Since Ding Guofeng went to Pazaya Rai, the shipping route from Bacheng to Malacca through Malacca has also become busy.
First, the Thunderbolt made two trips between the local government and Bacheng, bringing a large amount of food, medicine, cloth, weapons and ammunition, and even a large number of Dutch guilder copper coins and horse sword silver coins. More than half of the supplies were made of
Came to support the Mysore army.
The problem is that although the Thunderbolt has a large carrying capacity, its biggest weakness is the fuel supply, which cannot make many trips. Although Beihai Town has built dock refueling points in Citrus Ao and Bacheng, they cannot support a behemoth like the Thunderbolt.
At present, Zhang Bo has sent 200 people to the oil-producing area in southern Sumatra for preliminary site selection. A large number of people will have to wait until spring to go south. Because it is located deep in the tropical rainforest and has inconvenient transportation, plus accommodation, medical support, safety, etc.
Due to various problems, it is expected that it will not be put into production until the middle of 1794.
In order to solve the problem of tight maritime transportation capacity, the Bacheng Military Control Commission has offered a lot of rent, renting more than 50 large and medium-sized ships in Hoi An, Samfa, Pontianak, and Malacca City, ranging from 500 dan to 2,000 dan.
After these merchant ships arrive at Bacheng Port, the Military Control Commission will first sign an agreement with the ship owner or shiphead and pay half of the rent. Once all the ships are loaded with cargo, they will be escorted by Cheng Boon Hsien's fleet through the Strait of Malacca.
Go to local governance.
From this moment on, more and more Chinese businessmen extended their tentacles to the Strait of Malacca, and at the same time expanded sea trade routes to the Indian Ocean and beyond.
Compared with Ding Guofeng's step-by-step and cautious approach in India, He Xiwen's actions in Borneo were much smoother and more unscrupulous.
On November 2, three battalions of servants with a total of about 900 people set out from Bacheng by boat and arrived at Xinfu, Nambawa and Sanfa respectively. The local Sultan learned that hundreds of Beihai soldiers had entered.
He was very worried about his own territory and hurriedly sent his men to inquire.
However, people from both the Lanfang Company and the Dagang Company told the Sudanese officials that they could rest assured that these people were here to help the Chinese apply for identity cards. It was easy to get things done when there were so many people. After that, those officials were taken away
So I went to the place where I got my ID card, and I was sure.
After receiving reports from their subordinates, the sultans let down their guard. After all, their cooperation with the Chinese had not lasted more than a day or two. But what they didn't know was that Lanfang Company and Dagang Company had completely defected to Beihai Town.
At four o'clock in the morning on November 7, the servant armies from the three places acted in unison, stormed into the Sultan's palace with loaded guns and ammunition, disarmed the guards, and arrested all royal family members, clergy and government officials. Anyone who tried to resist during the operation was shot dead on the spot.
, no explanation at all.
The panicked prisoners and family members were brought to the square in front of the palace to gather. Then the officers of the servant army took the order issued by Zhao Xin in advance and announced that their thrones were permanently deposed and local affairs were taken over by Beihai Town. At 7 in the morning
At this point, the prisoners were escorted onto the ship one after another, and when they were full, they left and were sent to the Beihai Navy's base in Ganlongao.
The largest family among them is the family of Sultan Alkadri of Pontianak. This 62-year-old Sultan has many wives and concubines, and has more than 60 children. This speed of making villains would put Kangxi to shame even during his lifetime.
Not as good as.
In fact, Citrus Island is not their final destination. According to the plan previously drawn up by Zhao Xin and He Xiwen, all royal family members and clergy will eventually be sent to Minami Kyushu and placed under the supervision of the Sendai Domain. In the case of Date Murakusa and Beihai
Due to the relationship between the town and the town, one can imagine the tragic fate of these people in the future.
The rapid demise of the three sultanates caused an uproar among the local Dayak ethnic group. However, now the main residents along the coast of West Borneo are Chinese or the second generation of Chinese ancestry, and Luo Fangbai and others have been holding the blame for these years.
The name of the Sultan of Dian was conquered in the east and west, and his prestige had long been established; especially Jiang Wu, the Dayaks were frightened by him. Moreover, the people in Lanhe camp were not people who lived on hard food, although the people in Kajiangli
There are a lot less crocodiles now, but it is still easy to let a few people with opinions disappear...
After cleaning up the three Sudanese regimes in the west, He Xiwen swaggered onto the "Nanhua No. 1" and headed for the new port. He stayed for a few days and held a meeting with Luo Fangbai and others before continuing northward. His companions also
There are Luo Fangbai's capable men Jiang Wu and Wu Bailan and Ying Zhuangyong.
When he came to Singkawang, more than 2,000 servant troops from Bacheng also arrived one after another. According to the plan, the Northern Navy was going to build a large military station here to serve as a bridgehead for attacking the Sarawak region. This is the Grand Port
They also provided the company's land, the 300 acres of land used to build military depots, and thousands of Chinese workers.
