When the three ships of the exploration fleet set off from Nandu Port, under the supervision of the squadron commander, Colonel Xuangjie (Major) Lu Zusheng, they started the navigation timer and the navigation clock at the same time. From now on, the clocks should be wound up every time.

At this time, the managers of several marine clocks must be present and compare the clocks with each other to prevent errors.

On July 28, 1655, when the fleet passed Yangtze Island (now King Island in southern Australia), wind and waves arose on the sea. The sea water was raised high, and the big ship kept bumping. Many of the entourage and some sailors appeared in varying degrees.

Fortunately, three days later, the fleet arrived at Fort Fenning (now Devonport, Tasmania, Australia) in the north of Paradise Island (now Tasmania, Australia), and stopped here to rest for two days.

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On August 3, the fleet set sail, bypassed Paradise Island, entered the rough southern high-latitude western zone, and then turned eastward toward Jingwei Island (now the South Island of New Zealand). On August 4, a chart surveyor

He fell into the sea from the ship and unfortunately drowned. At that time, the surveyor was sitting on a porthole, and the officers speculated that he fell from there.

The navy officers and soldiers on the ship tried to rescue him, but unfortunately they were unsuccessful. He disappeared immediately after falling into the sea. Under the gaze of many eyes, he never resurfaced. Apparently he was swept into the depths of the sea by the big waves. This friend

His departure made everyone feel very sad. The journey had just begun when one of his companions died unfortunately.

On August 5, as the fleet entered near 60 degrees south latitude, the temperature dropped suddenly. Fleet Commander Lu Zusheng ordered that thick woolen coats and woolen trousers be distributed to everyone.

On August 11, the storm from the southwest lasted for nearly four days, with only occasional sunny weather. The turbulent sea water rose higher and higher, constantly beating the hull, causing all the crew members to suffer

Great discomfort.

To this end, the fleet deviated a few dimensions slightly north, and the climate instantly became warmer, which made the crew feel happy and encouraged. But what was frustrating was that the three exploration ships had been separated from each other in the storm for three days.

Time, no trace of each other can be found on the endless sea.

However, fleet commander Lu Zusheng is not too worried about this. According to the pre-made sailing plan, the three ships of the fleet will sail to Huayang Fort on Jingwei Island (now Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand) to dock for rest.

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On August 13, the flagship of the exploration fleet "Fengxing 5" sailed into Huayang Fort controlled by Handong Trading Company, and encountered an armed exploration ship "Fengxing 3" that had been separated at the dock.

Handong Trading Company has been operating Jingwei Island for eight years. In addition to this Huayang Fort, there is also a stronghold more than 300 kilometers to the north - Guangzhou Fort (today's Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand). In addition, in the north is

There are also three strongholds on Gonggong Island (now North Island, New Zealand), namely Fort Runing (now Wellington City, North Island, New Zealand), Xing'an Fort (now Tauranga City, North Island, New Zealand) and Shouchang Fort (now Auckland, North Island, New Zealand).

city).

Huayang Fort is located on the southeast coast of Jingwei Island, with a population of more than 400. It first existed as an anchorage for whaling and hunting seals (sea lions) in Qi State. Later, in order to obtain greater operating profits, Handong Trading Company built a small

Fortress, and gradually moved dozens of craftsmen to perform simple on-site processing of captured whales, seals, and sea lions.

Three years ago, some immigrants discovered gold mines near Huayangbao, which immediately attracted great attention from Handong trading companies. They began to increase the speed of immigration to the area, formed armed guards, enclosed the land, and mined gold mines. This

In the past few years, through the suppression and use of surrounding Maori tribes, they have successively controlled four large and small tribes with a Maori population of more than 1,300. The trading company has gained a large amount of wealth every year from the whales, fur processing and gold mining in the area.

Get a lot of money.

Peng Mingshan, the general manager of Handong Trading Company in Huayangbao, expressed a very warm welcome to the arrival of the exploratory fleet. The predecessors planted trees, and the descendants enjoy the shade. Eight years ago, if the exploratory fleet had not discovered many islands in the eastern part of Hanzhou, it would not have been possible.

As for the establishment of their Handong trading company, it will enable the trading company to earn huge amounts of gold and silver on these islands.

In the future, the exploratory fleet will continue to discover some islands or unknown continents all the way east. With geographical advantages and first-mover advantages, these unowned lands will inevitably be included in the business scope of Handong Trading Company.

More importantly, if a route to the American continent is opened in the future, as a business giant guarding key nodes in the South Pacific, Handong Trading Company will naturally monopolize and control American trade in the first place, and expand the business scope of the trading company.

and the power has expanded again, maybe relying on this, it can surpass the Indian trading company and the Nanyang trading company in one fell swoop.

On the second day after the exploration fleet officers and soldiers were stationed at Huayang Fort, the previously lost "Fengxing 4" also sailed into the dock, which made fleet commander Lu Zusheng somewhat relieved.

