Chapter 1024 Advance Team (5)
Morgan looked at the footprints on the ground around him again. Although they were numerous and messy, they all led to the river bank. They were obviously the marks left by his team. The direction leading inland was very clean. It seemed that Indeed, no one else had come close to this area in the past two days. The reason why he wants to study this kind of details is to determine the areas where local indigenous activities are frequent, and to make corresponding adjustments to the deployment of troops at the strongholds in the Houlong River Basin in the future.
According to Morgan's plan, he plans to set up strongholds at four places: the coast of the estuary, two large river bends along the channel, and Chusangkeng Oilfield. The distances between these four strongholds are roughly the same, so that the three strongholds can be combined. Guarding responsibilities are evenly shared along the ten-kilometer-long waterway, reducing loopholes and pressure on guarding along the way. If the fleet transporting supplies encounters a problem on the way, as long as the ship sends an alarm signal, nearby strongholds can rush to rescue in a short time.
On the other hand, Morgan also considered that the land in the plain area along the Houlong River was fertile and convenient for irrigation, which could be used to resettle immigrants for reclamation and farming, subsidize local food needs, and reduce dependence on external material supplies. After the local area has a permanent population of several thousand in two or three years, there will probably be no need to worry about threats from nearby indigenous tribes.
Haihan's territorial expansion has never been just a single-line operation in the military field. Colonial settlement and long-term management are the methods that must be used to truly occupy an area. Haihan was able to take various owned and unowned lands as his own in the past few years after crossing over. In addition to using force, clever and efficient colonization was also one of the important conditions. The Houlong River Basin has about 40 square kilometers of plain area. It is not a problem to resettle an agricultural population of 10,000 to 20,000 people. As long as the Ministry of Civil Affairs is willing to move people here, it is possible that this barren land will be transformed into a major agricultural county in a few years. possible.
Morgan and his team returned to the temporary camp on the coast that afternoon. Before getting off the boat, he saw Tian Yeyou standing on the pier on the shore, waving slowly to him. Tian Yeyou set off from Jilong Port in Taipei early yesterday morning and arrived at the base in Miaoli by nightfall. He had been waiting for him for a long time. Although the two hadn't seen each other for a long time, their relationship was as harmonious as ever, and they gave each other a big hug when they met. In his early years, Tian Yeyou traveled to the Black Earth Port of Annan with the North American gang. During this period, he had already adapted to the European and American etiquette of this gang, so there was no barrier between them.
"I never thought you would one day lead troops!" Tian Yeyou joked: "I thought you had already started to retire in Sanya and would never leave Hainan Island again."
"I have to get out and do more activities while I can still move. If I stay in Sanya all the time, people will really get moldy." Morgan made no secret of his true thoughts: "A few of my partners, except Johnson is still staying in Sanya for family reasons, and everyone else is developing their own careers outside. When I traveled half the world to participate in the time travel, I didn’t do it just for pleasure. I also wanted to do something that would keep my name alive. In the history books of later generations.”
"So serious..." Tian Yeyou patted Morgan on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, you will have something to do when you get to Taiwan Island!"
Morgan frowned and said, "Why do you think there is so much unrest on the island of Taiwan?"
"There are no big things, but small things continue. There will always be some people who are disobedient and will jump out to challenge Haihan's authority." After Tian Yeyou said this, he took the initiative to change the topic: "What have you gained from going into the mountains these days? Meet the local people Are you a native? ”
"I bumped into a few, but we didn't come into contact with any of them." Morgan rubbed his stomach and said, "I'm so hungry after running all day, so I went to the headquarters and sat down to eat and chat."
In March 1633, the Haihan Army captured Jilong Port, which was originally controlled by the Spanish, and immediately blocked the area. Then they found gold mines in the nearby mountains for mining, and were assigned by the Ministry of Industry to be responsible for this. The person behind the mining project is none other than Tian Yeyou. He has been staying in Jilong Port in the past year, commanding and supervising the operation of the local gold mine. He is responsible for the entire process of exploration, mining and smelting.
