Vol 7 Chapter 11: West India Company

After all, it's 1500 years of stars, and after all, Lisbon, which is said to be at the pinnacle of nautical technology in this era, it is not new to meet a Magellan in this place where you may encounter a big explorer without paying attention.
What's more, this pioneer who started human travel around the world is still just a young man with a black fluff on his chin. As for his career, he is limited to being a student seaman at a nautical office.
Alexander was more interested in Eliardo Don Antonio, who delivered the letter for Magellan.
Elliot Don Antonio is the current chief of the nautical firm, that is, the headmaster of the earliest professional naval school in Europe. This is absolutely the case for Portugal, which regards the development of the ocean as the foundation of a major nation. It belongs to those who really have a high weight.
In fact, this is not the case. Ellioto Don Antonio ’s family has a long history and a reputation. Their earliest ancestors can be traced back to the time of Charlemagne. In the many years after the Visigoths ruled, their family was It started from Pedro I of the Burgundy dynasty.
In the Avis dynasty, this family is still heavily used. Because of this, the Don Antonio family used to be the most important assistant for Prince Enrique to realize his maritime frontier witnessed the development of Portuguese power on the sea. This family has an uncommon reputation.
So when I heard that Elliot Don Antonio sent someone to send the book of abdication, Alexandria immediately became interested. He gestured to the old Fernando da Gama and walked back, he needs to see it for himself This important document.
As for Magellan, he is still a small person now. Perhaps in a few years' time, if he did not give up his life in a change that has been completely unrecognizable due to Alexander's participation, Alexander would not mind paying attention to this future navigator.
Just like Titian, who is now running all the way to the great goal of becoming a private painter in Venice, Alexander is not very concerned about these so-called historical celebrities who have not really shown themselves. After all, many things have happened too much, even Because of the flashing of his wings, which are much stronger than butterflies, it may be completely different in the future. Since such celebrities will they continue to follow the original trajectory in the future, and eventually become the "should be him", Now it seems to be an unknown.
Of course, people like Leonardo da Vinci or Luca-Paccioli say it again. After all, these people have already used their knowledge to prove that their future has been determined, or like Alexander ’s. Nicola Joe Mazzini, deputy head of the Pisa group, has already shown his extraordinary talent as the father of statistics in later generations, otherwise Alexander will not pay special attention to those people.
Eliot de Antonio ’s transfer is very confident that he also took out a very generous amount of money as a share in the West India Company, and he specifically emphasized on dividends that he is willing to use more additional funds Obtain the priority stock options that he must have.
Fernando da Gama sat contently across from Alexandria. He was curious about the duke that had been heard for a long time, but he was very cautious and did not indiscriminately arouse the duke.
"So, our company's business is very good?"
"It's just that there are a lot of shareholders, and you know that you have to make enough profit, so the key is whether you can ensure that all of us can get so much gain," the old Fernando said seriously to Alexander. "Vasco did bring back a lot of wealth. , But at least nominally these wealth needs to be distributed by the king, even if someone can form a private fleet in the future, if they do not get the king ’s authorization, they will not be able to occupy those ports and coastal cities, otherwise they will not only be looted There is no opportunity to claim ownership at all, and it may even be regarded as a private looting chamber of commerce, so let alone pirates, the Aragonese have every excuse to attack these fleets. "
Alexander nodded silently. He knew that old Fernando was right. In the next 200 years, Portugal, Spain, and the subsequently rising British had fought for more than two centuries to fight for the vast ocean, among them to fight the opponents. The privately-held fleets secretly dispatched became the idiom used by these countries to destroy and harass their opponents. Later, the British directly issued licenses to the owners of the privately-owned fleets, admitting that their actions were authorized by the King.
Now that Manuel I has sent a fleet under the command of Cabral to the east along the new route, but the King has promised that the fleet of Dammam has not yet been formed, which makes Dammam worried. stand up.
Manuel I obviously trusted Cabral, who had long been a maritime affairs consultant, instead of Da Gama. After returning to Lisbon from Da Gama, Manuel could not wait to ask him All kinds of materials are transcribed and handed over to Cabral to see.
"Adult, we need to make sure that we have a loud enough voice to allow the king to listen carefully to what we are saying," said old Fernando in a very slow but very firm tone. "I know it seems to be disrespectful to the king, but as a noble It is also our duty to maintain the honor and rights of the family. "
Alexander nodded silently to the words of old Fernando da Gama. He knew that the old man had a great influence on Da Gama. Historically, it was his strategy behind him that allowed Da Gama to be again used by Manuel I. Appointed as the fleet commander of the voyage to India, and the huge gains from the subsequent two expeditions, let Manuel see that Da Gama is more suitable for commanding the Portuguese fleets in India, so he did not finally put the first Indian The Governor ’s title was given to Cabral, whom he trusted more, but to Da Gama.
