"Haha! Bruno, my brother, this is the ivory gift agreed upon for Manager Nuno! ...The other one, including the palm leaf mat, is for you!"
"Ah! Praise the Lord! Thank you very much for your generosity, Brother Angel!..."
The tropical sun shone on the Port of Lion Rock, and the brisk sailing ship was flying the royal flag of Portugal. Bruno opened his eyes wide and carefully took two sets of gorgeous ivory products from Angel's hands, his eyes filled with excitement.
The raw materials for these ivory products were forcibly collected from the surrounding Sapi tribe, and then the black carvers of the tribe were forced to work, and they were carved with great effort. Just like the slender ivory horn
, fully two meters long and with thick arms, it must have been harvested from a 40-50 year old elephant.
The surface of the ivory horn is finely carved with large and small animals, flowers and plants, as well as abstract tribal runes, and then painted with gold powder. It is extremely gorgeous and luxurious, and it is full of wild and exotic atmosphere at first glance!
"Woo...beep...wow...beep!..."
When Bruno blew gently, the thick and desolate melancholy melody reverberated between the sea and the sky in the port, like the neighing of a herd of elephants! This is a truly mysterious and expensive instrument, even more valuable than the gorgeous pipe organ that represents the Lord in the church.
many!
Of course, in the homes of the great nobles in Europe, this kind of horn was never blown, but hung as a decoration to show off the family's wealth and aesthetic nobility!
"Praise the Lord! Such a gorgeous horn, the craftsmanship of these dark-skinned craftsmen is really incredible! Manager Nuno will definitely regard it as a treasure...Brother Angel, you are so generous!..."
"Haha!...Bruno, my brother. There is also a set for you, which is also exquisite craftsmanship, but slightly smaller. There are also these mats woven by dark-skinned craftsmen, which are much more comfortable to sit on than fur, and they are also cooler...
When you return to Lisbon, don’t forget to say a few kind words for me!…”
"The Lord is my witness! It must, it must!"
The two highest-ranking Portuguese nobles were polite at the port for a while, blowing each other up to the sky. Then, Captain Bruno returned to the bow of the ship and looked at the old brothers who were missing one person, as well as the newly added mixed-bloods.
The dark-skinned sailor declared with a stern expression.
"God bless! Set sail, northward! Return to Lisbon!..."
The return voyage to West Africa is a mature shipping route that has been developed by the Kingdom of Portugal and has been operated for half a century. This route is dotted with supply ports and is also flowing with golden wealth, just like the blood and tears of the dark-skinned tribes.
On the bones.
"Tsk tsk! At the Gambia Trading Post, there is a big river connecting the dark-skinned tribes in the upper reaches... There are always a lot of activities of the kingdom's slave-catching teams, and they can buy really useful plantation slaves, as well as the most outstanding female slaves, and even some nobles from the Kingdom of Mali.
female!…"
Heading north from the Port of Sierra Leone, which is rich in ivory and palm, at 8 degrees north latitude, the first thing you arrive at is the Gambia Trading Post Fortress at 13 degrees north latitude, located at the mouth of the Gambia River, which produces slaves, ivory, and gold. Of course, the "products" here are actually various products.
This kind of "robbery" by official and private armed forces is extremely cruel and rampant.
Further back, turning to the northwest, is the port of the Cape Verde Islands at 15-16 degrees north latitude, which produces cotton, cane sugar, salt, and salted fish.
"Phew! The dried salted fish from Cape Verde is the most shelf-stable food supply during the voyage! You can also buy cheap rum here, brewed from sugar cane bagasse. There is enough alcohol to manage it... Lord
!In fact, this large port is far more suitable as a starting point for sailing to the new jungle world than Sierra Leone!,,,"
The size of the Cape Verde port colony can be said to be the largest among the Portuguese colonies in West Africa. The Cape Verde Islands, far away from the mainland, do not have the diseases of the tropical jungle and are extremely suitable for colonists to settle. There are thousands of white immigrants.
, and countless black plantation slaves.
There is no doubt that the Port of Cape Verde is the most important West African stronghold of the Portuguese Kingdom. Strong coastal fortresses have been built on several large islands. A small shipbuilding and ship repair yard has also been set up on the main island in the south.
The Portuguese Navy's squadron is stationed all year round.
"Dear Captain Bruno Knight! I will lead two caravels to accompany you northward!..."
According to the rules of the Portuguese Navy, important exploration missions will never send out only one ship, but usually two or three ships form a small team. Bruno brought back the news of the new route, and after arriving in Cape Verde, he immediately
He was received by the squadron commander and sent two clippers to escort him back.
Continuing north from Cape Verde, the next important Portuguese port is the Altyn Island colony at 20 degrees north latitude, close to the arid Mauritania region. The climate here is dry and rainless, and lacks an agricultural foundation, but it has also escaped the terrible crisis.
Tropical malaria allowed white colonists to reproduce and settle stably, completely replacing the native black tribes.
As for the goods produced here, in addition to slaves and ivory, which are common in West Africa, the most famous one is gum arabic, a popular exotic product regarded as a "spice"! Well, in later generations, it was the most popular cola.