In the past year of operation, the Jinguashi Gold Mine has produced nearly 200 kilograms of gold. In addition to offsetting the military expenditures of the Haihan Army's attack on Taipei, this money also has a large amount of surplus that can be divided into shares. Among the military expenditures advanced by the Haihan treasury and the military. The decision to proactively launch a war to seize the Taipei area is also regarded as one of the wisest decisions of the Haihan Executive Committee in the past two years.
Two hundred kilograms of gold sounds like a lot, but in reality it is not much. After it is cast into gold bricks, it only amounts to seven or eight bricks, which can be packed in a small box. But what the executive committee and the military are looking at is not just the production in the first year, but the mining prospects here. According to the information known, the highest annual output of the Jinguashi Mining Area in the original time and space once reached more than two tons, which is ten times the current output, and its value is even much higher than the current tax that Hainan Island can collect in a year. , this huge income from Jilong Port is something that no one can ignore.
Being able to mine the veins relatively smoothly, the number one contributor is naturally Tian Yeyou, who is fully responsible for this project. However, in addition to sending his family to visit relatives locally and creating the best possible living conditions, the executive committee seems to have no choice but to do so for the time being. The law could not have given him better treatment. Tian Yeyou has no way to move away from the mining area for the time being, because most of the local gold mines exist in the form of small, rich ore bodies. It requires experienced professionals to identify the clues where these mineral deposits are located, so the exploration work must be continued for a long time. Go down.
In addition to gold mines, there are also a variety of associated minerals locally, such as pyrite, quartz, calcite, sulfur-arsenic copperite, sphalerite, galena, barite, alunite, etc. Some of these associated minerals also have mining value, and useful substances can be extracted from them. Others, although of little economic value, are important indicators for gold exploration and cannot be ignored.
Identifying these minerals and formulating a mining plan can only be done by Tian Yeyou himself most of the time. Although he has a group of apprentices with him, his technical level and professional experience are still far behind him. Until these apprentices complete their training and leave the profession, Tian Yeyou will probably have to stay on the island of Taiwan. This time, the project in Miaoli happened to be of a special nature, and it was also close to Taipei, so he was ordered to come from Jilong Port to provide technical support for oil exploration.
"Last year, the Ministry of Construction worked overtime to build a two-story villa for me on the seaside near the mine. When I opened the bedroom window, I could see the Pacific Ocean and the large flower garden downstairs. I really faced the sea, and the flowers were blooming in spring, and I didn't need to It's hard work like feeding horses and chopping firewood. Just ask the servants if you have any requirements. It's just a matter of putting clothes on, food and mouth. I go to the mining area the next day and walk around, and it's done in half a day. But to be honest, it's a leisurely day. I don’t know if this kind of life is considered happy.” When Tian Yeyou said these words, there was no smile on his face, and there was even a little confusion in his eyes.
Morgan said: "Then you participated in time travel just to live this kind of aristocratic life? It only took seven years to achieve your goal, and you will still have decades to enjoy it slowly." "That's true, but It's a little different than expected." Tian Yeyou sighed and said, "In Jinguashi, I'm the only one there most of the time. The others are all naturalized people. Sometimes I want to find someone to talk to, but I can't talk much. They couldn't understand what I said, and I was too lazy to explain slowly. Morgan, can you understand that feeling?"
Morgan shook his head and said: "The Executive Committee values you very much and is willing to provide you with the best living conditions and support you as an expert in this field. I think there should be many people who hope to live the life you have now."
Tian Yeyou said: "Yes, the treatment given to me by the Executive Committee has been very generous since I was in Annan. At that time, I lived in Halong Bay and only had to go to the mines for two days a week. I was more free than now. But then At that time, there were Qian Tiandun, Xie Chun, Zhou Hengxing and others, so they could get together and chat at night, which is better than now when they can’t even find anyone to talk to.”
Morgan said: "I understand, you probably just haven't had friends around you to communicate with you for too long, and your life has been too leisurely. You can only think randomly when you have nothing to do all day long, and you have a psychological problem."
