"Silvira Deputy! Who gave you the order to fire the cannons without my command?!"
"Uh!... Honorable Sir Bruno Kang, I just... just saw the natives praying to the demon, fearing they might curse the fleet... so I fired first to interrupt their evil curse..."
"Nonsense! Silvira, you impulsive fool! Do not use the na of the 'Father' as an excuse for your own foolish recklessness!... I sternly warn you! If this mistake happens again, you will be relieved of your captain duties and replaced by another officer!"
"I!... I will... comply with you... Sir Bruno Kang."
As a pioneer in naval exploration, the Kingdom of Portugal Navy's discipline was far stricter than the still-budding Castillo Navy. Faced with Captain Bruno's stern reprimand, Deputy Silvira, though secretly gritting his teeth with hatred, could only bow his head and admit his mistake on the surface.
However, Silvira's reckless cannon fire, with all four two-pound cannons firing simultaneously, directly caused injuries and deaths to more than ten natives. The lined-up Taino Tribe was greatly shocked, with hundreds of strong n scattering directly, only regrouping after fleeing to the furthest part of the village.
And that regrouping position had already exceeded the range of the ship's cannons. Whether it was the two-pound cannons on the Vice Ship at close range or the longer-ranged eight-pound cannons on the flagship, they could no longer reach it.
Thus, Bruno's plans for peaceful communication were completely shattered. As for military conquest, to take down a native village of a thousand scale with less than forty sailors on the fleet? In the cautious view of Bruno, this was an extrely risky, unrealistic fantasy! What if these natives possessed poison arrows like the Caribs? The entire fleet might end up buried here...
"Wave the flag! Turn north, leave this village!"
Bruno did not hesitate and directly issued the order to move. Soon, the fleet sailed along the rugged Haiti coast towards further north. The reason they were sailing mostly north was to closely match the latitude recorded in Columbus's logs.
"Pedro! What's the latitude tonight?"
"Between 18 and 19 degrees North."
"Scholar Martin?"
"18.5 degrees North, with a quarter-degree deviation up or down."
"Hmm... According to Columbus's records, he encountered the native kingdom at 21 degrees North and repelled the sudden attack from native oar-sail ships... Inform the fleet to remain on high alert at all tis! Anchor in deep sea areas at night with two sentries on duty!"
"Yes, Captain!"
On February 10th, the Portuguese fleet sailed northwest along the eastern coast of Haiti. At 19 degrees North, they sailed into a narrow bay stretching a hundred miles long, only to discover it was a dead end. This future Samaná Bay, celebrated as a vacation destination, was incredibly scenic.
Around the bay, vast mangrove wetlands sprawled, with frigatebirds and pelicans soaring through the sky, and even a humpback whale, similarly lost and circling the bay, singing mournfully.
"Moo~ aah! Moo~ ooh!"
The lodic whale song drifted through the bay, filling Bruno with a sense of serenity, and the sailors swallowed hard. The Portuguese, with their long tradition of whaling, found the Azores an excellent place for whaling. The ample whale at was the most economical and favorite source of at for the low-ranking sailors!
However, from the Viking era to today, hunting gigantic whales has always been very difficult and dangerous, often yielding nothing. The biggest challenge was tracking and chasing an injured, frantic whale. Unless there was excellent terrain to restrict the movent of the whale, like the whale port of the Salish Sea on the Western Sea Coast and this narrow bay that could trap whales...
"Witnessed by the Almighty! This is like a long pocket, truly an excellent place for whaling! A frenzied, injured whale might crash directly onto the beach... But this place suitable for hunting might not just be for whales! If an enemy fleet suddenly appeared, blocking the bay's entrance... we wouldn't escape at all, and like prey in a trap, we would surely be annihilated!"
"Hear my command, turn imdiately east, don't linger here! We must quickly leave this dangerous bay pocket!"
Bruno remained vigilant. His naval officer skills, honed by ten years on the Southern Continent, were indeed solid. And his concern wasn't baseless.
Just at this mont, news of "white-skinned demons attacking" was spreading endlessly among the tribes on Haiti Island! However, the Portuguese fleet, being very agile, moved quickly, temporarily outpacing the ssengers by two days...
"The Almighty be with us! We wasted two days in this narrow bay! ...The fleet continues north, moving to 20 degrees North!"
Moving north from Samaná Bay, they passed from the Eastern Sun Alliance in the southeast of the Great Island to the Eastern Stone Alliance in the northeast. The Portuguese fleet moved intermittently, with most Taino tribes along the way resembling startled hedgehogs, so already inford of the news. Large Taino villages gathered militias, nervously huddles together, while smaller tribes scattered, retreating into the inland forests... All Taino tribes, upon encountering the white-skinned fleet, reacted as if they'd seen a "demon"!
"Holy Mother! What on earth is going on? Clearly, we're eting these natives for the first ti, yet each one reacts as if they've seen a ghost?"
Bruno frowned deeply, unable to comprehend. However, the natives' reactions gave him an uneasy premonition. He had to find out what was really happening behind all this!
"Matim! When we find another small village... take so sailors with you, row a small boat quietly close, and capture a couple of native hostages! Be careful not to get ambushed by the natives!"
"As you command, Captain!... Rest assured! These natives seem much easier to deal with than those hairy, arrow-shooting ones!"
"Rember, no killing! Be gentle! Kindly bring them back!"
"...Uh... yes, Captain!"
The moon rose and fell, and the small speedboat went forth and returned, getting fairly practiced. Matim, along with two captured natives, returned to the flagship hidden in the offshore. Then, Bruno eagerly called over the obedient "Guide Potato" and began communicating with the terrified natives.
"The Almighty be with us! We an no harm! ...We co with the graciousness and protection of the Father, bringing peace and friendly trade..."
"Here! These are colorful hats to give you! These are colorful beads! And this, a wood carving cross for you... Yes! They are all for you! Wear them! Our friends..."
"Right! Eat so food too! Delicious jerky, and the most marvelous malt beer!"
Bruno wore a friendly smile. He bestowed gifts to placate, fed the natives, and even offered so precious wine, making the sailors' eyes redden with envy. Until the two natives gradually lost their fear, Bruno gently and amiably inquired.
"My friends, there's no need for fear or worry. Our Lord is a God of peace... Please tell , why do you fear us? Why do you flee or prepare for battle at the sight of us?"
"Hmm... Furthermore, we are ssengers of the benevolent Almighty, with even more and better gifts for your chieftain, your kingdom's leader! So, can you tell where your capital city is? How far is it from here, and what is it like?"
"Oh, right! Besides our large ship, have you seen other large ships? Are those large ships from your kingdom's patrolling navy? And where must we go to encounter them?"
As a Taino tribe mber himself, the clever Shushu served as an excellent translator, conveying Bruno's placation and questioning to the two natives from the Eastern Sun Alliance. When the other party stamred their reply, intelligent Shushu suddenly froze. Rembering his experiences from the past year, his heart filled with sadness, and his eyes turned red in an instant!
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