipe out Caribbean pirates.

The U.S. Navy even organized a special "anti-piracy fleet." More than 20 years ago, forty U.S. warships swept through and destroyed more than 300 pirate dens.

At that time, the fleets of America, England, and Spain, disregarding military ethics, launched a three-pronged attack on the female pirate queen, "One-Eyed Medusa"—Anna Medina, and sank her flagship—the "Nemesis".

Desperate and with nowhere else to turn, the pirate queen finally set fire to the powder keg, exploding herself in the process.

After the pirate queen died, people found her last words written in her own blood on the stone wall.

"I'd rather be ashes than wear shackles...!"

Even Che Guevara, the Latin American revolutionary icon of later generations, revered this pirate queen as "the first female commander-in-chief of the Caribbean against colonialism!"

To this day, her bronze statue still stands in Havana, Cuba!

The inscription on the base of the statue reads, "She proved that women can also raise the pirate flag!"

So much so that even in modern times, Cuban fishermen often see the "Nemesis" burning in flames on the night of the full moon, leading her ghostly fleet, still patrolling the Cuban coast...!
……

The British Royal Navy also had a long-standing fleet stationed in the Caribbean Sea, one of its main duties being anti-piracy.

Just a few years ago, the British Royal Navy had breached the pirate city of Cayo Roman in Cuba and hanged the most famous and powerful pirate leader, Pedro Gilbert, "Blood Blade".

……

Although Caribbean piracy has gradually declined, it still frequently appears near Panama, plundering and harassing passing merchant ships.

That's why Zuo Zongtang made such a request.

Azu pondered for a moment and said, "It shouldn't be a big problem to station a small fleet in Panama City, on this side of the Pacific Ocean."

"As for maintaining a long-term fleet presence in the port of Coron in the Caribbean... well, I think it's absolutely necessary!"

(End of this chapter)