Chapter 56 of 100

Chapter 56

14 min read3,573 words

In the depths of autumn, the Strait of Magellan is fierce and turbulent. The convoy, consisting of three ships including the Yunsheng No.1, cautiously navigated under the guidance of a group of experienced European sailors. By late June, after enduring strong winds, high waves, dense fog, whirlpools, and countercurrents—almost every conceivable hardship—the small convoy finally crossed this only safe passage connecting both coasts of the Americas, historically entering the Pacific Ocean for the first time.

"Yuri, what kind of current is the Humboldt Current?" After sailing north along the Humboldt Current for some time, Lu Ming, with nothing else to do, decided to test his students on the "Eagle of the East" gunboat.

"It's a compensatory current, sir," Yuri Petrovich answered confidently. "This upwelling compensatory current extends from the coast of Chile to Peru. We can easily reach any place we want by following this current."

Lu Ming smiled in satisfaction. "Even Yuri is putting effort into his studies, that's good. Now, who can tell me about the history of Valdivia? Kyle? Nick? Johnson? You rascals, you must have been playing cards in the hold again and didn't complete the study tasks I assigned. Yuri, you're the group leader, answer my question. If you get it wrong, the whole group will clean the deck for a week."

"Valdivia Port was founded in 1551 by Pedro de Valdivia. Initially, it was established as an export port for gold and silver mines in inland areas like Villarrica. Later, it developed during the long wars against the Araucanians in the central and southern regions. It is now the largest city in the central and southern regions of the Spanish Santiago Audiencia," Yuri answered fluently, clearly having put in a lot of effort.

"Yuri, you're starting to surprise me," Lu Ming praised.

While Lu Ming was testing his students, in the officers' lounge on the lower deck, a group of naval officers were gathered around a table engaged in some form of entertainment. Long sea voyages are monotonous, so officers and sailors would often engage in activities like card games, drinking, arm wrestling, and rat fighting to pass the time.

"Three ten thousand!" "Pung! One ten thousand! Ha ha, one ten thousand Pung! All one suit, all pairs, and a concealed pair with a Pung, four points total, pay up, pay up! Ha ha!" Lieutenant John Stone leaned back in his chair, laughing triumphantly.

"Bad luck!" "You just made a profit of one and a half! You've been lucky today, winning all the time." "Forget it, who wants to take my place? I'm going up to the deck for some fresh air." The faces of the naval cadets at the table were pale, and they sighed in succession.

After paying up, the sound of shuffling cards continued.

At that moment, a messenger came down the ladder and called out at the door of the officers' lounge, "Gentlemen, we're approaching Chiloé Island. The captain has ordered everyone to stop all entertainment and prepare for battle. There might be Spanish fishing boats and warships in this area."

The officers immediately stood up. "Damn, where's my weapon!" "Evan, get up, you're sitting on my uniform." "Damn, Simpson, you're stepping on me!" The chaotic scene lasted for about five minutes, and then a group of neatly dressed officers gathered on the third deck of the bridge.

Captain Lu Ming was talking to Jiwén, who had come over from the Yunsheng No.1 on a launch: "So, Xiao Bailang has decided to land on this island. That's good. We've been sailing for a long time, and our supplies are running low. It's a good time to go ashore and resupply. Alright, the 'Eagle of the East' will be on alert."

"Gentlemen, right rudder, course northeast, enter Cordova Bay," Lu Ming ordered. "All officers return to your posts and keep a close watch for any Spanish ships in the bay. Report immediately if you see any!"

The "Eagle of the East" led the way, followed by the Yunsheng No.1 in the middle and the "Galicia Flying Fish" at the rear. The three ships sailed in a line into the Cordova Bay between Chiloé Island and the mainland. After half a day's voyage, the three ships entered Castro Port on the eastern side of Chiloé Island.

"Quickly! Move faster! The Spaniards in the port are watching you!" One by one, small boats were lowered from the Yunsheng No.1, and fully armed soldiers began to climb down the rope ladders under the urging of their officers. Due to the rough waves in the port, the ship's rocking caused some soldiers to fall into the sea. These unfortunate soldiers were immediately rescued by the sailors using leather bags connected to pulleys, and they quickly changed into dry clothes and drank strong liquor to warm up.

Several of the faster small boats had already reached the beach. The Charrúa rowers jumped into the icy water up to their waists and pushed the boats onto the shore. No one tried to obstruct this landing. Fabian Klinger, holding a 32-乙 type flintlock rifle, led his men into some small wooden cabins. These had been the homes of lumberjacks, and it seemed their owners had fled.

The shore was covered with dense coniferous forests, many of the trees clearly very old. Axes and saws were scattered at the edge of the forest, indicating the hasty departure of their owners.

