Chapter 584 Colonization
When the small meeting in the lord's office was about to end, the guard came to report that Captain Stanford of the Northern Exploration Team was coming.
"Is he back?" There was surprise on Paul's face. Of the three overseas exploration teams, there was no news from those going to the west, and only a few letters were received from those going to the east. Only the northern exploration team The team came back twice.
“Let him in quickly,” Paul ordered the guards, and asked everyone: “Won’t you join me in receiving this outstanding adventurer?”
Old Ford and Hansel Er, Cecil and others nodded, "This is our honor, Lord Grayman!"
After a while, Stanford pushed open the door and entered. As soon as he came in, he saw many officials sitting here. He immediately became cautious and said: "I'm sorry, gentlemen, are you discussing important matters? I'll wait for you." Come in again."
Paul quickly stopped him: "Oh, no. The most important thing for us here is to welcome our adventure heroes. Please sit down, Captain Stanford." He pointed to the place near him. An empty chair.
Stanford's face turned red, and then he laughed heartily, "It's an honor to meet you all." He walked to the chair and sat down.
He lowered his voice and said: "Lord Graiman, I heard on the way to Lake Town that you encountered... something very dangerous. I hope you were not harmed."
"Thank you for your concern, Stanford." Paul said with a relaxed face. There was no anger on his face. "They are just a bunch of little thieves. I am in good health now and have no injuries at all. By the way, What happened to the first group of team members who stayed with the indigenous people?”
"Thank you for your concern. They are very good and have returned with the ship this time."
Among the officials present, some of them were unknown to Stanford, and Paul conducted the inspection one by one for Stanford. introduce. Everyone unanimously asked Captain Stanford to tell what he saw during the adventure.
While reminiscing, Stanford told them about his journey. Everyone was mainly concerned about things on land. The magnificent primeval forests, endless white ice fields, and unheard of strange animals and plants all made Paul and everyone obsessed with them. . Last time, Stanford and others mainly explored the sea and coast. This time, their Buck Tribe set out and advanced into the depths of the ice sheet, and obtained a lot of local information.
This time they also learned the names of the indigenous people in various places for the land under their feet. Starting from the western end of the Rocky Mountains and heading north, they would pass through the Quiet Liaoyuan, Lucky Forest, and Blackwater Basin. To the east of the area is the prairie, and to the north of these three areas are the endless ice fields.
After his narration came to an end, everyone was still recalling the colorful adventures of the exploration team for a long time.
Hansel said with emotion: "The world is far more vast than we imagined. I don't know what other stories worthy of praise the other two exploration teams will encounter."
Paul said: "Stanford, I have carefully considered the proposal you made when I came back to set up a trading post there. I think it is very good. "He looked around and asked everyone: "What do you think?"
"We all think of the trading post. It's a good idea." Old Ford, the director of the Government Affairs Council, expressed his views on behalf of everyone.
The Government Administration attaches great importance to the development of business. In this case, the precious wood, medicinal materials, and animal skins from the north of the Rocky Mountains are commodities that can earn huge profits. There is no reason to ignore them.
Paul smiled and said to Old Ford: "In that case, the Government Affairs Council will make unified arrangements to send several teams of businessmen - official or registered from the private sector - to follow Stanford's fleet next time. Go north.”
The head of the Government Affairs Council nodded and accepted the order. "Lord Graiman, there is something you need to report first." Stanford said, "Several local tribes hope to learn food growing techniques from us."
"I went to see their fields, and the agriculture there was still quite primitive, almost still in the slash-and-burn stage. They were quite interested in the food we brought there - wheat, rice, etc., so they proposed this idea. Request. "
This was really a surprise. After hearing this, Paul fell into deep thought. Is the local planting industry so backward?
After a few seconds, he looked up and asked: "What do you think?"
Hansel rolled his eyes and said: "There is no problem in teaching them, but you cannot teach them for free. You should ask for some compensation, such as...land."
Stanford agreed very much with Hansel's statement: "This is a great deal. The land there, especially the Blackwater Basin, even though it is in the far north, has the most fertile land I have ever seen in my life - unlike ours, the soil there is They are all black, as if they have been blessed by Heavenly Father. The plants growing on them are very large and the fruits are very plump. When I personally inspected them, I felt that I could squeeze out oil from just a handful of soil."
Is it so magical? Everyone in the room was surprised and looked at each other.
Paul's mind became excited. When Stanford came back last time, he mentioned to him that the indigenous tribes did not value the land as strongly as the human countries south of the Rocky Mountains. Nor will it be valued more than what is more urgently needed. A few hundred kilograms of iron ingots, a few large bags of salt, a few boxes of cloth, and a few pieces of exquisite porcelain can make them recognize you as the owner of a large piece of land.
If God doesn’t take what he wants, you will be blamed for it! This sentence suddenly popped into Paul's mind.
This... this should be considered overseas colonization! Ah, are you finally going to embark on this path?
Let’s not talk about those precious natural resources. If what Stanford said is true, then by establishing large-scale, mechanized large-scale farms on the fertile land there, the food supply in the Northwest Gulf will be more abundant. .
Wait a moment, an idea flashed in Paul's head.
Overseas colonization needs people! And it requires a lot of people. Imagine that when Europeans colonized the earth in history, many of them were criminals. If I could learn from this practice, wouldn't it solve a current problem?
He stood up and looked at everyone with solemn eyes, "I have decided! Expand the territory of the Grayman family to the vast land outside the Rocky Mountains through sea routes! Combine human civilization and Austrian civilization. The glory of Erdo shines on the wilderness."
"Lord Grayman is wise!"
"Your ancestors are proud of you!"
"The kingdom has not had a lord with such a pioneering spirit as you for a long time."
< br>Old Ford led a group of officials to offer praises to Paul.
The people sitting here, except Ladi Setia, are all men, and which man can resist the temptation of exploiting territory?
(End of this chapter)