May 5, 1640, fine. In Antsiraana Bay, at the northern tip of the Falklands, which is already within the Tropic of Capricorn, the sun is rarely shining, and a sailing formation flying the flag of the Republic of China on the east coast of China slowly sails into the bay with wide water and deep water.

There were only slight waves on the sea, and Lieutenant Li Yi held a telescope to observe the shore for more than half an hour, and then pointed to the south with his hand and said, "I think it's better to land over there, the woods there are not very dense, and there is a large area of low bushes and meadows on the seaside." There is also a small stream flowing next to it, well, the amount of water is not very abundant, I don't know if it is a seasonal river. But it doesn't matter, in this place where convective rain is prevalent and annual precipitation is huge, there is no fear of no water. ”

"I think it's good there, too." Take a transport boat to the frigate "Red Trout" on board the John Brown. The second lieutenant of the navy Ston also nodded, and said, "That small river can be appropriately widened in the future, and then a ship repair station can be built there, which is not too suitable." Of course, even if the river is seasonal, we can turn it into an artificial reservoir that will provide water and drinking water for the entire castle. I don't know what the soil on the shore is, so can I grow crops? In the future, we can't always come all the way from outside to transport grain from outside every time, so we still have to be self-sufficient. ”

"Don't think about it so much, let's send someone ashore to investigate first." Li Yi put down the binoculars, and then said: "Let's help Lao Shi lay a dozen foundations here first, and when the next boat comes over, it's his own business." After all, he is the captain of the Madagascar Pioneer Team appointed by the Executive Committee. ”

Soon, under the overall coordination of Li Yi. A total of eight dinghys were laid down on the four ships. Immediately, a large number of supplies and sailors also disembarked from the ship and onto the dinghy. Those who went through more than a month of sailing. The slaves of the Eight Banners, who had already been tortured by seasickness, staggered down the rope ladder one by one, and many clumsy people fell into the sea as they crawled, causing the sailors on the deck to laugh.

After more than two hours of tossing and turning, a total of 32 sailors, 40 slaves, and a small number of tents, mosquito nets, shovels, and other supplies finally filled the eight dinghys, and then the sailors began to row towards the shore. The waves were so light and so clear that many of the slaves who had seen the sea for the first time forgot the fear of seasickness for a moment and looked in amazement at the schools of fish that flashed under the turquoise waters.

"What a beautiful beach." Sergeant Kyle stands at the bow of the ship. admired and said: "I have to say, it is quite rich." The density of fish is not even less than that of the big fish lake a few years ago, and the trees on the shore are so thick, how many years has it to grow? Although it is not known whether it is suitable for use as a ship material, at least it can be used simply to make furniture and military barrels. Fresh air without the smell of soot, crystal clear rivers, endless forests, dense schools of fish, ah, I think I'm in love here. Yes, everything is fine here, well, except maybe it's a little hot and humid. But it looks bearable. ”

After paddling a long distance, almost close to the shore, the sailor in charge of measuring the depth of the water signaled that it was already a shallow. A group of Eight Banners slaves, who were intently looking at the turquoise sea, were brutally driven off the ship by the sailors. Then they began to push the boat through waist-deep water at the signal of the sailor, and approached the shore.

"There aren't many coastal shoals, mostly deep water. What's even more exciting is that we detected a considerable part of the stony coast, which means that the port is not prone to silting. Sergeant Kyle recorded the detection in his notebook, then jumped out of the boat and slowly walked onto the beach in knee-high water.

"Assemble everyone!" Kyle yelled on the beach and saw everyone gather before continuing, "Now I repeat, everyone has their cuffs and trousers tightened, and their heads and faces must be wrapped in towels, and then go and get the tools to cut down the grove on the shore first, and try to clear a clearing as soon as possible." Grandma is a bear, how much rain is in this place, there are trees everywhere, and it is almost impossible to find a place to stay. ”

The Eight Banners slaves shouted yes, and then led by a few sailors to the cabin of the dinghy to look for tools. Some of the remaining sailors picked up their weapons and did their guard work on the shore, while the rest began to row their boats towards the flotilla moored at sea, where they went back to carry men and supplies ashore.

Soon, more dinghys were laid down on the four large ships, a few of which were used by sailors to survey the coastline and measure the depth of the water, and most of which were used to carry people and supplies.

