Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 239 Conjecture
"Do you think the Spaniards discovered the existence of Black Shark Island (now Guadalupe Island, Mexico)?" Naval trainee officer Sun Shunan asked in a low voice as he watched the outline of the island gradually become clearer in front of him.

The sea breeze blew across his face, bringing a hint of salty and damp air. His brows were slightly furrowed, and he looked a little uneasy.

"The Spanish discovered this island decades ago," said fellow officer cadet Liu Pingzhu, standing beside him, arms folded across his chest. He replied in a relaxed tone, "However, the island lacked the necessary fresh water resources and a suitable living environment, so they abandoned it."

"..." Sun Shunan rolled his eyes upon hearing this, with a hint of helplessness in his tone, "Is this what I'm talking about?"

"Oh..." Liu Pingzhu glanced at him, a smile on his face. "Are you asking if the Spanish have discovered our Xinhua's secret base on the island?"

"Yeah." Sun Shunan nodded, his eyes still fixed on the island ahead. He said worriedly, "What if we sail over and find the Spanish guarding there? That would be very bad."

"Don't be afraid!" Liu Pingzhu patted his shoulder, his tone full of confidence. "Our Feijian-2 is fast. The Spaniards can't catch up with us."

"I'm not afraid." Sun Shunan glared at him unhappily, his tone tinged with anxiety. "I'm worried that if Black Shark Island is occupied by the Spanish, we won't have a suitable supply point. This time, we'll be staying in the Mexican coastal area for a long time. Without a supply point, how can we achieve our goal of continuing the war?"

"It doesn't matter. Even if we don't have a logistics supply point, we can still light beacons everywhere in Mexico, so that the Spaniards will be too busy to concentrate on attacking Xinhua!" Liu Pingzhu waved his hand with a heroic tone.

"That's easy to say!" Sun Shunan shook his head, a hint of seriousness in his tone. "In class, the instructors told us that naval warfare is particularly important for supply. If we don't have appropriate supply bases or fully protected supply ships, where will we find the shells and gunpowder we need for combat, the wood and canvas for ship repairs, the food and fresh water for the crew's survival, and the places where the injured and sick can recuperate?"

"Don't forget, prolonged combat at sea without the necessary rest and supplies will severely damage the morale of officers and soldiers."

"So what?" Liu Pingzhu shook his head indifferently. "Even if we don't have any supplies, we can still deal a heavy blow to the Spanish with our tenacious willpower. Over a hundred years ago, Columbus and Magellan managed to sail their fleets at sea for six months, even over a year, and they managed to survive. I believe we should be able to survive six or seven months at sea without any problems!"

"Besides, our raiding squadron is only operating in the coastal areas of Mexico. If we run out of food and fresh water, we can just find a secluded shore to land on and get supplies easily."

"Alas, you're overthinking naval warfare," Sun Shunan said. "The instructors taught us that the principle of warfare is to inflict the greatest possible damage on the enemy while also conserving your own strength. It's not like you, who achieve your goals at any cost."

"However, the instructor also taught us that only by not fearing sacrifice can we have the determination and courage to defeat the enemy." There was a hint of firmness in Liu Pingzhu's tone, and a fearless light flashed in his eyes.

"We are not afraid of sacrifice, but that doesn't mean we should ignore the casualties of officers and soldiers." There was a hint of heaviness in Sun Shunan's tone and a hint of worry in his eyes.

He knew that Liu Pingzhu's courage and determination were valuable, but war could not be won by courage alone.

Supply, rest, and morale are all key factors that determine victory or defeat.

The sea breeze was still blowing, but the atmosphere on the deck seemed a little solemn.

Sun Shunan's gaze once again turned to the small island in the distance, and he prayed silently in his heart, hoping that their secret base was still safe and that the expedition would be successful.

Liu Pingzhu still stood beside him with a firm gaze, as if no difficulties could shake his determination.

The two figures were stretched out in the sunset, and the sea and sky were one color, as if foreshadowing the unknown challenges they were about to face.
-

On July 7, the armed merchant ship "San Jose" was sailing slowly along the coast of the Baja California Peninsula.

They had just sent more than twenty immigrants and a large amount of supplies to Fort San Diego, which was established last year, to further strengthen this colonial outpost located in the northernmost part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain.

Last year, the Governorate was locked in a debate over how much money it would cost to suppress the northern pirates, and was unable to finalize a battle plan.

However, the proposal to establish a colonial outpost in San Diego Bay was quickly approved.

Because the Governorate Church was willing to invest 3,000 pesos to establish a parish in the San Diego Bay area and to fund no less than 40 immigrants to set up a settlement there.