The Beihai Navy treated Chinese workers very well. They never withheld any deductions and did not allow the eldest brother Yan from Dagang Company to pluck their hair. In addition to settling accounts in cash every week, they also took care of three meals a day and distributed clothes and shoes, so they came to work.
People flock to it like ducks.
He Xiwen's next goal is to clean up the Ibandayak pirates entrenched on the coast of Sarawak and set up fortresses and supply points in Kuching and other coastal areas. His purpose in fighting pirates is not entirely for coastal security.
Rather, it was used as an excuse to crusade against the Sultanate of Brunei; in fact, it was the nobles of the Sultanate of Brunei who provided shelter to these pirates, and the Iban pirates were able to flourish to this day.
The northern coast of Borneo has been synonymous with pirates, slave owners and headhunters since the 17th century because it is adjacent to the busy South China Sea route. There are rivers and wetlands here, forming many estuaries and deltas, with many channels leading to the sea, which is very suitable for
The pirate fleet was concealed and easy to retreat. For more than a hundred years, the Ibans drove the pulahu to sail on the sea, just like the Arabs rode their horses in the desert and roamed on the beach.
Speaking of which, this is all an evil man-made by the Dutch. Due to the VOC's mercantilism and trade monopoly policies, they tried their best to prevent any form of hostile ships from conducting maritime trade in Southeast Asia, so they were not willing to accept the Iban and Malays who were just fishermen.
The only way to obtain greater economic gains is through piracy.
There is an old Malay proverb that goes like this, the first pulahu is built for fishing, the second one is built for robbing the first one.
"Prahu" is a 27-meter-long single-masted two-legged sailboat with two floors, upper and lower, driven by 60 to 80 oars, and can carry 80 to 100 people. There is a large musket on the bow.
Or swivel guns; on the side of each ship, there are twenty or thirty muskets.
The entire hull is covered with a shed made of bamboo sheets, with a layer of mats on top. This is to protect the ammunition and supplies below from the rain, and at the same time, it can also serve as a combat platform during side-to-side battles.
The deck quickly climbed up to engage in a gang-hopping battle.
He Xiwen heard Luo Fangbai say that both the Dutch and the British had suffered heavy losses at the hands of Iban pirates earlier.
They will not provoke large fleets, and usually make a living by robbing and destroying small merchant ships. They usually lure targets into reef areas or shallow water areas, and when the ships run aground on the rocks, they will swarm on them. It is said that the ants will kill the elephants, and the Iban people's
The weapons are all coated with the juice of curare wood. As long as they are scratched and bloody, the game will be over in a matter of minutes without even an antidote.
Even if the crew does not resist, the outcome will not be much better; in addition to burning the ship, the Iban people also have a tradition of headhunting. The crew members who are lucky enough to survive will be sold into slavery, regardless of whether they are white or yellow.
Never let it go.
In order to lure the snake out of its hole, He Xiwen sent two Frut sailing ships captured from the Dutch and modified into the waters of northern Sarawak. This is a small cargo ship specially used for rapid transportation, with an average length of only more than 24 meters.
First of all, VOC was once manufactured in large quantities for transoceanic transportation. Because the ship had fewer people and more cargo, it could only carry 12 to 15 6-pound cannons at most, making it an easy target for pirates.
In order not to arouse the suspicion of the pirates, the sailors of the Northern Navy and the soldiers of the Marine Battalion on the deck all wore blond wigs and dressed like Dutchmen. There were also several Chinese translators who knew Malay. The names of the two ships
There has been no change. One is called "Lady Agatha", which was launched six years ago, with a displacement of 900 tons; the other is called "Three Mountains", which was launched 40 years ago, with a displacement of 850 tons.
Oulang Kaya Beti, this person is a great chief in the Iban tribe, commanding forty longhouses. Yes, the strength of a Dayak chief depends on how many longhouses he manages;
It can be tens of meters short or more than a hundred meters long. Basically, a big family lives in a longhouse. Beti is in charge of forty families, which is considered a very big force among the Iban pirates.
, so he has forty Prahu Clippers.
In addition, the dark tattoos all over Chief Beti's body also highlight his "illustrious military exploits." To put it simply, when the Iban people reach the coming-of-age ceremony, they first have to tattoo their shoulders; after successfully participating in the first headhunting, they will tattoo the backs of their hands.
The tattoo will be completely black; after that, every time one is hunted, a finger will be tattooed black again.
The Dutch were driven away by the Northern Navy, and the British merchants did not dare to come. As a result, there have been many fewer merchant ships heading to Bandar Seri Begawan via Sarawak recently. This made Betty very unhappy. He could not get money or behead people.
, such a life is really boring. So when he learned that two small Dutch cargo ships were coming, he immediately became excited.
Fellow warriors, let’s go out with all the copycats and headhunters to grab things!
Thousands of Iban people raised their spears, bows and arrows, howling like orangutans in the rainforest, excited for the upcoming headhunting feast.
More than an hour later, the two "Dutch boats" were lured into a shallow water area by a few Iban people in a small boat in the name of doing business and looking for women, and then hit the bottom and ran aground. If you wanted to retreat,
To go out, you have to wait until the sea tide rises at night.