"These people can become our allies," Alexander patted the transfer book on the table and saw old Fernando's expression of consent. He continued, "Actually, I came here for another time. Things, I think your nephew may be interested. "
Alexander said to James, who was on the side, watching James take out a copy of the nautical diary he had transcribed, and Alexander took it to Old Fernando.
Old Fernando put those copies under the light and looked at them carefully. For a while, his expression first showed surprise, and then the speed of his hand through the paper became faster. After a while, he simply turned to the end and looked at it. Apparently there was no copy of the diary that ended, and old Fernando tried to suppress the excitement in his heart for a while, and then slowly put those copies back on the table.
"These are too precious, I mean if they are all true, it is enough to be worth a fleet," Fernando da Gama's voice was low but powerful, and he patted on those copies with his hands. , And then looked to James aside. "But this does not seem to be the whole content, then I want to know if there are other parts. If there is no such thing, the value of this thing will undoubtedly be much lower."
"I can assure you that there will be the next part, I will take it out when needed." James glanced at Alexander and nodded, only to take out a copy of a part of the voyage diary is Alexander's command, and Jim Si is also very clear that this important chip can not be taken out of course.
Fernando Da Gama stopped speaking after "Oh," he was obviously wondering what to say, and the room fell silent for a while.
And Alexander waited quietly, he knew that the old man in front of him did not have much chips. Although this West India company was established in his name, everyone knows that even if an expedition made the Dagama family get a lot of wealth, but The restraint from the king actually made Dagama's life a little bit sad.
According to the time in history, Dagama will be able to take the fleet to India again after 2 years, but for more than 2 years before, he has been persevered by Manuel using various excuses On land, I watched Cabral's fleet bring back coveted wealth from the East.
Alexander did not want Dagama to be so idle during this time, and in his view the Eastern route was far more important than the New World.
"I might be able to persuade the king to send Vasco to try to go to the east through another route, the same route as Columbus," Alexander said with a finger on the copy of the nautical diary. "We all know that Columbus's harvest is no less than that of Gas. Ke Xiao, and I also suspect that he may have discovered some places that your nephew did not find, which can be seen from the various treasures that he brought back that people have never seen before. "
"Oh, of course it would be nice if it could be so." Fernando's answer was somewhat perfunctory, and he expressed some doubts about Alexander's persuasion to the king. After all, Manuel has now focused all his attention on the new route. He is not much interested in competing with Castilla for the dominance of the Western Atlantic.
At this time, Manuel wanted to divide his force to explore the Atlantic West, Fernando felt little hope.
"You can give these to Vasco," Alexander pointed to the copy of the diary on the table. "I think Vasco should be able to make the right decision, but before that, I want to remind you that even without the joining of Dagama, The expedition to explore the west of the Atlantic will not stop. I have decided to send James to complete this trip. He also has rich sailing experience. The key is that he is also named Columbus. "
Fernande's eyes fell on James immediately. He knew that Alexander was reminding him that even without the participation of the Dagama family, he still wanted to explore the Western routes, but if that was the case, there would obviously be no gains in the future. Share.
Fernando had vaguely worried about it before, and now it seems that there is a tendency to become a reality. The Dagama family originally held a large proportion of shares in the West India Company because of the constant number of people joining it is being gradually diluted, although this In fact, it also means that the scale of the company is gradually expanding, and the future benefits will certainly be considerable, but it is always not appropriate to think about gradually losing control of the company.
If Alexander, who is also a major shareholder, wants to open the Western Atlantic route, but the Dagama family has not been able to participate in time, then in the future, perhaps the Dagama family in the West Indian company may gradually become purely dependent on the sea Desperately making money for those shareholders.
Fernando certainly did not want to see this scene. He hesitated for a long time and finally nodded: "I will tell you Vasco, but he is not in Lisbon now. He went back to his hometown in Sines. You know this trip It's too long, he needs a good rest. "
"Then send this to him, and I believe he no longer needs to rest after reading this." Alexander smiled, and he actually knew why Da Gama would return to Sines' hometown at this time, very Obviously, although Manuel gave him many honors and awards, the action of sending Cabral to lead the fleet still stimulated Dagama. I believe that the navigator is now complaining about Mannu in the stone house on the seaside cliff of his hometown. El's volatility.
