Chapter 18: In preparation for Columbus

Marin's mint is not small now, using hundreds of spiral mints, each machine can suppress at least 1200 silver coins per day. The 100-coin coin-operating machine can be operated together to suppress more than 12,000 silver coins every day.

Originally, Marin decided to suppress the counterfeit coins of 2 million Danish silver coins. It can be calculated that 2 million Finney is worth 33,300 gold coins. Although there are many, but not too many, it will not cause a huge blow to the Danish economy.

, Marin also imported dozens of tons of lead and tin, including a lot of copper. And the casting of 2 million Danish Finneys weighing less than 1.5 grams has a total weight of only 3 tons and only costs a small amount of raw materials. Therefore, Marin simply increased the number of counterfeit coins to 10 million.

This number is already quite a lot. After all, it takes a lot of effort to pour 10 million silver coins into Denmark and the Schleswig-Holstein region.

To this end, Marin once again used the Jews who had previously disguised as merchants to buy supplies in the Principality of Saxony, let them go to Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein to do business, buy a lot of supplies, so that these 10 million All fake silver coins are spent locally.

Meanwhile, many of the people selected by Marin are people who live in the Frisian region. A Frisian language is very similar to English. Marin can make this group of people who spend fake silver coins pretend to be British merchants. In this way, even if one day is exposed, Denmark will only find the British's sullenness ... exactly, Marin wants to weaken and fight the United Kingdom. The powerful Vikings came to do this, and they could take advantage of the fishermen ... just as the Danish navy was too powerful, there were dozens of warships. Taking advantage of this opportunity, you can let the British help to consume some ...

In order to make sure that the British were engaged in Denmark, Malint arranged for his men to register a chamber of commerce in the United Kingdom-John Bull Chamber of Commerce. At that time, all the businessmen who use these 10 million fake silver coins will use the identity of the British John Bull Chamber of Commerce and use a real British passport ... Oh no, it is a document, and there is no passport yet this year ...

Once the fake silver coin incident broke out, these people will naturally "evaporate" to hide, but the Danes will find during the investigation-these people are all from the British John Bull Chamber of Commerce ...

And in this era, the Danish navy is unique. Even Portugal, which has sailed for decades, is slightly inferior. Because Portugal ’s maritime power is based on caravans and expeditions. Denmark, for the purpose of controlling the straits leading to the Baltic Sea, has prepared the most powerful fleet in Europe-50 warships ...

It's just that in this era, the Danish battleship was still a Kirk sailboat. Moreover, the density of its ship's ribs is still similar to that of armed merchant ships. It does not reach the level of the "Hoffman-class" battleship built by Marin, and the side flank is not thick enough.

This is mainly because naval warfare has not yet entered the era of artillery warfare. Therefore, the Danes are currently not paying attention to the reinforcement of the hull structure. It will not be until Europe ’s great role of artillery in naval warfare will wait until Portugal ’s “Invasion of the Diwu Sea” (1509) erupts in the Indian and Indian-Egyptian joint fleets. Until then, the shipbuilders will pay attention to the density of the ship's ribs and the reinforcement of the side, to prevent the hull from being easily penetrated by artillery ...

For now, most of the naval warfare ideas in Europe are still in the stage of "jumping to help cut people". Only the Portuguese have started the research of warship artillery's shooting tactics, but they are still in the initial stage, and only a few people such as Dagama support this new tactic. Only Marin, the traverser, was extremely determined to start developing shipboard guns and began to strengthen the hull. However, Marin now has only one professional warship and 10 armed merchant ship-class warships (250 class). Although it has already had the prototype of a maritime power, it still cannot challenge the "ships of Denmark and Portugal". "Public" country. Unless Marin owns ten professional "Hoffman-class" battleships, he has the capital to challenge traditional maritime powers ...

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Counting time, Marin felt that Columbus's Spanish spice trade fleet as a "leader" was almost coming back. Columbus set off at the beginning of last year, and now there is still a year and a half of the year, and the time to return is not far away. In this trade, Marin only has a trade quota of tens of thousands of pounds of spices, which is completely incomparable with the Spanish.

However, Marin did not value that. Because, he had already ordered Columbus, and Draka, who also went to India to host the trade, to pay attention to buying and collecting spice seeds for future cultivation in Grenada ...

