In the south of Guangzhou, after crossing the Pearl River, is Haizhu Island, also called Jiangnanzhou. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

In the northwest of Haizhu Island, Nanyang Company built a wharf here, called Chau Tau Tsui Wharf.

Because the Pearl River between Guangzhou City and Haizhu Island is neither wide nor deep, it can only be navigated by ships of less than 500 tons, and larger ships can either anchor downstream or only anchor on the other side of Haizhu Island if they want to enter Guangzhou.

The water depth and river width of the Chau Tau Tsui Wharf are much deeper and wider than the Pearl River between Guangzhou City and Haizhu Island, allowing ships of less than 5,000 tons to enter the Chau Tau Tsui Wharf. Not to mention the largest ship of this era, even if it is another hundred years, Chau Tau Tsui Pier will not be too shallow.

At this time, there are a total of four berths at the Chau Tau Tsui wharf, on which a 1,200-ton flute-sized cargo ship, an 800-ton Spanish galleon, a 1,500-ton Dutch East India cargo ship and an 800-ton large flying shear cargo ship are docked, and the dock workers on the shore are busy loading and unloading goods.

The berths are temporary, floating barge-style docks, each with a bridge connected to the shore, where workers push carts to deliver goods to the docks and onto the ships.

On the other side of the floating wharf, the century-old Chau Tau Tsui permanent wharf is under construction.

Zhoutouzui wharf is in the river water pile cushion up, during the construction, first build a pontoon bridge to the river, the captured Xiangyong captives first in the water with sandbags and stones to surround a foundation pit, and then pump out the water, expose the bottom of the river, dig down, bury the iron bar in it, pour cement concrete, and then use wood to enclose the shell of the cement pile, and finally pour in cement, the cement pile is built.

After the cement pile is built, a cement platform is laid on top of the cement pile.

"When all these projects are completed, it will take at least a year or so." Fang Yizhi introduced.

At that time, there was no large-scale construction machinery and equipment, and it was not easy to build such a wharf. So for now, we can only use a barge-style floating dock for the time being.

Wang Xinyu, Fang Yizhi and others crossed the wooden bridge and boarded the floating dock where the large clippers were moored.

This large flying shear cargo ship has a displacement of 800 tons, a length of 64 meters, a width of 9 meters, a depth of 7 meters, a total area of nearly 300 square meters of sails, a maximum speed of 17.5 knots, a full load displacement of more than 900 tons, and can load more than 500 tons of cargo.

"Let's take this cargo ship to Dongfan Island." Wang Xinyu said to Fang Yizhi.

The cargo ship was transporting weapons and ammunition to Guangzhou, and the weapons and ammunition unloaded from the ship would be transferred to small boats, and then sailed up the Pearl River to Shaozhou, then changed to mule-drawn carts to Chenzhou, and then transferred to Yuezhou.

"If our railway lines can be connected, it will be much more convenient, there is no need to unload and load goods many times, and the goods can be directly loaded in Guangzhou and transported to Yuezhou." Wang Xinyu said.

Fang Yizhi nodded: "It is indeed troublesome to transfer it many times like this." If the railways are connected, it will be much easier to transport goods. ”

"But there are still incomparable advantages in water transport, which can transport larger goods." Wang Xinyu said.

The weapons and ammunition on the cargo ship were unloaded, and of course they would not run back to Dongfan empty, but would transport a batch of goods there. The goods sent to Dongfan are all kinds of daily necessities, as well as a batch of grain, live pigs, live cattle, live chickens and ducks. However, the ship was not full, and only loaded less than 200 tons of cargo.

"We're on board!" Wang Xinyu made a gesture.

Surrounded by their own soldiers, the two walked up the gangway to the flying shear cargo ship.

Although it is a cargo ship, it also has luxuriously furnished cabins, with two first-class cabins and six second-class cabins, which can accommodate a total of 28 passengers.

The reason why the passenger capacity is so small is because this ship is not a passenger ship in the first place, but only occasionally carries more important guests, and does not carry passengers at all on weekdays. If there is a large customer chartering a ship, the person responsible for escorting the cargo of the charter company can also follow the ship and live in the reserved cabin on the ship.

The interior of the ship's cabin is even more luxurious than that of the same class of passenger ships, with a large red wool carpet in the first class, a magnificent interior, a number of transparent glass whale oil lamps to illuminate the cabin, and a comfortable large bed with mahogany furniture.

The large flying shear cargo ship slowly left the dock and took advantage of the low tide to sail down the Pearl River.

Under normal circumstances, ships enter the port at high tide and go out at low tide, so that even if there is no wind in the inner harbor, the ship can flow along the water.

The boat left the Pearl River and entered the sea. The southeast wind blew from the side, the sails were blowing, and the clippers, which were not fully loaded, sailed at a high speed of fifteen knots.

The large shear-cut cargo ship sailed on the surface for about a day and a night before arriving at Dongfan Island.

The ship arrived at Dongfan Island, entered the inner harbor, and anchored at the pier. Because Wang Xinyu's arrival this time was very low-key, few people knew that he was coming to Dongfan, so the gun factory and the scientific research department were working normally, and no one from the technical staff came to greet them, only an officer with some soldiers came to the dock to greet him.

Wang Xinyu was naturally most interested in the steam engine, and after he got off the ship, the first thing he asked was: "How is the progress of the steam engine now?" ”

In addition to garrisoning the forts, the soldiers left behind on the island are to protect the factory, and many local indigenous soldiers have been recruited. The only thing that could pose a threat to the island was the foreign fleet coming up from the sea. However, if there is really a foreign enemy's large fleet to attack, there will be a catamaran clipper to report immediately, and the Ming navy, which already has battleships, will rush to the rescue.

The officer replied, "A small steam engine has been built, but it's not very stable." ”

"Let's go, let's go over and have a look!" Wang Xinyu didn't even bother with the luncheon prepared for him by the officers and soldiers in the castle, and went straight to the Dongfan Gun Factory to see the test of the steam engine.

On the way to the gun factory, you can see a railway from the dock to the gun factory, and from time to time a mule pulls a rail car full of ammunition and guns out of the gun factory and walks in the direction of the dock.

"It seems that the production of guns has increased again! There can be more artillery to equip the army. Wang Xinyu looked at the rail car that came out and said.

The officer in charge of the security of the gun factory said: "Now one rifled gun and twenty smoothbore guns of various calibers can be produced every month, and there are also army rifled guns of larger calibers, but they are being tested, and it is said that it is very difficult to make such guns, and the problem of air leakage has not been completely solved." (To be continued.) )