Chapter 8

On November 2, 1630, it was drizzling. The armed merchant ship Orange River of the West India Company had set sail a week ago. Before leaving, Captain Kuait had tactfully suggested that the穿越者们 (穿越者们 refers to the time travelers or settlers) build an official dock to facilitate his next visit.

In recent days, the industrial area south of the Dafish River has been bustling with activity. The paper mill, cement kiln, and lime kiln have all started production. Let's not talk about the paper mill for now; these two earth-built kilns, from a modern perspective, are low-capacity, high-energy-consuming, and heavily polluting enterprises that have been phased out. However, given the limited conditions of the time travelers, they could only start these rudimentary projects.

Both kilns are vertical cylinder kilns, operating by adding materials at the top and discharging them from the bottom. All processes, including mixing, grinding, feeding, and discharging, are done manually. The designed production capacity of the cement kiln is 10 tons per day, and that of the lime kiln is 20 tons per day. Of course, these are theoretical figures that can only be achieved with a continuous and sufficient supply of raw materials. The biggest problem for the time travelers is the shortage of labor, especially in the extraction of limestone. There are not enough people, and there is no machinery or explosives; everything has to be done by hand, which is extremely inefficient. On a good day, they can extract two to three tons, and on a bad day, they might not get a single ton.

Given this situation, the cement and lime kilns can only operate intermittently, with an astonishingly high coal consumption. The coal on the barge is not enough to last long. Reluctantly, the Executive Committee, after producing some cement and lime to address the immediate needs, temporarily shut down these two earth-built kilns. They plan to restart production once the limestone reserves reach a certain level.

Today is the monthly full meeting of the Executive Committee, where major issues are generally discussed.

"The successive start of the brick kiln, cement kiln, and lime kiln has greatly encouraged everyone," said Executive Committee Chairman Ma Qianzu at the meeting. "In the coming period, we should continue to strive for greater breakthroughs on all fronts. Now, everyone, please share your plans for the next steps."

"I'll start. The vegetable seeds planted last month have all sprouted successfully and are growing well. In a short while, they can be transplanted, and perhaps soon, we will have many delicious green vegetables on our tables," said Agricultural Commissioner Jin Kela, who was the first to speak. "However, this is not the main point. I want to inform Chairman Ma and all the committee members that it is now November, and the soybean planting season in South America has officially begun. Due to various reasons, the Agricultural Bureau (a subordinate institution of the Agricultural Commissioner) has been understaffed, causing the progress of land reclamation to be far from ideal. As of yesterday, only 400 acres of land have been reclaimed. We currently have 200 bags, totaling 5,000 kilograms of soybeans, which can be planted on 1,000 acres of land. Therefore, I hope the Executive Committee will consider the situation of the Agricultural Bureau with a scientific attitude, coordinate relations among various departments, and quickly implement the land reclamation plan of the Agricultural Bureau."

After Jin Kela's statement, the other committee members, who were eager to speak, immediately became subdued. Indeed, this matter could not be delayed any longer. The food they brought would eventually run out, and the time travelers could not just sit and wait for it to happen. Therefore, the focus of work in the coming period would definitely shift to agriculture.

The other committee members hastily submitted their plans. For example, Industrial Commissioner Ma Jia proposed the trial production of refractory bricks; Transportation Commissioner Xiao Bailang proposed the construction of a seaport dock, residential area roads, and industrial area roads; Army Commissioner Peng Zhicheng proposed the construction of red brick and cement walls; and Materials Commissioner Shao Shude proposed the construction of a formal warehouse, among others.

Ma Qianzu then coordinated with everyone, and soon, a temporary force of 100 people was assigned to the Agricultural Bureau. At the same time, as a supporting project for the soybean planting area, the construction of irrigation channels was also required.

As the saying goes, many hands make light work. After the manpower was in place, although most were inexperienced, it only took 10 days to complete the reclamation of 1,000 acres of land by November 13.

Meanwhile, the brick and cement irrigation channels, stretching hundreds of meters from the stream wetland to the planting area, were also almost completed. Moreover, the construction team, with an adequate supply of bricks and cement mortar, built three biogas tanks and a public toilet in one go.

On November 15, the soybean planting officially began.

Soybeans contain 20% fat, 40% protein, 10% carbohydrates, and are rich in vitamins. They have a wide range of uses, including oil extraction, tofu, soy milk, soy sauce, bean sprouts, soybean meal, paint, glycerin, and more.

As the largest and most economically valuable crop currently being planted by the time travelers, the soybean planting attracted a lot of attention. Many women, elderly people, and even children came to help. As a result, by November 17, the 1,000 acres of soybeans were successfully planted, one day ahead of schedule.

After completing the major task of planting, the Executive Committee began the second key project—the construction of the dock.

Although the water depth of the Dafish River is generally average, the near-sea areas on both sides of the river mouth are excellent deep-water zones suitable for building a shore-type dock. The entire port project planned by the Executive Committee includes underwater topography surveys, geological surveys, channels, breakwaters, port roads, anchorages, warehouses, storage areas, piers, lighthouses, and gun emplacements, which is a massive project. Of course, the Executive Committee did not expect it to be completed in a short time.

The port site was chosen on the north bank of the Dafish River, facing the Atlantic Ocean. The underwater topography and geological surveys can directly use 21st-century data, making it relatively convenient. The port is directly adjacent to a vast deep-water area with an average depth of 8 meters and a sandy seabed, allowing large ships to dock directly, making it an ideal anchorage. The only drawback is the lack of natural breakwaters, which need to be constructed artificially.

The Construction Bureau (formerly the construction team) under Xiao Bailang originally had 60 people, and this time, an additional 100 people were assigned to participate in the port construction. The construction of the port warehouses and storage areas began first. The warehouses are mainly large red brick flat houses, and the storage area is located behind the dock, with a depth of 200 meters and a usable area of 50,000 square meters. However, it is essentially just a flat grassland. The Executive Committee plans to pave it with cement in the future when conditions permit.

The construction of the port road is also extremely important. The initial plan is to use waste materials from brick burning to pave the road and compact it firmly. Drainage ditches will be dug along the roadside to prevent the road from becoming soft and uneven during rainy days. Similarly, the Executive Committee plans to eventually upgrade this road to a cement road when material pressure is relieved.

As for the construction of the breakwater, lighthouse, and gun emplacements, the current situation is that they are beyond the capabilities of the time travelers and can only be left for the future.

In the Executive Committee's plan, the entire dock will be completed in phases over two years. The first phase: the storage area, warehouses, and a simple wooden pier will be completed within two months; the second phase: the port road will be completed by February 15, 1631 at the latest.

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