Know that in later generations, Grenada is the famous production base of nutmeg, with the second largest output in the world (the first is Indonesia). If Marin can grow spices directly in Grenada, then why send a boat to India to buy? Moreover, it is possible to avoid trade-limiting agreements with the Spanish royal family.

Among them, pepper and nutmeg seeds are best obtained. Because pepper and nutmeg, when shipped to Europe, are in the shape of beans, which can be used as seeds and are not easily damaged. The cloves are similar, the female cloves (seeds of cloves, male cloves are the buds of cloves) can also be used as seeds of cloves.

But cinnamon is different. Cinnamon uses its dried skin, also known as cinnamon. You took cinnamon and you can't grow it at all. Therefore, if you want cinnamon seeds, you must go to Sri Lanka to buy them. Fortunately, Sri Lanka is not far from the trading point of Calico, such as Columbus. Anyway, to go to India to buy spices, it will also stay for a long time in Calicut. After all, the acquisition of too many spices requires the transfer of goods from all over India. Taking advantage of this time, Columbus and Draka could take the opportunity to send someone to Sri Lanka to buy some cinnamon seeds.

It's just that even if you get the cinnamon seeds, it will take a few years to plant and grow into a big tree before you can peel and make cinnamon. It is difficult to wait. It is better to go to India and buy it.

It's just that Marin considers long-term, not current interests. Therefore, this point does not matter. In addition, the most important thing about Marin is actually the seeds of ginger.

Ginger and brown sugar boiled water can cure a cold. Moreover, **** cooking is also very flavorful. Marin doesn't like pepper, cloves, cinnamon, etc., but he likes to use **** in large amounts.

Therefore, this time, Columbus and Draka need to pay attention to the purchase of **** seeds. Ginger has no seeds, only roots. Similar to potatoes, they are propagated by cutting small pieces of rhizomes. Therefore, **** itself is the seed.

However, **** is not easy to preserve. Fortunately in temperate regions, fresh **** can easily sprout and deteriorate in India's hot and humid places. Therefore, in tropical areas, **** is often dried or baked to facilitate long-term preservation.

However, roasted dried **** often loses its life and no longer has the ability to reproduce. Therefore, to reproduce, you can only use dried ginger. Of course, it is better to use fresh ginger.

It's just that even dried **** can't be kept for a long time. After being released for a long time, it will lose vitality and no longer have the function of being a seed.

Therefore, Marin asked Draka to purchase a batch of freshly dried **** as seeds for planting on Grenada. If it doesn't dry for a long time, it will still be able to sprout if it soaks in warm water. After sprouting, you can plant in pieces ...

In fact, Marin does not value pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. This time let Columbus and Draka get seeds, just by the way. What Marin really values ​​is the seeds of ginger.

Ginger is not suitable for cultivation in Northwestern Europe where the summer temperature is not high, but it can be grown in Grenada and even the North American double islands. (Note: Ginger is suitable for growing in the subtropical region. But in China, because most of the temperature in summer is hot, people can be planted in the north, but it can only be planted in the frost-free period and grown in the frost-free period in winter. It must be frozen to death.)

Marin loves to eat ginger, and **** is also a healthy thing. When cooking, add some ground ginger, which can be seasoned and healthy. Therefore, Marin needs a base to produce ginger, which is located in Grenada or North America. At that time, a large supply to Europe ...

Even, Marin plans to build a glass greenhouse dedicated to growing ginger. Because there is a great demand for cooking ginger. Although the cost of glass greenhouse is high, compared with the expensive price, the seeds of its own glass greenhouse are still very cost-effective. Moreover, **** has a short growth cycle and is also suitable for growing in greenhouses. Unlike cinnamon, which grows for several years, greenhouse cultivation will make people vomit blood.

However, it is really not necessary to bring the seeds of Columbus and Draka back to East Friesland, it is better to send them directly to Grenada for planting. Of course, some of the **** seeds can be left and brought back to East Friesland for greenhouse cultivation.

Therefore, Malinte sent a boat to the port of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, waiting for the return of Columbus and others. Just wait until Columbus and get the spice seeds and go straight to Grenada. After all, the Canary Islands are much closer to Grenada. As soon as he crossed the Atlantic, he arrived.

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In addition, Marin also has a task to send someone to ask the Governor of the Canary Islands, and Baron Sandro, who has friendship with Marin, whether he can use it to bribe the royal family of Morocco to buy Ayoun in Western Sahara This land ...

