Chapter 3560
Although he finally made these natives understand the simple map before leaving, and the communication was not in vain, Luo Shenghuai also understood that the information he could convey to the other party probably stopped here, and he wanted these natives to obey his orders. , I’m afraid it will be difficult to achieve the goal through such a method of communication.
Of course, he also has a simpler and more effective option, which is to directly use force to capture all these natives as slaves.
However, this is not a good idea. Putting aside the issue of humanity, the forcibly captured indigenous people may not necessarily be able to provide efficient labor results. Xingdao has very rich practical experience in this regard.
In addition to regular immigrants, a considerable proportion of the population acquired by the Star Island Region from the outside world comes from the slave trade. These slaves often do not obey official labor arrangements, and even find ways to resist. Their work efficiency is often far lower than that of regular immigrants.
Therefore, although Xingdao still buys young men from slave traders, the treatment they provide has been much improved compared to the early days. It not only stipulates the labor period for emancipation from slavery, but also provides opportunities for naturalization to those who perform well.
These measures not only improved the labor efficiency of slaves, but also greatly reduced the fights and casualties caused by slave resistance, reducing the cost of using slave labor in various industries of Xingdao.
Therefore, as long as the local indigenous people do not show obvious hostility, Luo Shenghuai does not intend to turn them into slaves. Although the opponent is an uncivilized native, if they really want to surrender the tribe of three to five hundred people, they will have to mobilize a considerable number of troops to complete the roundup. In Luo Shenghuai's opinion, there is absolutely no need to organize such a combat operation.
After returning to the camp, Luo Shengding asked about the meeting with the indigenous tribes, and Luo Shenghuai told the truth that the meeting did not achieve the expected results.
Luo Shengding was somewhat worried about this: "Brother, as you said, the indigenous tribes make a living by hunting, and there must be many brave and ruthless people. If we see a prosperous life and abundant supplies here in the future, Do you have evil intentions to rob people? ”
Luo Shenghuai said: "From what I have seen, the other party does not show any resistance to contact. In the future, we can send some materials such as salt and iron to maintain the relationship and slowly teach them to trade. If they are not educated, then we can do it again." It’s not too late to take other action.”
Seeing that his brother had no intention of attacking the natives, Luo Shengding did not insist any longer. The opponent didn't even have metal weapons, so he couldn't cause much trouble even if he thought about it.
The main focus of the Luo brothers was still on the various tasks of establishing colonial points.
In addition to building settlements and ports, the livelihood of immigrants is also one of the important things they must consider.
There are quite a few rivers and lakes near Swan Lake, with abundant water resources. The flat terrain and fertile soil are very suitable for cultivating farmland.
However, this place is located in the southern hemisphere, and the seasons are quite different from those in the northern hemisphere. It is not like Star Island, where there are no clear seasonal changes throughout the year.
May has entered late autumn, and winter is about to arrive. The next three months will be the lowest temperature period of the year here.
According to the information Roger obtained from Sanya, although the temperature here will not drop to the level of snow in winter, there will be wind and rain throughout the winter, similar to what Xingdao lasts for four or five months from the end of each year to the beginning of the year. of rainy season. Until September, the weather here will gradually get better, the temperature will rise, and it will enter the season suitable for farming and sowing.
This means that in the next three months, it will be difficult for immigrants and garrison troops to cultivate food crops locally, and staple foods such as rice and noodles may still have to rely on the supply of base camp.
Fortunately, the expedition fleet was prepared for this when it set off. It not only carried a large amount of food reserves, but also various poultry and livestock, allowing it to open multiple local farms and pastures.
In addition, local aquatic products are another major source of food. The warm currents off the coast have created a natural fishing ground in the nearby waters, and there are also a large number of freshwater fish available for fishing in Swan Lake. The only thing fishermen have to worry about is whether their fishing nets are strong enough.
Some cash crops that are less picky about season and climate and have longer growth cycles can be planted right now. Oil crops, rubber, spices, fruit trees and other crops will bring considerable economic benefits to local people when they enter the harvest period in the future.
In addition, the expedition fleet also brought a hundred mulberry trees and a batch of silkworm seeds. After determining the location of the colony, they immediately found a suitable location nearby and transplanted the mulberry trees into the soil. When spring arrives here in a few months, you can try to hatch silkworm seeds.
Silk products are one of Haihan's most profitable export commodities, but Xingdao is located in the tropics and the climate is not suitable for the development of silkworm breeding. Luo Jie and Tan Juren have been jealous of this profitable business for many years.
The location of Swan Port in the southern hemisphere is similar to the silk-rich Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, and it is also a coastal area. Therefore, the Xingdao authorities wanted to try to introduce silkworm breeding to the local area. If it succeeds, the textile industry chain will be established here, and it is expected to become one of the pillar industries here.
There is another local infrastructure project that must be completed as soon as possible, which is the shipyard.
The natural environment near Swan Lake provides ample forests, and there is no need to worry about the dock being affected by wind and waves caused by the harsh weather at sea.
Of course, the most critical reason is that ships of all sizes stationed here in the future cannot travel thousands of miles each time and return to the shipyard on Star Island for repairs. There must be relevant local institutions to support the daily operation and repair and maintenance of ships here.
In addition, the Luo brothers have not forgotten one of their missions here, to explore the mineral deposits in the surrounding areas and formulate a mining plan.
Mining is the real pillar industry set by the Star Island authorities for the new colony. As long as the three mineral deposits of coal, iron, and gold are obtained in advance, it will be enough to make the place prosperous. This was a real cornucopia for the colonial authorities.
Of course, knowing the approximate location in advance saves a lot of trouble, but it is not an easy task to find out the specific locations that can be mined and formulate corresponding mining plans.
The approximate location of these mines may seem not far away on a larger-scale map, but the distance from Swan Lake is often dozens to hundreds of miles away, and the prospecting team must go deep inland to complete the task.
In order to ensure the safety of technical personnel, the Luo brothers also equipped each team with at least one company of armed forces to serve as escorts, as well as survival supplies that could last for twenty days in the wild.