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out nearby, a belated resistance from the Spaniards. Fabian immediately led his squad toward the source of the gunfire, where a platoon from the 4th Provisional Company was exchanging fire with some Spaniards across a small patch of forest. The arrival of fresh troops greatly increased their firepower, and the dense gunfire thudded into the trees, and it seemed some Spaniards had been hit.

Xie Hansan landed with the last batch of the 2nd Platoon. Seeing the battle ahead, he immediately led 47 soldiers to the front.

"2nd Platoon, quick march, fire in line... halt... load... raise... ready, fire!" Xie Hansan swung his saber fiercely. The sound of gunfire erupted, and several bone-chilling screams came from the Spanish side. The remaining Spaniards fired a few more shots and then began to retreat.

By this time, all four platoons of the army had landed. Xie Hansan organized them into a loose three-row formation and advanced toward the Spanish town. Five or six Spanish bodies lay in the small forest, but the soldiers paid them no attention and continued forward. Castro finally came into full view.

Strictly speaking, calling Castro a "city" was a stretch. This small town, visible from one end to the other, had no defensive walls or even many wooden fences. The town was a chaotic mix of wooden and brick-and-wood houses, and there were also some thatched-roof dwellings with an indigenous style. In short, it was a dilapidated little town.

"March! One two one... one two one..." Following Xie Hansan's orders, the drummer and bugler played a rhythmic beat, and the soldiers began to advance slowly in time with the drum. A few watchtowers stood in the town, and some Spanish soldiers peered down from them.

"1st Platoon, half left turn, fire in line... ready, fire!" "2nd Platoon, advance in line to the right, fire in line... ready, fire!" Following the officers' commands, the 1st and 2nd Provisional Platoons fired at the watchtowers from outside the range of the Spanish matchlock guns. The dense gunfire turned the Spaniards who dared to climb the towers into bloody messes.

The battle ended after twenty minutes. Eighteen Spanish soldiers and twenty-five Peruvian Indian auxiliaries were killed on the spot. The army then took control of this desolate and remote town.

The town was home to several hundred residents, most of whom were Indians. There were also a few Spanish soldiers, missionaries, merchants, craftsmen, and farmers. These people, anxious and uncertain, hid in their homes, waiting for the judgment of these new conquerors. Xie Hansan requisitioned the most impressive building in town, a wooden church, where three Jesuit missionaries were present. These missionaries looked at Xie Hansan's East Asian face with a mixture of fear and surprise, as if they suddenly understood something.

After the army took control, Xiao Bailang and some sailors began to go ashore to "collect" spoils. According to the prearranged plan, each resident of Castro was required to pay at least one peso in ransom or an equivalent item. The sailors, armed with sabers and rifles, began to collect money house by house.

Xie Hansan, meanwhile, interrogated a group of recently captured Spanish town officials in the church, with Father Pedro serving as an interpreter. The mayor and several city council members had not had time to escape and were caught by the army. In fact, they had nowhere to go; the surrounding area was dense forest, and they would likely die of cold and hunger if they tried to escape. It was better to stay in town and take their chances.

The mayor, six council members, one officer, one judge, one sheriff, one treasurer, and three religious figures were tied up and thrown on the ground. Xie Hansan, expressionless, said, "Gentlemen, I hate idle talk. Some of you may have guessed our identity, so I won't bother with introductions. I will ask questions, and you will answer. If the person I ask cannot answer, he will report to God. Now, let's begin..."

Half an hour later, Xie Hansan had obtained all the information he needed: there were three logging camps and a lumber mill around Castro; a few fishing boats were moored in the northern bay, and there was a leather processing plant for processing sea otter and fox skins. Xie Hansan quickly dispatched some army soldiers to these places, accompanied by the Charrúa.

By evening, the dispatched personnel had returned. These outposts were small, often inhabited by only a few to a few dozen people. When they saw a large group of strangers with rifles, they fled immediately. The lumber mill contained many dried logs, and after selecting some for their own use, the rest were burned to prevent the Spanish from using them. The group from the northern bay returned with a fishing boat full of furs, which were stored on the "Galicia Flying Fish."

The group stayed in Castro Port overnight. The next day, the diligent Charrúa workers began to load the collected supplies onto the ships. By noon, the entire loading process was complete. After tallying, they had collected 2 pigs, 5 cattle, 14 sheep, 2000 pounds of grain, 20 bottles of wine, over 3000 pesos in various gold and silver coins, as well as a large amount of valuable furs and some gunpowder and lead bullets. It was a bountiful haul.

Being a pirate is really a promising career, Xie Hansan mused.

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