The exploration fleet set off from Jinshan and headed west.
Zhou Qianxue used a sextant to control the direction, trying to keep the latitude of the exploration fleet from changing and heading straight to the mainland of Dahua.
He put down the sextant in his hand and muttered: "What's going on? Why has the speed of the exploration fleet become faster?"
The exploration fleet ships are the fastest when departing from the Chinese mainland.
Since they encountered the tsunami, the exploration fleet traveled at the lowest speed until the ship was repaired at Hope Island.
When they sailed again, they found that the speed of the ship had dropped by 20 to 30%.
Zhou Qianxue thought at the time that the ship's power was damaged and the power output of the steam engine was insufficient.
He stood on the deck, facing the blowing sea breeze, and looked at the sails that had been furled.
Now the fleet is sailing against the wind, and the auxiliary sails have already been furled, relying solely on the power of the steam engine to move forward.
The speed did not decrease, but became faster.
What was the reason for this? He couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried.
When Zhang Maizi heard what Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue said, he guessed: "Mr. Zhou, was it that the steam engine was running in before?
It was only after the steam engine power system and various components were run-in that the original power was restored."
Zhou Qianxue shook her head and said: "I have asked the craftsmen on the ship to check the status of the steam engine. The power output of the steam engine is the same as before and has not changed much."
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Craftsmen exploring the fleet have ruled out changes in the ship's speed caused by changes in the power output of the steam engine.
Zhou Qianxue hopes he can find out the reason for the change in ship speed.
Unknown reasons affect the change of ship speed, and figuring out the specific reasons is of great importance to the Royal Navy of Dahua.
Zhang Maizi thought this was good news, and said with a smile: "The speed of the exploration fleet has become faster, and we can return to the mainland in a shorter time.
This is happy news and deserves a big meal to celebrate."
Zhang Maizi didn't care about the change in the speed of the exploration fleet. He hoped that the exploration fleet could return to Dahua mainland one day earlier.
In this way, he could hand over the development plan he had worked so hard to develop to King Zhao Su Xiong and demonstrate his abilities.
Zhou Qianxue said: "It is indeed worthy of celebration. The soldiers have long been salivating over the meat we have cured. They miss the days of eating meat on the American continent."
On the way to explore the gold mines in Jinshan, the soldiers killed many local animals with guns.
The exploration fleet carried a large amount of salt, and all the endless meat was salted and preserved.
The taste of these meats is generally not very good, but it is better than eating the same fish and shrimps when the exploration fleet is at sea.
Zhou Qianxue issued an order for everyone in the exploration fleet to have extra meals and eat some bacon.
After the soldiers heard about the extra meal, many of them were swallowing their saliva and planning to eat an extra bowl of rice.
After Zhou Qianxue finished his meal, he stood on the deck and directed his staff to use simple tools to measure the surrounding weather and hydrological information.
These important information are carefully collected by dedicated personnel of the exploration fleet every day.
Zhou Qianxue also personally checks the work of these people from time to time to prevent them from slacking off.
Weather information such as wind direction and speed, as well as sea water temperature and other information.
This is extremely important information, and the exploration fleet must collect this information as completely as possible.
The exploration fleet continued to sail west, and the ship's speed changed again.
Zhou Qianxue didn't use a sextant to calculate the ship's speed. He could detect it with his naked eyes. The speed of the exploration fleet had dropped by more than 30%, which was about the same as the speed they traveled to Hope Island and north.
The staff officer who measured the seawater temperature also reported to him that the nearby seawater was unusually warm.
The craftsmen on the ship reported that there was no abnormality in the power of the steam engine and it still maintained its previous condition.
Zhou Qianxue had never encountered such a situation before. He noticed that this sea area was abnormal. In order to prevent possible extreme sea conditions, he decided to adjust the course of the exploration fleet.
The exploration fleet sailed northwest, where the seawater temperature was still relatively high and the ship's speed did not recover.
The exploration fleet changed direction and headed southwest. After traveling a few kilometers, the ship's speed returned to normal and the temperature of the seawater also dropped a bit.
Zhou Qianxue was puzzled by this phenomenon.
As the sea approaches the equator, the temperature of the sea water drops. This phenomenon is so strange.
He asked his staff to record relevant data in detail and constantly thought about the reasons for this phenomenon.
His hair turned gray, and he still had no clue.
"Chief of Staff, look, there is a big island ahead."
When Zhou Qianxue heard the voice of Navigation Officer Zhu Da, he stopped thinking, picked up the telescope and looked ahead.
Through the telescope, he saw a larger island.
The area of this island is several times larger than the Hope Island they encountered.
It is extremely lucky to encounter an island in the vast sea.
They are opening up a new route. This route has islands that can provide fresh water, which can reduce a lot of burden for future merchant ships.
The island is large enough to build docks and ship repair shops, which are extremely important facilities.
