Chapter 237 Manufacturing of Crossbows

Kedessos swallowed, moistened his somewhat dry throat, and continued: "Below the carpenter group, we are also divided into three groups - bows, crossbow arms and arrow shafts.

The manufacture of bows is the most troublesome and important. We have previously equipped fifty skilled carpenters, led by Midosakus. After nearly two months of repeated testing, each of them has mastered how to make a bow. The only way to make a qualified crossbow is that it takes a long time to make a bow. It takes nine days at the fastest to cure one crossbow. Fifty carpenters can make fifty crossbows in ten days with enough suitable yew wood. ;

Making the crossbow is relatively simple, but because the carving of the chute and the planing of the cavity for placing the crossbow must be very delicate, we also arranged for five skilled carpenters. Each of them can make two of them in one day. Crossbow arms, so we previously left the final assembly of the entire crossbow to this group. If each person is equipped with a few carpenter apprentices, there will be no problem in completing the manufacture of fifty crossbows within ten days;

As for the material used for arrow shafts, we have tested many times and found that elm is the best. Its production is not complicated, but it does take a lot of time to plan the slender wood strips into qualified arrow shafts. At the same time, at the tail There were originally ten carpenters in the arrow shaft group. After two months of practice, one person could make six arrow shafts in one day. …

In addition, I also asked Capito for instructions and formed a bowstring group in the weaving workshop, consisting of five women who are skilled in hemp rolling. Each of them can make four qualified bowstrings in one day...

If, leader, you want to order us to start manufacturing crossbows in large quantities, according to our current configuration of each group, we can make fifty crossbows and five hundred arrows within ten days. If we allocate our manpower well and add more carpenters to make crossbows, we can make more crossbows in ten days..."

Maxim listened carefully and did not make any expression, but asked again: "I remember I said before that the crossbow you make must have interchangeable parts, so that it is easier to repair. convenient."

"Chief, we all keep the orders you gave us in mind and implement them accordingly." Kedessos replied seriously: "After repeated testing, we have specified a fixed size for each part of the crossbow. , the leader of each group is also the gatekeeper of every part manufactured by the group. He has to use a measuring tape to measure the finished parts. Any parts with poor quality or unqualified dimensions will be sent back for remanufacturing..."

While Kedessos was speaking, he also gestured to Sititus.

Sititus immediately called several craftsmen, picked up the two crossbows on the wooden table, and quickly dismantled the crossbow machine. Then he mixed the crossbow machine parts on both sides, reassembled them on the crossbow arms, and then The winding and triggering machine, everything works fine.

Seeing this, Maximus finally glanced at every craftsman around him with a smile, and praised loudly: "You have done a very good job! You have worked hard and not only made the products in such a short time, Produce a powerful crossbow, and also improve your manufacturing process so that this new weapon can be copied in large quantities more efficiently and delivered to our soldiers!

I hope you will continue to maintain such a strong research spirit, continue to improve the management system and casting process of your iron workshop, and apply it to all the weapons you will make in the future! Let the iron workshop of our Nyx tribe surpass all the arms workshops of Rome in the future and become the best iron workshop among all the countries and forces in the entire Mediterranean. Do you agree? ! "

"Okay!!" the craftsmen shouted in unison excitedly.

"In view of the outstanding performance of your iron workshop this time, I have decided to reward you!" Maximus pointed hard at everyone and said loudly: "Kedsos, you will soon be involved in the process of making crossbows. Give me the list of those who have performed well, and I will present it at the political hall meeting tomorrow. I believe that at the tribal meeting to celebrate the autumn harvest, some of you will be able to take the stage to receive the cheers of the tribesmen! "

The craftsmen were even more happy when suddenly someone shouted: "Thank you, chief!"

In an instant, a chorus of thanks broke out, interrupting what Maximus was about to say. He had to face everyone's eager gazes with a smile on his face until silence returned.

Then he looked at Sititus again and asked, "If you want to manufacture this kind of crossbow in large quantities, are there any difficulties that I need to solve?"

"Chief, there is!" Sititus said without hesitation: "The surrounding mountains have plenty of yew, oak and elm wood for making crossbows and arrows, but our workshop cannot waste manpower felling it, so I hope the tribe can Can’t we send reserve people to do this on a regular basis?”

"This should be no problem. I will mention this to Volenus." Maximus agreed immediately.