An important flavor thickener, it can also hold carbon dioxide and prevent precipitation and precipitation.
“Praise the Lord! No matter how many times you drink gum arabic sugar water, it is always so unforgettable!…”
Continuing north from Altyn Island, the coastline of the Sahara Desert is full of yellow desolation and deathly silence. This kind of yellow sand land of death will only make people think of the terrible evil legends of mummies, scorpions and beetles.
The fearless Catholic missionaries are not willing to go deep into it to find those desert nomads who believe in the stars and the moon.
And after continuing to sail north for a full ten latitudes, passing the only stronghold held by the Castilians in West Africa, the Canary Islands of Dogs, and the port of Las Palmas they established...it is the final springboard to Lisbon.
At 30 degrees north latitude, the Port of Madeira produces fruits, wine, wood and cane sugar!
“Tsk tsk! The wine of Madeira is no different from the Port wine of the Douro Valley. It’s even sweeter and more delicious!…”
In the port of Madeira, Bruno repaired for two days, had a good chat with the local naval officers, and inquired about the situation in the kingdom. The situation in the kingdom did not seem to have changed much, but the situation in Europe had changed significantly.
of waves.
The young French King Charles VIII has officially claimed the throne of Naples to the entire Catholic world, especially the Italian states! At the same time, the military mobilization of the Kingdom of France has begun in full. This also means that France is fighting for Naples.
The succession of the kingdom and the war to invade Italy are imminent and will officially break out at any time!
"France's invasion of Italy?... Hmm... It seems to have nothing to do with our Kingdom of Portugal... We just need to keep a close eye on the Castilians and the movements of their navy!..."
Captain Bruno was not sensitive to the changes in the situation in Europe and had no idea. What really made his face change and become a little nervous was...
"Hey! A new ship has entered the port? The flag and direction of this ship... is it an Azores ship, coming from the Azores Islands?..."
"Ahem! Praise the Holy Mother and thank you for the hospitality! After two days of repairs, I have to return to Lisbon quickly and report the results of the Atlantic exploration to His Majesty the Great King! When there is a chance in the future, everyone will go to the west to make a fortune together!..."
Bruno said goodbye in a hurry, dodged the Azores Governor's ship, and sailed northeast at full speed. The port of Lisbon is only about a thousand kilometers away from the Madeira Islands, and sailing with full sail and smooth wind only takes five or six days. And in early August
, he finally arrived at the prosperous port of Lisbon, the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal, the end point of the West African route!
"The king has an order to summon the royal knight, Bruno Kang! Yes, right now, at this moment! The king is waiting in the Sintra Palace!..."
"Yes! I will take the map with me and go to see His Majesty!..."
When Bruno's fleet arrived at the port of Lisbon, just two or three hours later, a royal messenger on horseback came in a hurry and summoned Bruno urgently. Bruno did not delay at all, and directly mounted the Andalusian war horse brought by the messenger and hugged him.
Looking at the Atlantic Ocean chart for sailing exploration, we speeded towards the Sintra Palace on the outskirts of the city.
“Da da da!…”
“Please come in!…”
"Royal knight, Bruno Kang, comes to meet you!..."
"Enter!…"
"Praise be to the merciful, majestic, and blessed Lord! Praise be to you, honorable, wise, great Majesty João! Your brave sailing captain, fearless explorer, loyal royal knight, Bruno... salute and kneel to you!..."
In the Sintra Palace, Bruno's face was full of excitement. He knelt down in front of the throne of the increasingly aged João II and loudly praised the Lord and the King. Then, he impassionedly opened a volume full of Portuguese text and full of navigational notes.
He handed over the sea chart and handed over a volume of "Ali Sutra" with square characters, and replied with a look of "loyalty" and "ecstasy".
"Your Majesty, your knight has lived up to his trust... After untold hardships, passing through storms and death, he finally arrived at the important place where the new Atlantic sea route was opened up, the ancient kingdom of Sipan with Eastern documents!..."
"There, although we were attacked by a fleet of devilish natives that had been premeditated... Knight Silvera dedicated his life to the Lord... but I still kept your majesty's orders in mind and tried every means to exchange for this from the hands of the native tribes.
A volume of Eastern documents! A new route to the East indeed exists!…”
"And what's even more exciting is! I discovered a brand new, huge, never-before-recorded new continent in the south of the ancient Xipan Sea! The length of this continent is at least 5,000 kilometers, and there is an area of 8
A giant river ten kilometers wide! And along the coast of this wild jungle continent, no powerful native kingdom was found, only uncivilized savages who urgently need the guidance of the Lord... This is an endless unclaimed land!...
"
"Praise the Lord! The greatest navigational achievement since the great Prince Henry launched his voyage of exploration has finally been discovered under the guidance of your great Majesty, with my hands and eyes!... A new continent without an owner, a piece of it belongs to us.
The new continent of the Kingdom of Portugal is just southwest of the port of Sierra Leone, only three to four thousand kilometers away!…”
"What!…"
Hearing this news, the old King Joao II of Portugal stood up suddenly, unable to maintain the king's calm anymore. At this moment, he took over the Atlantic Ocean chart, with a fascinating light in his eyes, just like the ancient Egyptian mythology