This can ensure the safety of ships traveling on the route and make this route more prosperous.
Zhou Qianxue ordered the exploration fleet to speed up and circle around the island in a large circle.
He found that the archipelago was very large and consisted of several small islands.
Zhou Qianxue's military experience shows that there are many good harbors in this archipelago.
One of the natural ports is a natural haven. The water in the port is calm and the water is very deep. It is suitable for docking large ships. It is an excellent military port.
He ordered the exploratory fleet to anchor at the port and was personally responsible for drawing charts and collecting hydrographic information on the waters surrounding the island.
Marine Corps company commander Qin Yong and King Zhao's confidant Kong Liuniu led the army off the ship to inspect the situation on the island.
Qin Yong and Kong Liuniu wore rubber boots, jumped off the sampan, and walked on the muddy beach.
They held revolvers in their hands and watched the situation around the island vigilantly.
Qin Yong whispered: "Based on my experience in Nanyang, every detail revealed on the island indicates that there must be indigenous tribes here."
As he spoke, he pointed to the coconut trees on the shore.
Under the coconut forest, there are many coconut shells thrown there.
Kong Liuniu nodded and said: "Monkeys won't do this. The coconuts here should be one of the main foods of the local tribes."
He also observed other conditions on the island. There were some sugar canes on this island, and they didn't look like they were growing wild.
There are many weeds in the sugar cane fields, but the sugar cane grows so neatly that it looks like artificial planting.
Qin Yong whispered: "Everyone, pay attention to the poisonous arrows of the indigenous tribes.
The ordinary bone arrows of the indigenous tribes are not very harmful to us, but the indigenous tribes will coat the arrows with poison.
As long as you find any sign of attack from the indigenous tribes, I allow you to fire back."
Kong Liuniu spoke more directly to his men.
"Brothers, as long as you sense danger, you can shoot back.
We can leave our lives on the battlefield and open up a vast territory for King Zhao, but we can't die on this island in the lake.
In order to deal with the indigenous tribes, King Zhao specially asked us to train a group of shield soldiers. I will lead the team to protect your safety later."
Qin Yong's eyes narrowed and he whispered: "There is movement ahead, everyone, please pay attention to safety."
His ears were extremely sensitive, and he had already heard the messy footsteps and the incomprehensible squeaking sounds.
Everyone became nervous when they heard Qin Yong's words.
Holding the gun in his hand, he looked warily at the coconut grove ahead.
Kong Liuniu directed the soldiers holding stainless steel shields to take a step forward immediately.
They held shields more than two meters high in both hands and stood in front of everyone.
This is Su Xiong learning from the Nanyang militia's experience in suppressing indigenous tribes.
The inferior bows and arrows of the indigenous tribes could not penetrate the stainless steel shields.
They saw a coconut forest in front of them, and seventy or eighty indigenous people rushed out.
They were shirtless and painted with colorful dyes on their bodies and faces.
Wearing a grass skirt and holding a crude weapon in his hand.
Some people even have brightly colored feathers on their heads.
After the natives saw the explorer fleet, they bared their teeth and immediately launched an attack.
The bone arrow hit the stainless steel shield, making a clanging sound.
Qin Yong gave the order.
"Fire."
Clear gunshots rang out, and a large number of natives were shot and fell to the ground.
Kong Liuniu rushed forward with a shield in his right hand, and with a pistol in his left hand, he shot the indigenous leader with a feather on his head to death.
When the remaining natives saw this happening, they dropped their weapons and immediately ran away into the coconut grove.
Kong Liuniu looked at Qin Yong and said, "Master Qin, shall we pursue him?"
Qin Yong shook his head and said: "Our mission this time is to explore this island.
Always pay attention to the surrounding situation. If the natives do not attack us, we do not need to pay attention to these people.
The imperial court has decided to launch this route, and sooner or later this island will be ours."
Qin Yong and Kong Liuniu began to explore the island.
This island is a typical tropical island, mainly grown on coconuts and sugar cane, and there are many small evergreen trees on the island.
Qin Yong pointed to these small trees that were still blooming and said: "This should be sandalwood. I saw this kind of tree when I was working in Nanyang."
They spent several days exploring the island, mainly checking its water sources and minerals.
This island does not have any special minerals, but it has abundant water resources.
Qin Yong and Kong Liuniu returned to the ship with relevant information, and they reported to Zhou Qianxue and Zhang Maizi.
Zhang Maizi said with great surprise: "That's great. This island has a lot of fresh water, which is very suitable for establishing a transfer station.
There are coconut groves and sugar cane on this island, which can definitely grow food and raise livestock.
This can provide a large amount of food for the ships passing by.
As the discoverers, we can name this island, how about calling it Coconut Island?"
Zhou Qianxue was also extremely surprised. This island in the Pacific Ocean is located between the Great China Dynasty and the American continent.
