Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 207 Military Guidance
February 2, Parita Bay.

Panama is an Indian word meaning "land of fishes".

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, there were about sixty Indian tribes of various sizes living in Panama, with a total population of between 300,000 and 400,000.

However, by this period, the Indian population in the region had dropped to less than 100,000, scattered throughout the vast jungle.

The Indians who inhabit Parita Bay are the Guaymiye people, descendants of the Maya and Nahua people from Mexico and other parts of Central America.

They once had their own splendid culture and ancient customs, and have always lived quietly and peacefully on this fertile land.

However, as the Spanish continued to intensify their colonization of the Panama region, the poor Guaymiye people suffered the most severe disaster.

The Spanish forcibly conscripted local Indian tribes to mine, cultivate land, and build and maintain the important Panama Isthmus Plank Road.

Under the enslavement of the Spanish, the Guaymiye people were forced to do the most difficult and arduous work in extremely harsh environments, and countless Guaymiye people were tortured to death.

The once prosperous and bustling tribal settlements gradually declined and eventually disappeared due to the Spaniards' continuous conscription.

If the coastal area of ​​Parita Bay had not been covered with dense jungle and swamps, making it difficult for the Spaniards to advance deeply into it on a large scale, perhaps tens of thousands of Guaymiye people would have been "exhausted".

In order to survive and maintain their traditional beliefs and ancient civilization, the Guamiye people waged a long and unremitting struggle with Spain.

However, faced with the Spanish colonial army armed to the teeth, the Guaymiye people, who did not even have a few decent pieces of ironware, were completely unable to resist and could only hide in the dense jungle and struggle to hold on.

Four years ago (1627), a huge sailing ship temporarily docked in Parita Bay to avoid a violent storm at sea.

A Guaymiye tribe located on the nearby shore tentatively started a barter trade with them, exchanging livestock, grain, vegetables and fruits for some iron tools and cotton cloth.

Just when they thought this was just an ordinary transaction, unexpectedly, the people on the ship threw a musket at them.

This surprised and delighted the Guaymiye people, and immediately attracted the chief, several elders, and priests of the tribe to come in person and board the big ship.

After a brief exchange, both parties were very happy to expand the scope of the transaction.

The people on the ship had no resistance or hesitation in selling weapons such as swords, spears and firearms. They were even very considerate and sent people ashore to teach them how to use and maintain muskets correctly.

With the weapons they provided, the Guaymiye tribe conquered more than ten surrounding tribes in just two years and integrated them into a powerful tribal alliance.

In the subsequent confrontation with the Spaniards, they gave the opponent a big "surprise".

Through a well-planned ambush, they killed and wounded dozens of Spanish colonial troops and armed militia, forcing the other side to flee back to Panama City in a panic.

Although the Spanish later mobilized more troops to encircle them, the Guaymiye people relied on the dense jungle, humid environment, and familiar terrain to continue to deal with them, frequently frustrating the Spanish.

The big ship would also sail to Parita Bay between January and February every year, exchanging their weapons and iron farm tools for copperware, gold and silver ores, as well as some food, livestock and other supplies from the Guaymiye people.

After several years of efforts, this Guaymiye tribal alliance not only expanded its influence to the entire coast of Parita Bay, but also extended its influence to the Azuero Peninsula, becoming the largest local force in Panama besides the Spaniards.

Under such circumstances, the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru had to begin to take this rising Indian tribe seriously and prepare to mobilize a large number of troops and supplies from several other viceroyalties in an attempt to defeat the tribal alliance established by the Guaymiye people in one fell swoop.

You know, Parita Bay is just a stone's throw away from Panama City and the Isthmus. If it is allowed to develop and grow, it may occupy the entire Panama at any time, and then cut off the land route between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.

If such a terrible thing really happened, it would be a major disaster for the Spanish colonial authorities in America.

The vast quantities of gold, silver, and supplies plundered by the Spanish in Peru would then have to be transported via the turbulent and dangerous Strait of Magellan, or by land routes over mountains and through vast jungles to reach ports on the Atlantic coast. The thought of this scenario is truly agonizing.

It can be said that the Isthmus of Panama is the most critical strategic location for the Spanish colonial authorities in America. It cannot be lost and must be firmly controlled.

Anyone who dares to threaten Panama’s security must be killed immediately.

"Therefore, the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru will dispatch a force of over a thousand people to surround and kill them."

Chen Rui gestured with the Guaymiye tribal elder for a long time, roughly understanding his intention. He then turned to Wei Yingbin and reported, "They want a few cannons to strengthen the city's defenses. In addition, they need more muskets and swords so that they can arm more people to deal with the Spanish encirclement."

"Are they preparing to confront the Spaniards head-on?" Wei Yingbin frowned after hearing this.

Is their brain not working well?

Even though their numbers have skyrocketed to more than 4,000 after years of expansion, and almost all the Guaymiye tribes within a radius of 100 miles have been placed in the same alliance, their strength seems very strong.

However, the relationship between their tribal alliance is not very strong and is loose in form. It is more like a group of large and small tribes living together and keeping each other warm rather than an alliance.

Because after the Paritawan tribe rose to power, nearby tribes either surrendered to them to avoid being attacked, or submitted to the Spaniards and continued to endure their oppression and enslavement.

As for wanting to sit on the fence, that is impossible.

If you are not my ally, then you are my enemy.

Compared with the greedy and brutal Spaniards, the Paritawan tribe was very attractive because they were "their own people", which made many tribes submit to it and obey its orders.

However, this tribal alliance ultimately did not undergo deep integration, nor did it establish a unified military and political management structure, which was far inferior to the model of Nurhaci unifying the Jianzhou Jurchen tribes decades ago.

It would be a bit beyond their capabilities for this group of rabble to compete with the colonial army sent by the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru.

Shouldn’t the best response strategy be to use your own strengths to attack the enemy’s weaknesses?

When the Spanish army came, they immediately moved the elderly, weak, women and children of the tribe to the secluded mountainous area, and then divided the warriors in the tribe into small groups, using the dense forest as cover to fight guerrilla warfare against Spain.

Only in this way can we have some hope of winning.

"How about we send a few people to teach them how to fight the Spaniards?" Chen Rui said subconsciously.

“…” Wei Yingbin’s heart moved when he heard this.

"Leave a few Jiannu surrendered soldiers here?"

"I think it's possible. ... I'm just worried they won't speak the language and might cause unnecessary trouble. Also, adapting to the environment and climate here, as well as the complex rainforest terrain, will be a huge challenge."

"The eastern part of the Azuero Peninsula has a dry season of more than half a year, with relatively little rainfall and a relatively dry climate. This allows them to establish a base here with the Guaymiye tribe."

"Whether there are dates or not, try it! Anyway, if a spare piece is found and it works well in the future, it might have unexpected effects."

"Well, if these idle guys are killed accidentally, it can only be their fate."

(End of this chapter)