In fact, it ’s no wonder that Manuel, no king can let such an important sea route be in the hands of a few people. It is because of this that he ordered Da Gama to hand over the logbook and related to Cabral. Information, only by sending his own ocean affairs consultant personally to make a trip, Manuel can really be assured.
It ’s just that although Cabral did n’t live up to the king ’s expectations, he also brought back huge wealth for Portugal, but he was obviously not satisfied with Manuel ’s relationship with the port countries along the way. This is why Dagama 2 years later The reason to be able to lead the Portuguese fleet again.
However, Alexander did not want to wait another two years. He needed Da Gama to end his life in his hometown of Sines for his plan now, and then a new adventure could begin.
Alexander is full of confidence, because now the West India Company has made a big reputation among the Portuguese aristocracy, but these people have the same eyes as Fernando on the new route to the East. They do n’t know that they are actually missing. what.
"We have enough money to build a fleet, and there are experienced captains," Alexander glanced at James, who showed a little complacent look. "As for the sailor, I think the nautical firm is definitely willing to provide us with compliant crew. There are complete and reliable nautical references for reference, so why do n’t we accomplish this feat, to know that the Castilians have done this several times, and the gold they bring back is about to sink the ship, I think Vasco I definitely do n’t want to see that all the wealth is obtained by the Castilians. "
Fernando finally had a trace of looseness on his hesitant face. His thick fingers were knocking on the table. The sound of the voice slowly revealed his inner contradiction. Finally he stopped and looked at Alexander: "But the king , We do n’t know what he thinks. "
"At least we know what we think, and," Alexander took the new transfer book and shot it on the table. "And I know what our partners think, as long as there is a boat of gold and pepper docked in the port of Lisbon, These people can become our most reliable supporters, and before that we could simply send a small fleet in the name of the company, and then the real grand occasion will follow. "
Fernando's expression gradually became excited. In this era, gold and pepper meant not only the coveted wealth, but also an enviable position. Alexander's exciting description just scratched Fernando's itchy place.
"If so, I can tell Vasco the news, maybe it is really good news for him." Fernando did not know whether he was explaining or making excuses for himself. He took that copy of the nautical diary and the book of transfer carefully. After that, I just sat back and looked at Alexander, "Sir, how long can you stay in Lisbon? I mean, this fact is too important. It probably needs you to arrange it here. You know the king. And the queen ... "
Looking at the old Fernando who said a little bit and didn't continue, Alexander nodded in his heart, the greed of Manuel I and the arrogance of Maria. In fact, he had already learned, if he left at this time, maybe he would wait until he was fully loaded Soon after the ship returned, the business of the West India Company would be annexed by Manuel.
"Please rest assured that although I do have very important things to go to Castilla, I will still be in Lisbon during this time until everything here is properly arranged."
Alexander's promise made Fernando feel a little relieved. He knew that the Duke had already invested a lot of money, and he wanted to avoid giving up halfway.
"I will write to Vasco and tell him everything here, you said to the Duke, he has indeed rested for too long, it is time to go out and have a move."
Old Fernando exhaled slightly with emotion, then he suddenly felt that maybe the idea was really good, a new route, which was enough to make the pure seafaring family of the Dagama family become like Elliot in a long time. · A big man like Don Antonio's family.
When Alexandria left the West India Company, the sun was slightly westward. After walking a long distance, he stopped and turned around, looking at the street sign in the distance, and turned his head to smile at James next to him.
"Tell me Captain, are you confident you can create a more brilliant career than your brother Christopher Columbus?"
"If I couldn't do it before, now I think I can replace him, even better than he can do."
James ’s confident answer made Alexander feel good. He grabbed the hilt and struck the scabbard wrapped in the metal toe on the ground, and made a clear sound: "Then let me see what you did. How about ~ EbookFREE.me ~ Or do you have the qualification to name a new world, let me think about what to call now, how about Colombia? "
At the end of September, with a letter from Fernando da Gama, Vasco da Gama, who had been retiring from the beginning of the year in the name of rest and retired in her hometown in Sines, returned to Lisbon after a long absence.
At the same time, among the nobles and merchants in Lisbon, people were talking about Castile's new course to the west coast of the Atlantic, as well as gold, pepper, gems, and various rare and precious treasures that had never been seen.
Finally, all this comes down to a question, why do we not open the Western Atlantic route, so that we have two maritime passages to India.
This topic also attracted the attention of Manuel I. Finally, a few days after Dagama returned to Lisbon, Manuel summoned this hard-working, but once neglected explorer.
Summoned with him was Alexander's navigator named James Columbus.
14 years in advance, the Portuguese took the step of exploring the new world.