During the week of rest at Huayang Fort, the fleet officers and soldiers repaired the damaged sails and replaced some of the damaged ship plates. The managers of Handong Trading Company presented gifts to all the crew members to express their gratitude.

This move was welcomed by the officers and soldiers out of reverence for these fearless warriors.

With the help of local residents, the crew replenished enough fresh water and obtained a large number of live livestock, such as pigs, goats and poultry. In order to ensure that the exploration team can obtain sufficient material support for the arduous voyage ahead, Huayang Fort

Everyone from top to bottom spent almost everything they had to provide the fleet officers and soldiers with the utmost help.

On August 21, the officers and soldiers of the exploration fleet bid farewell to the local officials and residents of Huayangbao, sailed out of the port one by one, and headed south.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, the fleet sailed away from the southern coastline of Jingwei Island.

On the 24th, the fleet commander ordered all ships to turn due east, open all sails, and move forward at full speed.

On the 25th, in the evening, heavy snow fell in the sky, accompanied by strong winds. For safety reasons, the fleet lowered half of the sails, reduced the ship's speed, and sailed carefully on the rough sea.

In the early morning of the 26th, the fleet commander sent a signal to "Fengxing 4", asking it to pilot the ship ahead to ensure the safety of the route. In this sea area close to the Antarctic, large and small icebergs began to appear one after another, which was fatal to the entire fleet.

threats.

On the 27th, in order to avoid collision with the iceberg, the fleet adjusted its direction and shifted several dimensions northward. Although the ship's speed also slowed down due to the weakening of the wind speed, the safety guarantee for the entire fleet was correspondingly improved.

On the 28th, at 8 o'clock in the morning, the pilot ship "Fengxing 4" on which Kuang Youjie, the deputy commander of the fleet and Yuwu School Lieutenant (Captain), suddenly issued a warning signal, requiring the following ships to make an emergency maneuver. On the southeast side of the fleet, there was

A huge iceberg was difficult to see clearly due to the fog on the sea. However, Kuang Youjie immediately ordered the ship to reduce its speed and turn to the northeast.

This decision saved the lives of a crew of people because the iceberg stood right in front of the "Fengxing 4". As the fog on the sea became thicker and thicker, they found it less than one mile away from the iceberg. Lookout

The crew initially mistook the iceberg for land. It was not until Kuang Youjie issued a timely order to change the direction of the ship that they passed the edge of the iceberg and avoided a huge disaster.

Fleet Commander Lu Zusheng immediately ordered the fleet to furl its topsails and required all ships to move forward cautiously.

On September 5, the crew sailed close to an iceberg, trying to get some ice cubes from it onto the ship, and then turn the ice cubes into fresh water. Unfortunately, before they could implement this plan, strong winds arose at sea.

Under this situation, it would undoubtedly be very dangerous for the ship to stay near the iceberg.

On September 14, the wind at sea had just eased, and then there was heavy snow and hail, and almost all the rigging on the ship was frozen. The fleet then adjusted its direction and continued to move north to avoid the severe cold weather.

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On September 17, the fleet passed several more icebergs. In the afternoon, the lookout reported that there was a lot of loose ice on an iceberg. By this time, the weather had gradually cleared up, and the fleet commander ordered dozens of officers and soldiers to drive small boats to the iceberg to retrieve ice.

Ice. Large chunks of ice were piled on the rear decks of various ships.

The crew broke the ice cubes and put them into buckets. After they melted, they formed cool fresh water, which was enough for everyone to drink for a month. There was almost no seawater on these ice cubes, and the water after melting was both fresh and sweet.

On September 20, the weather became extremely mild, the sea was calm, and the long-lost sunshine shone on the fleet officers and soldiers, making them warm and comfortable. The officers ordered all crew members to immediately put away their wet and heavy woolen coats and woolen trousers.

Take it off, wash it, and take advantage of the rare good weather to dry it. Several coal stoves were also set up on the deck to boil pots of boiling water for all the officers and soldiers, making cups of fragrant tea, or

Strong coffee.

The free crew began to hunt petrels and penguins. Penguins are covered with a thick layer of feathers, which are long, narrow and in the shape of fine scales. Because penguins live in a humid environment for a long time, this special feather coat can

protect them from the sea

Soaked in water. Nature has also given penguins a thick skin, allowing them to still be alive and kicking in the ice and snow. But now, the plump penguin meat is stewed in a large pot sprinkled with various spices, giving off a burst of

A rich aroma.

On September 28, the lookouts on several ships of the exploration fleet sent out excited signals almost at the same time. Land was discovered about ten kilometers away from the fleet. After observing the land in the distance, fleet commander Lu Zusheng and several navigators made a drawing.

The division commander's fleet is located

A brief comparison of the longitude and latitude with the world map showed that they had arrived at the southernmost tip of the American continent - the western coast known as Tierra del Fuego, which should be close to the western entrance and exit known as the Strait of Magellan by the Westerners.

This voyage was the first time that the exploration fleet directly crossed the ocean (Pacific Ocean) at high latitudes. According to Lu Zusheng, it had never been such a boring and long journey.