They have used this trick many times in the past. This area of Sarawak is rich in bird's nests, pepper, and eucommia gum, and Dayak women can choose men at will before marriage, and there are no moral constraints. However, this is no longer possible after marriage.
Beti, who was standing on the bow of the boat, learned that the target had fallen into a trap, so he raised his sword to signal. Including his own boat, forty pulahus filed out from two river mouths, and the distance between the two sides was only five hundred meters.
Domi, you can put it on in a blink of an eye.
However, what he didn't expect was that these two "Dutch ships" contained no cargo, only people and weapons and ammunition. Two companies of soldiers from the North Marine Battalion were waiting for his arrival.
As soon as the pirates came out, the soldiers of the Marine Battalion took their weapons and hid behind the sandbag walls on both sides of the ship. Several sailors dressed as Dutchmen looked panicked, waving their hands and shouting on the deck, running away.
Come and run.
When forty pirate ships formed a circle and entered a distance of fifty meters from the two ships, the Iban pirates suddenly heard a sharp and harsh whistle sound from the two ships, and then saw dense gun muzzles.
Emerged from the side of the ship.
"Oops! I was fooled!"
Betty was startled at first, but he still decided to give it a try. The tribute paid to the Sarawak Rajah in the past six months has been somewhat low, and the other party has expressed dissatisfaction. Based on his understanding of the Dutch weapons, the opponent can only fight one round at most.
His own men could rush onto the deck and kill them. However, when a hail of bullets sprayed out at the Iban pirates, Betty realized that he was completely wrong.
Several Chinese translators and Dayaks recruited from Singkawang were originally frightened to death by the large group of pirates, thinking that they might die today. But the next scene was unforgettable for them. They finally understood,
Why can't the Dutch defeat the Northern Navy?
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! As soon as the Marine Battalion opened fire, the Iban pirates at the front suffered heavy casualties. Those guys who gathered on the canopy of the upper deck and were about to join the gang all fell to the ground
In the pool of blood, bright red blood fell along the cracks in the ship's planks and into the lower cabin, causing the sailors who were rowing to scream loudly.
Because Betty's ship was farther back, he was lucky enough to avoid the bullet. However, he soon noticed that several guys stood up on the "Dutch Merchant Ship", all carrying thick wooden sticks with small arms pointing at them.
On the sea surface; what surprised him was that the head of the "wooden stick" was like a spindle.
"What's this?"
Before Betty could think more, she saw a stream of white smoke mixed with fire suddenly shot out from the tail of the "wooden stick" on the opponent's shoulder. With a roar like thunder, the spindle-like thing also turned into a bright red
The light and shadow roared towards the ships behind him. Immediately afterwards, a huge explosion sounded on the sea, and the two pulahu were immediately blown to pieces.
The stunned Betty suddenly became furious, and he immediately issued an order to retreat. However, at this time, the sea was like a boiling pot, with gunshots, explosions, and screams mixed together, and the thick smoke caused by the explosion also disturbed the scene.
human sight.
More than an hour later, Betty, who had fled back to the inland river, started crying after counting the number of his men. There were still more than a dozen boats, but there were only more than 400 of his men alive, including
Many were shot and injured. He really couldn't understand why the "Dutchmen" on these two boats were so powerful. It was obviously not like this before!
Stop talking and retreat to your home base quickly.
However, what Beti didn't know was that this matter was not over yet! At dawn the next day, more than a dozen assault boats carrying soldiers from the Land Combat Battalion headed straight for Beti's home base under the guidance of the accompanying Dayaks.
Brooke, an Englishman of later generations, famously said that the only people who could deal with the Dayaks were the Dayaks. Therefore, the Northern Navy followed the winding river and found Beti's lair in only half a day.
After some reconnaissance by the aircraft, they immediately launched an attack.
The wall made of heavy logs and stones could not stop the attack of the Northern Navy. After several successive explosions, the huge wooden door crashed to the ground, signaling the end of the Iban pirates.
Most of the adult men were beaten to death. Seeing that the situation was over, Betty had no choice but to kneel down and surrender with her women and children, and became prisoners. When the people from the Marine Battalion subsequently searched, they were shocked to find that hanging from the beams on the second floor of the long house was
It was filled with dried heads of all sizes, which made them sick. In order to completely clear out this pirate nest, they burned all forty longhouses during their retreat. The fire burned for a day and a night before it was extinguished.
After interrogation, Beti quickly admitted that he had a cooperative relationship with the Sarawak Rajah appointed by the Sultan of Brunei. The other party not only helped him sell the stolen goods and share the profits, but also provided weapons.
That's it! This is what He Xiwen was waiting for. In fact, it doesn't matter whether Betty is captured or not. The key is that there are pirate prisoners.
After receiving the telegram from the front, he immediately ordered the two thousand servants in Singkawang to board the ship and set off. He himself boarded the "Nanhua No. 1" as the flagship and led more than 20 troops captured from the Dutch.
The refitted merchant ship rushed to the Kingdom's capital in Bandar Seri Begawan to investigate.