Chapter 89

Apart from the marine chronometer and the lunar distance table, was there no other way to measure longitude? The answer is no, at least Hong Tao didn't know of any. By observing the angles of the stars and the sun, one could only determine latitude, not longitude. This is why, during Zheng He's voyages to the Western Seas, he could only proceed along the continental shelf coastline, even if many ships were wrecked, he still dared not sail directly.

However, Zheng He's method of navigation was almost impossible to replicate. Who had the capital to build hundreds of large ships and carry tens of thousands of people on a voyage? They would anchor for a day, then move on for a day, and when they ran out of food and fresh water, they would go ashore to plunder. If they were in a good mood, they might leave some imperial treasures; if not, they would destroy your city, loot it, and then leave, all for free. Such activities could only be carried out by a state, and even then, only for the purpose of showing off, with little practical value for commercial development. Zheng He did not open a single useful route, and the purpose of expending half the national treasury was merely to let people know that there was a wealthy country to the east, rich enough to throw its wealth into the sea, without doing any real business. Compared to Magellan and Columbus, the difference was clear. This was the inevitable difference between activities carried out for political and economic purposes; without profit, they could not last or develop.

Hong Tao's voyage this time exceeded 1,200 kilometers. To mark the coastline along the way and to have landmarks to observe, he did not sail directly but, like Zheng He, hugged the coast. He first circled around the eastern side of Hainan Island, staying closer to the coastline during the day and moving 50 kilometers away from the coast before nightfall to avoid hidden reefs or small islands.

Five days later, the Explorer finally arrived at the Pearl River Estuary and saw Hong Kong Island. Unfortunately, the current Hong Kong Island was lush and green, with only a small dock and a small village, and more often, a row of boats belonging to the Tanka people. However, this small village was indeed called Hong Kong Village, and most of its dozen or so households were employees of sea merchants. This village was a port of call. Ships returning from Nanyang with spices often rested here before entering Guangzhou to unload their cargo, or they would sail east to Quanzhou, Zhejiang, and other places.

In the Song Dynasty, Guangzhou was not known for its many ships! The Pearl River Estuary was filled with ships of all sizes waiting to enter Guangzhou to unload their cargo. Hong Tao even saw a large junk with five masts, with a displacement of at least 500 tons and a sterncastle over 10 meters high. Compared to the Explorer, it was just a small tail rudder, and its mast couldn't even reach the side of the ship.

"Lord... Is this the capital of the Song Dynasty?" Karl had become a country bumpkin, crouching in the cabin with only his head poking out, constantly looking into the Pearl River Estuary.

"This is Guangzhou, a port in the southern part of the Song Dynasty. There should be even more prosperous cities to the north. Do you want to go in and take a look?" Hong Tao was actually quite excited, but he had to pretend to be calm to maintain his image.

"Captain, are we going to Guangzhou City or to the row of boats?" Bo Jiao was not much better than Karl; he just didn't hide in the cabin but squatted at the bow, pulling the foresail stay and swallowing his saliva.

"We're not going anywhere; it's time to return! On the way back, you two will take turns leading the way. Whoever makes a measurement error will clean the deck! If both of you are wrong, both of you will clean the deck!" Hong Tao said while turning the rudder, making the sailboat turn a half-circle in the Pearl River Estuary and then head out to sea.

"Why? Just let us go in for an hour!" Karl immediately emerged from the cabin upon hearing Hong Tao's order and asked.

"On the ship, there are no 'whys.' The captain's words are the will of God, and you cannot ask the captain to explain why! When you become a captain, remember that you have no obligation to explain your decisions to the crew. Your only duty is to safely bring the ship, cargo, and crew to their destination! However, this time is an exception. I will explain why we cannot go ashore. I cannot ensure your safety. You and I do not look like Song Dynasty people, and we cannot explain our origins. If someone asks, what will you say? Bo Jiao is a Tanka, do you think Tanka can wander around freely in Guangzhou City?"

"..." Karl was speechless by Hong Tao's words and immediately remembered his own identity, losing his temper.

"Uncle... Captain... If we have money and a large ship in the future, can we go to Guangzhou City freely?" Bo Jiao still looked back at the Pearl River Estuary with longing and asked hopefully.

