Chapter 3250 The King of Spice (6)

The ancient Greeks would slaughter animals for sacrifice before holding banquets. When Odysseus and Mentor, transformed by Athena, came to Pylos, the residents were sacrificing a pure black bull on the beach. The black-haired earthquake god.

Cutting the throat is considered to be the most advanced form of sacrifice. The person in charge of the sacrifice must pay great attention to the cleanliness and integrity of the head of the sacrificed animal, without any visible stains or defects. When the ceremony officially begins, someone will use fire to The sacrifice was burnt, and the chief priest stepped forward and cut the throat of the animal, deliberately spraying the blood in both directions of heaven and earth.

This process may seem a bit cruel, but it was considered by the ancient Greeks to be the boundary between civilization and barbarism, reminding people that a nation that contributes sacrifices will definitely not want to become an animal.

Agamemnon sacrificed his daughter, although most of the people involved in the sacrifice would not hold a banquet, let alone eat her like a bull sacrificed to Poseidon.

When Georgiana saw Sir Merry again, she somehow remembered Jacques Tower, and the young William Pitt who once lived in the nearby butcher's mansion, wearing a false beard.

"Please sit down," Sir Merry said, pointing to the sofa. There was an English teapot on the coffee table.

She could recognize them now, which made her "Madame de Sèvres."

"Please tell me directly what you want to say." Georgiana said, "I can't stay here for too long."

Sir Merry put the tobacco leaves in his pipe and took two puffs before telling a story.

The risks of sailing were high. In April 1595, a fleet set out from Amsterdam with a total of 4 ships and a total of 240 crew members, but by the time it returned in August 1597, only 87 people remained.

Even though I was already familiar with Asia's routes at that time, I still encountered unforeseen circumstances.

There was a Dutch navigator named Jacob van Nieck. In 1601, the fleet he led encountered a storm in the South China Sea, but luckily the ship did not sink. At this time, he met a group of rice merchants and came to Macau under their guidance.

At that time, Macau was still a Spanish-style city, with a Portuguese-style church standing on the hill. At this time, the Dutch War of Independence had broken out.

But Van Nieke's ship was in urgent need of repairs and supplies on board, so he sent seven sailors ashore to investigate the situation.

Unexpectedly, there would be no news from the sailors. After waiting for a day without any news, he changed the landing place and sent 14 more people ashore. The result was exactly the same as the first group of sailors.

21 sailors went missing ashore, and no commander would give up. However, Van Nieke wanted to seek an explanation from the officials of the Ming Dynasty who ruled Macau at the time. However, he could not find official channels to communicate with Ming Dynasty officials, and finally had to abandon the 21 crew members and leave. This incident was recorded in his logbook, and he believed that this was a deliberate attempt to imprison him without any warning. The men were very savage.

Half a year after his ship left, Jacob van Heemske's ship came to Asia for "trade". Near Java, he encountered a Portuguese merchant ship. The Santa Catharina he was driving was a Galenic sailing ship, bigger than The Clark ship was much faster, so it was "captured".

In addition to discovering a large amount of porcelain and silk, Van Heemske also found a document on the ship, which was reported by the Governor of Macau to the Governor of Goa, India. The letter described in detail Van Heemske's visit to Macau in 1601.

It turned out that after the sailors landed, they were immediately caught by the Portuguese. The Portuguese claimed that this was the Portuguese exploration area divided by the Papal Meridian, and it was also an Asian settlement given to the Portuguese by "Khitan" and did not give the Dutch the right to land. .

These Dutchmen were imprisoned in Macau. When Ming Dynasty officials came, the Portuguese said that these Dutchmen were pirates, and then placed the bodies of 17 hanged sailors in front of Ming Dynasty officials.

Ser Merry paused here.

Georgiana recovered from her initial shock.

"Where are the other four?" Georgiana asked Sir Merry.

"There are still 4 people on the ship captured by Vanhemsk. They are craftsmen. The Portuguese in Macao intend to send them to the governor of Goa." Sir Merry took two puffs of cigarette. "Whether they are craftsmen who have not completed their work or not." , are all valuable craftsmen.”

"So, you're not going to accept the conditions?" Georgiana asked.

"The goods caught by Vanhemske were later shipped back to Amsterdam for auction, and the proceeds were almost the same price as the British East India Company's early financing. You went to Oostende this time, and it seems to be at the headquarters of the East India Company in Austria. Stayed some time," asked Sir Merry.

She sighed.

"He is not Antony, and I am not Cleopatra. He will not listen to me." Georgiana said.

"I didn't ask you to do anything, Georgiana, or the Countess of Aberdeen. The Earl is still waiting for you to return. Your heart should be towards us." Earl Merry said.

She almost forgot about this matter.

"I didn't agree to his proposal," said Georgiana.

"The Earl said that in The Sorrows of Young Werther, Miss Lotte did not break off her original engagement even if she met a better partner. This is different from the Roman law's principle of merit-based termination. She is a very decent woman." Sir Merry He looked at her with narrowed eyes.

What should she say to Ser Merry now?

"The Earl suggested that I observe others with my heart and eyes instead of just relying on my ears. I suggest you the same." Earl Merry pondered for a while. "Ceylon is not the origin of nutmeg. It originally only grew in the Banda Islands. One who visited it were the Venetians, then the Portuguese, and also the first founders of the English East India Company under James Lancaster, but they were in no hurry to occupy or conquer it, Instead, cardamom seeds were transplanted to Prowe Island, where they took root and sprouted more lushly than in Banda. When the Dutch came, they cut down all the saplings and burned the warehouses to ensure that the Banda Islands Nutmeg has a monopoly, but as long as the temperature and humidity are suitable, this plant can be grown throughout the equator, and Ceylon is just one of them. Are we destroying the island's environment, or do the Dutch not want to share it with others? Nutmeg, or other spices, I think you should observe it yourself instead of just listening to what others say."

"I wanted to read books about the Eastern Roman Empire some time ago, but they all disappeared for no reason." Georgiana said.

"Don't you want to get to know Humboldt? Why do you have to go after reading his book?" Sir Merry asked.

"I do not know anything……"

"I think you know more than those who know everything. The conditions your maid said are not unacceptable, but it also depends on how he came back from Cayenne." Sir Merry interrupted Georgiana. "I can tell you, It would be impossible for a British ship to land in Latin America if it were not for our ships.”

Then Sir Merry asked Captain Nightingale to escort her out, and she got into the carriage with confusion in her head.

"What did the old fox say?" asked Matilda.

Julian Uffral looked at her silently.

"Give me a pen and paper before I forget," Georgiana said to Julian.

He opened the glove box in the car, which contained opera binoculars and a pair of white gloves, as well as the stationery she needed.

At this time, the carriage started, and she recorded the slight swaying, as if she was not on land, but in the waves of the sea. This was not romantic, but made her feel a little "seasick."