Li Yi also went ashore in a dinghy, wearing a full set of thick navy autumn clothes, the cuffs and trousers were tied tightly with hemp rope, and his face was also wrapped in a towel. Although this outfit looked hot in the sun, it was also the best way they could think of to repel mosquitoes. Compared to life, what is a little hot? After all, it's no joke to get a bite from a mosquito here, and you might get caught in the way of malaria at any point, and then things will be in trouble.

The sailors had cleared a small open field on the coast and set up an improvised tent. The tent was made of thick cotton cloth and covered with some tarpaulin and cut artemisia grass to protect it from the rain. A curtain was hung at the mouth of the tent, and several sets of wooden tables and chairs were placed in the room. Because of the humidity and humidity of the place, the sailors drove some low wooden stakes into the ground, and then fixed the bed board on the wooden stake, and spread the mat, which was the sleeping place. The tent was sprinkled with sulfur to repel snakes and insects, and lime was sprinkled around the corners.

Li Yi sat on the freshly built bed board, carefully combed the mosquito net hanging above the bed, and then said to the four people standing in front of him, Sergeant Kyle, Mo Dashan (Xhosa, Chinese name), the head of the Eight Banners Overseer, the 101st Company's deputy company Shou Daoist, and the special commissioner of the Executive Committee, Pesonin: "I don't like to talk nonsense. There are a few things you have to do now, one is to clear a clearing, and then set up a tent and move furniture and household items. Remember, it is important to hang up mosquito nets and curtains, and to eliminate mosquitoes or insects in the nets before going to bed. Sprinkle the tent with sulfur, which will repel a considerable number of snakes and insects, and will be good for you. Lime should also be sprinkled to disinfect it. ”

"Second, you are not allowed to drink raw water, you should have learned, there are many eggs in raw water, and it is easy to get sick if you drink it. At one point, a public toilet will be built far away from the camp, where open defecation is not allowed, and violators will be severely punished, and the toilet will be disinfected with lime every day. The bathhouse will be built today, and by the way, before that you have to build an earthen stove, and then you will have to take those bricks in the cabin, which can be used to boil water and also to cook. Everyone has to bathe and wash their hair every day, and after a while you will send out the soap in the cabin, and in this place, if you don't do a good job of personal hygiene, you are not responsible for your own life! The clothes that are changed every day are washed, steamed at high temperature after washing, and then dried. Try not to leave your clothes outside in the sun, as eggs may be left inside your clothes, so remember! ”

"Third, the vigilance work must also be done well. Before you came, you all received some short-term training, and you know that there are still some indigenous countries on this island, and some of their civilizations have even reached the level of feudal society, which is higher than the indigenous civilization of South Africa. They have mastered the art of iron-making and iron-making, so don't take it lightly. In addition, there are some Arab-settled areas in the northern part of the Falklands, and there are also some Arab sailing ships that often come and go. Of course, this is not the most terrible. According to reliable sources, the island is also often visited by Dutch and French ships, who are not good birds, so be careful. Here on the island of St. Mary's to the south, there is said to be a group of European pirates, all of whom are cruel creatures, and we must be vigilant enough to risk a big loss. ”

"At the last point, take care of your men. Especially you, Mo Dashan, you and your subordinates must closely monitor the dynamics of those slaves, and don't cause anything to happen to me. Otherwise, you'll work as a slave for me. ”

"Yes, sir." Mo Dashan said angrily that he was a strong Xhosa man and loyal to the people of the East Coast, otherwise he would not have been chosen as the leader of the overseers.

"Alright, I can't think of anything more for the time being, so you guys go to work first. If anything happens, I'll send a herald to inform you. After finishing speaking, Li Yi waved his big hand, and these people immediately scattered.

Towards noon, the 300 Eight Banners slaves were basically ashore. Then the overseers took them to various places. Some people picked up saws, axes, and knives to cut down trees and clear weeds and bushes in the woods designated by Li Yi; Some of them were instructed to take out a large number of Paraná pine planks from the cabin and start building a simple kitchen and bathhouse, while they also took out red bricks and cement and began to build an earthen stove to prepare for cooking rice and water; Others were taken to the beach, about a few hundred meters away, and began digging a pit where they were going to build a large public toilet with bricks and cement.

Seeing that everyone, including those Eight Banner slaves, was working in an orderly manner, Li Yi, who was patrolling the entire construction site with the deputy commander of the 101st Company, who was in charge of safety, was smiling with satisfaction. As long as everyone maintains this motivation and at the same time brings in more people from South Africa, the development of Madagascar is not so far away. (To be continued......)