Spain and Morocco are rivals, but sometimes they also cooperate. Because, not only Spain, but also Portugal, invaded Morocco. On the expansion of Morocco, the two teeth are right against each other, and they do not want each other to sit big. Therefore, whether it is Spain or Portugal, it is both a blow and a draw to Morocco, and there is also trade in private. After all, they gained a coastal foothold in Morocco, not for that land, but for trade with locals.

Now, Morocco is in power, the Vatas dynasty, a branch of the Marin dynasty in Morocco, is in a weak period. Marin knew that, around 1510, the Arabs of the Saad tribe in Taroudant on the banks of the Sus in the southern foothills of the famous Atlas Mountains would rebel against the army and spend decades , Completely overthrow the Marin dynasty established by the Berbers, and establish the Saad dynasty (also known as the Sadi dynasty).

For the Marin dynasty in Morocco, Marin was a bit interested in the previous life. Because, the name of this dynasty is the same as his own name, so Marin's previous life also checked some information to know the situation. However, by 1501, the Vatas dynasty, a branch of this dynasty, could no longer be mixed up. There were many Spanish and Portuguese colonies in many parts of the coast. If it were not for Spain and Portugal to guard against each other and dismantle each other, maybe they would directly hit the capital of the Vatas dynasty.

In fact, the Vatas dynasty currently has very little control over Morocco. At present, what controls the south of Morocco (mainly the area south of the Atlas Mountains) is actually the powerful Saad tribe.

Water resources are scarce resources whether in West Asia or North Africa. It was by the Sousse River that the Saad tribe developed into the most powerful tribal force in southern Morocco.

And Ayoun is the southernmost point controlled by the Saad tribe. In fact, the Ayún region is already in the Sahara Desert, and it is also the southernmost area inhabited by Morocco.

If it were n’t Ayoun, there is a long strip of oasis lake overflowing underground fresh water, it is simply not suitable for human habitation. At present, it is controlled by a small tribe who submits to the Saad tribe. Locals live on the fresh water of this oasis lake, where sheep and sheep and camels are kept.

Marin is not interested in these sheep and camels, but because there is a large phosphate mine with a reserve of 800 million tons of apatite south of Ayoun, and a reserve of 2 billion in Bukra, 100 kilometers south Tons of larger phosphate rock ...

And China's first large-scale phosphate mine-Jinping phosphate mine in Jiangsu Province, the total reserves are only tens of millions of tons ...

The importance of phosphate mine is self-evident ~ www.wuxiaspot.com ~ Phosphate fertilizer is one of the three major chemical fertilizers. Before, Marin had no choice but to get a fish bone and fish meal instead of phosphate fertilizer. However, the fishing of fish bones and fish meal is troublesome, the processing is difficult, the comprehensive cost is relatively high, and it is also very labor-intensive.

Not only that, the phosphorus content of fish bones and fish meal is not high, only single-digit percentage phosphorus content (approximately 12%). As for apatite, the phosphorus content can reach a 10-digit percentage, which is several times that of fish bones and fish meal.

The most important thing is that those apatites, when dug up, can be used as phosphate fertilizer in the field as phosphate fertilizer ...

Although apatite is not processed, it will not be absorbed as a fertilizer. But when used as a base fertilizer, it is absorbed slowly, and there is no big difference from the fast absorption of phosphate fertilizer. Slow absorption is slow, as long as it works.

For those apatite mines deep inland, Marin is not interested. Because it is too difficult to get the seaside to ship the ship in this era, and the cost of land transportation is too high, and they are all in horse-drawn carriages, and the transportation volume is also limited.

Keyoun's phosphate mine is different, just in the south of the city, close to the sea, and it is an open pit mine. Digging up and loading the car, "two steps" went to the beach and directly loaded the ship. Moreover, it is on the edge of the Canary Islands and close to Europe.

Therefore, it would be unreasonable not to control this seaside phosphate mine ......

Is right, now that there is chaos in Morocco, Marin intends to take the opportunity to buy this small oasis of Ayoun. As an excuse for foreigners, it is used to raise Arabian horses ...

Arabian horses really like this dry desert climate, and there are freshwater oasis lakes. There is no flaw in using this excuse to fool people. Because, people in this era would not think of breaking their heads. Marin is actually interested in the blue-grey stones (apatite) that are everywhere on the barren hills in the south of the Ayoun oasis ...