A few years ago, the Indians in the area were severely "plowed" by the Spanish because they "colluded" with Eastern pirates.

The unruly Indian tribes were eradicated, and the remaining tribes were forced to submit to the Spanish and convert to the Lord's embrace under the pressure of the Spaniards.

In view of this, the church was willing to expand its missionary area to gain more believers. The Viceroyalty wanted to launch an attack on the pirate strongholds in the north, but from the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula all the way up, the Spanish did not have any supply bases for their fleet to dock and rest.

An expedition across the sea of ​​thousands of miles, with a voyage of more than forty or fifty days, is by no means a trivial matter. In addition to carrying sufficient combat supplies, is it also necessary to establish corresponding intermediate supply points?

According to the geographical survey results of the exploration fleet, the most suitable intermediate supply point should be located in San Francisco Bay (i.e. San Francisco Bay), which is exactly in the middle of Mexico and the pirate stronghold, making it convenient for the expedition fleet to dock and rest.

However, San Francisco is more than 2700 leagues (about kilometers) away from Mexico, which is really too far.

The long distance means high material costs and it is inconvenient for missionaries to travel back and forth to preach.

After all, the church's money doesn't come from the wind, and establishing a parish in such a remote "enclave" would be too labor-intensive and costly.

Therefore, under the insistence of the church, the Governor's Office had no choice but to agree to establish a stronghold in San Diego Bay as a frontier base for controlling California (more than 130 years earlier than the original historical time and space).

After some preparation, last April, an expedition of more than 30 people led by Rosario Garda López and Franciscan missionary Eido Serra arrived in San Diego Bay and established a mission station - Mission San Diego de Alcalá.

More than a month ago, the armed merchant ship "San Jose" was ordered to transport supplies and people to the stronghold again to support the construction of a small fortress and protect the safety of missionaries and immigrants.

Captain Calles stood on the forecastle, holding a monocular telescope and gazing at the desolate and magnificent Baja California Peninsula.

The entire coastline is mainly composed of steep cliffs and exposed rocks, with occasional narrow sandy beaches and dry riverbeds.

The peninsula has a rugged terrain and sparse vegetation, with only some low shrubs and cacti dotted around, showing the barrenness of the land.

"This land is too desolate, with almost no human habitation. It doesn't seem to have any value for development." Captain Calles put down the telescope and said to the first mate beside him.

"It's true that there's a lack of fresh water and fertile land here, perhaps even valuable minerals. Indian tribes are also rare," First Mate Fernandez agreed. "However, I've heard some explorers mention that there are some oases on the east side of the peninsula, suitable for anchoring and resupplying, and potentially promising for development."

"Although this peninsula is desolate and barren, its strategic location is extremely important, protecting the entire northern region of Mexico. If we can establish several strongholds here, not only can we effectively place this territory under the jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty, but we can also strengthen our control over the Pacific shipping routes."

"And several nearby islands, such as Guadalupe Island and San Benito Islands, can become important supply stations and safe havens after a little development."

"Captain, I completely agree with you. At some point in the future, we must effectively control the entire Baja California Peninsula to protect Mexico's Pacific coast from foreign invasion." First Mate Fernandez nodded. "However, I'm afraid the two islands you mentioned are meaningless to develop. They lack the necessary living conditions for human survival and cannot serve as important supply stations at sea."

"Really?" Captain Calles smiled and said, "I haven't personally visited these two islands, so I'm not entirely sure what they're like. But I believe that no matter how dire the island's environment is, as long as we're willing to invest the effort to improve it, we can always make use of it."

"Well, for example, fishermen fishing nearby and merchant ships seeking shelter from the wind could build some simple facilities when they reach these two islands, allowing them to rest for a day or two."

"Captain, whether it's fishermen or passing merchant ships, who would be willing to spend the time and effort to build simple facilities on these two desolate islands?" First Mate Fernandez said with a smile. "With that time and energy, they'd be better off casting more nets at sea or repairing damaged ships, rather than doing such worthless work for the needs of others."

"Really?" Captain Calles shrugged and said with a wry smile, "There are fewer and fewer gentlemen with a spirit of dedication in this world."

“…” First Mate Fernandez just smiled and spread his hands without responding.

We left the Spanish mainland and came to the American colonies not to pursue some kind of spirit of dedication.

We are chasing the dream of wealth!

"Do you think the pirates will use those two desolate islands as their secret base?" Captain Calles suddenly had an idea and subconsciously turned his head to look into the endless depths of the ocean.

"..." Upon hearing this, First Mate Fernandez looked at him in surprise.

(End of this chapter)