"Not only to Guangzhou City, but also to Quanzhou and Lin'an. We will visit every city by the sea. We will buy the best houses and eat at the best restaurants. Learn well, and when you have mastered everything your uncle has taught you, that day will come!" Hong Tao answered Bo Jiao's question with certainty and gave him hope, a very achievable hope.

On the return voyage, Hong Tao did not hug the coast. He planned to sail directly south to 19 degrees north latitude and then turn west to return to Zhenzhou. This route would increase the voyage to about 1,500 kilometers. Even if the speed could be increased, it would take at least four days of continuous sailing on the open sea, with no land in sight, and the sextant would be the only way to determine the course.

There was definitely some risk. If the weather changed and they couldn't see the sun or stars for several days, the Explorer would be in trouble. If they encountered a typhoon or other extreme weather, they would be in real danger. However, sailing was a risky activity even in the 21st century. Without taking risks, how could they learn what sailing was all about? How could Karl and Bo Jiao learn?

Hong Tao was not blindly taking risks. After the measurements on the way there and the comparison with the location of the modern Central Harbor in Hong Kong, the sextant, though slightly inaccurate, was still relatively reliable. The necessary adjustments had been recorded, and he only needed to return and correct the precision and density of the gears. Using it for navigation was still somewhat reliable. Learning by theory alone was not enough; Karl and Bo Jiao had to operate it themselves to understand that their lives were in their hands, and then they would quickly learn everything he wanted them to.

Exiting the Pearl River Estuary, they encountered a large group of islands, known in modern times as the Wanshan Archipelago. Hong Tao had even come here for rock fishing. However, at this time, the islands were mostly uninhabited and considered dangerous waters. The Lingding Ocean had always been a haven for pirates, and this continued even into the Republican era. Pirates were usually fishermen who hid near the islands, fishing and waiting for isolated ships. If they succeeded in an attack, they would kill and loot; if not, they would hide in the archipelago, where the navy could not find them.

"Bo Jiao, stay away from those fishing boats. Are they robbing a ship?" Hong Tao directed the Explorer to navigate between the islands, marking the coordinates of each small island on the chart. As the sky grew dark, they turned around a small island and saw several small fishing boats surrounding a large ship of about 100 tons, with figures moving on the deck.

"Those are Tanka fishing boats..." Bo Jiao had good eyesight and recognized the small wooden boats with pointed bows and wide sterns. These boats were used only by the Tanka, and were very different from the longer, round-bottomed fishing boats used by the local fishermen. The Tanka in Hainan were relatively well-behaved, as most areas were military towns. Bo Jiao had probably never experienced robbing a ship, but Bo Fu and Huang Hai had at least seen it. The Tanka were usually fishermen, but when they couldn't make a living, they became pirates, especially in the coastal areas of Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang. This was not just Hong Tao's observation but was recorded in history.

"Bo Jiao, on the high seas, there is no distinction between Tanka, local people, and foreigners. Remember my words: on the high seas, there are only your people and outsiders. Those on your ship are your people, and all other ships are outsiders. You can only trust your people. The term 'sharing the same boat' comes from this. When I was adrift at sea, your grandfather only threw me a rope to drag me, not letting me on the ship. If you have your own ship in the future, remember, don't even throw a rope. If you can't be 100% sure you can control the other party, don't let any ship or person approach your ship. When necessary, sinking the other ship is the right thing to do. There is no law at sea; whoever survives is right. Everything else must be considered after you survive. Do you understand what I mean?"

Hong Tao looked through the telescope of the sextant. The large ship was already finished, and some men in seven-eighths pants and bare chests were throwing bodies overboard. Robbing at the doorstep, they wouldn't leave any survivors. Even if he could have saved them, it would have been too late. In fact, he had no intention of saving them. He used this incident to give Bo Jiao more life experience. Karl didn't need to be taught; he had already been a slave. If he didn't learn from this, he was beyond help.

"Why do they rob ships?" Bo Jiao probably didn't fully understand Hong Tao's words. Although he could already go fishing with his grandfather and considered himself a Tanka man, he was still a 12-year-old child, and he grew up in the relatively isolated environment of Hainan Island, with little knowledge of the outside world.

PS: Click, collect, and recommend! Throw them all to Hong Tao...

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