"What we lack most is flax for making bowstrings. I asked the tribesmen that the Segostikas have some flax fields along the Sava River, and the Ardeis also grow some flax near their main stronghold. We can’t deal with the Segostikas now, but the Ardeii are allies with our tribe, and we can buy flax from them just like we buy iron ore.”

"Well, yes, I will let Pygris go to discuss with the Ardei people."

"The iron material needed for the crossbow is not much. If we only make crossbows, the iron ore our tribe regularly purchases from the Aldiyi tribe is enough. If we want to make other weapons in the future, I am afraid we will have to buy more. Lots of iron ore.

At the same time, the iron workshop also needs to build two more shaft furnaces to meet the needs of pig iron smelting. We need to build at least two more hydraulic forging hammers to help our ironworks workshop better forge ironware, thereby saving manpower and allowing everyone to focus more on the casting of daily ironware and weapons..."

"Well, I will discuss this matter with Capito. After the autumn harvest, the engineering team will be relatively free. We can build more shaft furnaces and hydraulic forging hammers for you, but how to build them specifically needs to be planned by Spukala. "

"Thank you, chief!"

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It took four days for the Nix tribesmen to work together to harvest all the wheat in the fields. At the same time, it took a total of 6 days to dry the wheat, grind the wheat, separate the wheat, raise dust, load the wheat, and put the wheat into the family barn.

But they can't rest just yet. They have to collect the wheat straw from the wheat field and make it into wheat piles. According to the new recommendations of the Ministry of Agriculture, most of them are transported to their own fields and burned, and the ashes are mixed into the soil to fertilize the fields. A small part is piled. Use your yard for other purposes, such as roofing, cement wall materials, chicken coops, etc.

As soon as the people finished their work, the Ministry of Agriculture came to urge them again, hoping that they would plow the land again as soon as possible, and then divide the land they owned into three parts: one part would be used to grow alfalfa and other pastures to feed livestock, and it would be left fallow within two years. Maintain the soil fertility; part of it is planted with beans to enhance the fertility of the land, and will be left for farming next year; the last part needs to be done after plowing, such as loosening the soil, harrowing, fertilizing, etc., to prepare the land well, and then winter wheat can be planted after October of sowing...

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture also suggested to the ethnic groups that they should set aside a few acres of land to grow flax. When harvested in the future, not only can they weave their own clothes, but they can also sell them to weaving workshops to earn some extra income.

Because with the help of the Ministry of Agriculture, the ethnic people's wheat grew well and achieved a bumper harvest, so most of them are willing to continue to follow the Ministry of Agriculture's advice.

At the same time, the Maximus Economic and Political Council issued an order: other ethnic groups can take a break, as long as they complete the three-field transformation of their own fields in early October, but the ethnic groups belonging to the First Army must be in September Complete these tasks before March 15th.

Because of Maximus's prestige, and because the people belonging to the First Legion have received the news that "they will go out to fight soon," everyone is willing to obey the order.

At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture also sent many reserve tribesmen to provide them with considerable assistance, so the tribesmen of the First Army no longer had any resentment.

The skies remain clear throughout the fall harvest. After the tribesmen began to plow the land again, a few light rains fell one after another, which made the climate cooler and the land softer, making it more conducive to farming.

The climate was so favorable that the rumor that "Maximus was the descendant of the goddess Danu" was accepted by more people.

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In the early morning of September 16, Casaridoa woke up early, groped in the dark, and skillfully lit the firewood in the fire pit. After the fire started, he hung a large earthen jar filled with water on the hanging chain, and then placed the firewood in the earthen jar. I sprinkled two large handfuls of oats in it and began to slowly cook the porridge. Then he closed the lid, took out two large loaves of bread that had been baked a few days ago from the cupboard, placed them on top of the earthen pot, and slowly heated them with the rising heat in the earthen pot.

Then Casaridoa picked up the wooden bucket with not much water left in the room, walked out of the room, scooped out the water and washed his face, and suddenly he felt much more awake.

He carried the empty barrel, opened the wooden door of the yard, and walked straight towards the river.

It was just dawn, and the light in the village was still a little dim. The insects' singing at night had not yet ended, but there were already many people walking on the road, and most of them had the same destination as Casaridoa - in front of the water wheel. of aqueducts.

The huge water wheel "squeaked" and turned slowly, bucket after bucket of river water splashed down from the air, and after falling into the aqueduct, it rushed forward happily...