On September 30, the fleet continued to sail forward. At this time, it was about five or six kilometers away from the shore. Through the telescope, the specific situation on the shore could be clearly seen. A large unobstructed area was covered with moss and shrubs.

Around 11 a.m., the fleet sailed into a bay and anchored one kilometer away from the shore. Then it sent out several small boats with more than 30 crew members to measure the water depth while sailing towards the land. The fleet planned to arrive here

Replenish wood and fresh water, and take this opportunity to conduct a thorough inspection. After finding enough wood and fresh water, the fleet ships were cleaned. The outsides of the three exploration ships had already become filthy.

The place where the fleet is anchored is surrounded by countless broken islands, dotted here and there, extending infinitely in the southeast and northwest directions. Opposite the location of the fleet is a small island with a radius of several miles, and there is a bay between the island and the eastern cape.

According to reports from the naval officers who investigated, there were many geese living on the island and on the coast.

After learning this information, the fleet immediately pulled anchor and set sail. Under the guidance of the two leading boats, it slowly docked at the edge of the island. After finally landing, a group of naval officers climbed over many rocks and discovered countless geese.

But because the officers and soldiers made too much noise, the geese were frightened and fled in all directions. Some jumped into the sea, while others fled deeper into the land.

Despite this, the excited officers and soldiers successfully captured more than a hundred wild geese. Finally, everyone returned to the ship exhausted with these wild geese. Everyone in the fleet seemed extremely happy, which meant that in the coming days, in addition to curing meat,

, in addition to pickled vegetables, everyone finally added another fresh dish.

On October 3, while the officers and soldiers of the exploration fleet and their entourage were conducting geological and species inspections on nearby islands, a group of local indigenous people came to visit them in canoes.

These people were short, ugly, and seemed to be malnourished; they had no beards, and wore no clothes except a piece of seal skin; they held wooden bows and arrows, darts, and fish made of bones.

X. When the exploration team sent personnel to contact them, these people and all their accessories exuded an unpleasant smell of seal oil, which made people avoid them.

The indigenous women and children were still in the canoes, which were probably made of huge tree bark. A small fire was lit in each canoe, and the poor indigenous people huddled around the fire. The officers and soldiers

We also found that there were some huge seal skins in the canoe, which must have been used to protect them from wind and rain when they went out to sea, to cover their cabins on the shore, and perhaps to serve as sails.

The indigenous people had a simple communication with the exploration team members in a clear and concise manner, and seemed to be asking about the purpose of their coming here. No one on the exploration team's crew invited these indigenous people to sit down and have a meal together, because the smell of him could make everyone

The crew lost their appetite and just threw them some gadgets at random and then sent them away.

After more than forty days of non-stop sailing, all the crew members were exhausted physically and mentally, and there were also many people who were sick. But what is gratifying is that of the nearly four hundred members of the exploration team, only two people were lost, except for one surveyor.

Apart from people accidentally falling into the sea and drowning near Paradise Island, only one person died of illness.

All this is due to the extensive research and prevention work done by the Qi Navy and the medical and health departments on the prevention and treatment of scurvy at sea. The fleet provided the crew with a large amount of fresh wort and dried lemons, as long as someone showed up

Despite the slightest symptoms of scurvy, he drank a small cup of wort every day and chewed dried lemons more often to supplement necessary vitamins.

There are also many fresh bean sprouts cultivated on the ship, plus a large amount of sour pickles stored in it. These are healthy vegetable foods, which are also highly resistant to scurvy and will not deteriorate if stored for a long time. This

Sour pickles will be supplied once a week or every two weeks depending on the length of the voyage. If necessary, the supply frequency may be faster.

Broth is another useful food. Although the amount per person is small, each crew member can get a small bowl of broth every few days, and sometimes it is boiled with peas.

If they found vegetables somewhere, they would cook the broth with the vegetables.

During long-distance voyages at sea, fleet officers and soldiers will strictly implement a three-shift policy when working night shifts, unless everyone is called away for some special occasions. In this way, they will not be exposed to bad weather for a long time. If a crew member's clothes

Even if he got wet, he could go down and change clothes, and even then someone could stand guard for him.

According to the general provisions of the Qi Navy's "Navigation Regulations", officers on board must take appropriate measures to keep individual crew members and their hammocks, quilts and clothes clean and dry at all times. Every week, officers and soldiers are also required to inspect the deck

Carry out fire smoking to keep the decks clean and dry at all times. The crew also often put an iron pot under the patio and light a fire in the iron pot (of course, when the sea conditions are stable), this method can be very good.

to purify the air in the lower part of the bilge.

In the navy of Qi, for sea navigation, compared with the dirty and filthy environment of its European counterparts, it is nothing more than a wonderful maritime paradise.

At ten o'clock in the morning on October 5, dozens of canoes suddenly appeared on the seaside where the exploration fleet was stationed, carrying more than a hundred local indigenous people, sailing towards this direction with howls.
Chapter completed!