Tian Yeyou said: "Maybe! If this is really the reason, I should be able to get some relief recently. After the construction here starts, I may have to keep going back and forth between the chicken coop and Miaoli. When I get busy, I probably won't. I’ve never thought before that things can happen when people are idle!”
Morgan said: "Bikes and Liu Shanxia will come over in two days. They will probably stay here for a few months. Then you don't have to worry about no one being able to talk to you. By the way, you mentioned before, There are no big things here, but small things happen all the time. What’s the trouble?”
"What kind of trouble could it be? Aren't they just the natives in the mountains?" Tian Yeyou said helplessly: "You also know that a safety zone must be designated around the gold mine. For this reason, we forcibly expelled an indigenous tribe, and then followed The natives are in trouble. They come to the mines to cause trouble when they get the chance. If they see any lone Han people, they will find ways to hunt them down. Last year, more than a dozen of them died at the hands of the natives. Fortunately, they are all prisoners of the hard labor camp, so they will die if they die, and there will be no subsequent troubles.”
Morgan asked: "Then you didn't order the garrison to counterattack?"
"Of course I gave the order. I'm not the Holy Mother. How could I just watch them make trouble?" Tian Yeyou explained: "When the natives come to the mine to cause trouble, it's difficult to get away most of the time. The most times they were intercepted by us There were more than 30 people. I didn't shoot them, so I put them directly into the mines as laborers. We also organized two raids into the mountains, but these indigenous tribes had retreated to the mountains and could not be wiped out completely. They can take care of it for a month or two, and then the natives will venture out again. However, their strength is limited and they can't cause any big trouble, so it is definitely impossible for us to keep going back and forth like this. Withdrawal depends on how long the natives can hold on!”
After hearing this, Morgan basically understood the environment of the Jilong Gold Mine. Haihan's local garrison was limited in scale. It was necessary to ensure that the mine that used a large number of hard laborers could maintain normal production order, and to defend against external soil. If people cause trouble, it is impossible to send many troops into the mountains to encircle and suppress them. Most of them will just symbolically drive them away. It is good if the effect can be managed for a period of time. This method can only temporarily cure the symptoms, but it certainly cannot cure the root cause. It is just limited by the conditions. Haihan does not have a good way to completely solve the problem at present. The inland area of Taiwan Island is full of endless mountains. Even if thousands of troops are mobilized and spread into the mountains, it will be difficult to form an effective large net.
The situation Tian Yeyou encountered in Taipei will most likely become a model for Miaoli. During the three-day inspection, Morgan has determined that at least two indigenous tribes are located in the areas that Haihan wants to control. Conflicts with Haihan are bound to happen in the future. If they are not dealt with cleanly and decisively, then the Miaoli area will probably Like the Jilong Mining Area, it will also become a stage for both sides to engage in security wars.
Morgan also served in the US military's overseas garrison before traveling through time. He was well aware of the troubles of security wars. With the various black technologies mastered by the US military at the time, it was still unable to completely eliminate its own losses in security wars. Although he has only one fighting ability, he is always disgraced in public security wars. Of course, Morgan is convinced that the Haihan Army under his command will never fall into the same situation as the US military, and the confrontation with the local indigenous tribes will not reach the stage of a security war. Now that he has learned from the experience of the Taipei area, Morgan feels that he is dealing with In similar situations, you should be more decisive and resolute.
After the two finished chatting, they turned to the main topic. Morgan briefly explained to Tian Yeyou what he had seen and heard in the oil producing area. Although his main task on this mission was to find out the conditions of the shipping route, in the following period, the military's actions must be In cooperation with the exploration team, it is necessary for both parties to communicate well before starting construction so that they can direct their respective subordinates to coordinate actions.
In addition to Tian Yeyou who has successfully arrived in Miaoli, the second batch of workers sent from Penghu also arrived here yesterday and quickly started working on the construction of the camp under the command of the foreman of the Ministry of Construction.
Since there will be thousands of troops coming from Penghu next, they will have to assemble here before entering the mountainous area, so some infrastructure in the camp must be built first. If the fleet from Penghu goes well, it should be able to arrive in Miaoli tomorrow.
(End of chapter)