He has calculated the longitude and latitude of this island. It is located towards the American continent, but it is not far from the mainland of the Dahua Dynasty.
Zhou Qianxue suggested: "Coconut is too common in tropical areas. There are a lot of sandalwood here. I think it is better to call this place sandalwood."
"The name Sandalwood is also very nice." Zhang Maizi nodded in approval.
The exploration fleet stayed here for a few days to record data on all the islands in the Sandalwood Islands, and then they continued their journey.
To the northwest of the Sandalwood Islands, there are a large number of small islands.
Zhou Qianxue decided to head northwest with the exploration fleet to explore the situation of these small islands.
The exploration fleet has been traveling for several days and has never seen any small islands nearby.
Zhou Qianxue has realized that the exploration fleet has completely left the Sandalwood Islands.
"Chief of Staff, something unusual has happened again in this sea area.
As we travel westward in this sea area, the speed of the ship decreases sharply, and the seawater temperature in this sea area will be higher than that in other sea areas."
When Zhou Qianxue heard the reports from his staff, he knew that he had encountered an unusual sea area again.
Starting from Jinshan and heading west, I encountered an unusual sea area, and I didn't expect it to appear again at this location.
He looked through the previously recorded data and found that the latitudes of the two unusual sea areas he encountered were relatively close.
He originally thought that this abnormal situation only affected an area of the sea.
Unexpectedly, this abnormal sea area spans thousands of kilometers. Similar situations will occur as long as we are at the same latitude in the Pacific Ocean.
Navigation consultant Zhu Da complained: "It's a tailwind now, and our fleet didn't open the sails in order to test the data.
The boat felt like it had entered a quagmire and lost a lot of power.
The power of the ship cannot be lost for no reason. Why do I always feel that I am sailing against the current?"
When Zhou Qianxue heard what Staff Zhu Da said, he was inspired. He immediately put the chart on the deck, lay on the deck and used a pencil to write and draw on the chart.
"A boat against the current is indeed a boat against the current."
Zhou Qianxue laughed loudly. He had figured out the problem that had troubled him for months.
“I didn’t expect that there are hidden rivers in the ocean.
Ships slow down in order to overcome the currents in the ocean."
Navigation Staff Officer Zhu Da heard Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue say this.
He said in surprise: "Chief of Staff, this is incredible. Is there really a river hidden in the undulating Pacific Ocean?"
When I look at this endless sea, I can’t see a river.”
Zhou Qianxue said confidently: "It is very simple to verify this guess."
He ordered Ocean 3 to take the empty barrels and drop them off five kilometers due west of the fleet.
Explore other ships in the fleet, turn off the propeller power, and wait for the ship to completely stop on the sea.
Zhou Qianxue said to others: "If the water in the Pacific Ocean flows normally, the barrels dropped by Ocean 3 will float in all directions.
It's just as I thought, there are hidden rivers in the Pacific Ocean.
Everyone has seen objects floating down a river.
These wooden barrels thrown into the sea will float directly to the exploration fleet and rarely float to other places."
They have seen the signal sent by Yuanyang 3 and the barrel has been thrown down.
These wooden barrels did not keep Zhou Qianxue waiting for long. A large number of wooden barrels floated from the west, forming a relatively straight line and drifting towards the east.
When Navigation Officer Zhu Da saw this scene, he was surprised and said: "There is really a hidden river in the Pacific Ocean. The state of these empty wooden barrels is very similar to the state of objects in the river flowing down the river."
Zhou Qianxue issued an order for the exploration fleet to sail westward along the abnormal sea areas. He kept recording the hydrometeorological information and longitude and latitude of these sea areas.
Zhang Maizi saw that the speed of the exploration fleet was obviously slowing down, and he went to Zhou Qianxue to complain.
Zhou Qianxue said with a smile: "Mr. Zhang, do you know the benefits of going down the river?
If we really find this hidden river in the Pacific Ocean, we can go directly down the river from Dahua mainland to Jinshan, which will save a lot of time.
Even if it is to save some coal and fuel, many businessmen will choose this route."
When Zhang Maizi heard this statement, he was immediately surprised and strongly asked Chief of Staff Zhou Qianxue to explore this hidden river.
The exploration fleet slowly sailed westward, always exploring the situation in this sea area.
Zhou Qianxue looked at this hidden river in the Pacific Ocean. Its flow speed was shocking, and this river was far wider than he imagined.
After everyone's brainstorming, this hidden river was officially named Ocean Current.
The exploration fleet moved against the ocean currents, recorded information about the ocean currents, and gradually approached the mainland of Dahua.
They suddenly saw a fleet flying the Chinese national flag and military flag patrolling the ocean. In front of them was a relatively long and narrow island.
"Chief of Staff, we have arrived in Japan and will be able to return home soon."
The officers and soldiers of the exploration fleet shed tears when they heard the news.
After wandering on the sea for more than a year, the wanderer finally returned home.