Chapter 310 Return to the Country
Until his departure, André's request to visit the Northern Principality went unanswered.
In fact, none of the envoys from several countries saw the Duke of the North.
The reason is also very simple. His Excellency the Duke is preparing to welcome his second child and has no time to meet some little people.
Makes sense.
Fortunately, they each made some gains. Through private channels, they purchased some machinery and brought back some books.
At least... there is hope for the future.
Before Andre left, he took one last look at the increasingly bloated Plan City.
Black smoke looms in the sky all the time, plunging the entire city into smoke.
The roar of machinery never ends and is running 24 hours a day.
The citizens who came and went in a hurry were busier than ever in the Griffin Kingdom.
"This is civilization."
Andre turned his head. Construction was intensifying on one side of the train station, and he heard that it would be connected to several other railway lines.
Travelers rushing to take the train were carrying large and small leather suitcases, wearing top hats, and looking anxiously at their watches.
There was a freight train parked on the opposite track, and a bunch of people were busy loading and unloading the goods.
The transportation volume of one wagon is the freight volume of a small town in the Griffin Kingdom for one month.
Andre had already read the relevant analysis of the meaning of this in the newspaper.
A sense of urgency prevented him from standing here calmly.
There seemed to be someone chasing behind him all the time, and he quickened his pace unconsciously.
Didi! ! !
The sharp whistle of the train woke Andrei up. With an entourage carrying luggage, he did not need to squeeze into the train like other passengers.
I also bought a first-class sleeper ticket, so I could enjoy the scenery of the journey.
As for the purchased goods, they have already left with the last truck.
"Get in the car!"
This time, Andre could understand the city's fast pace.
After getting into the middle carriage, there were separate small rooms with simple furniture and beds.
The attendant secured the luggage and Andre sat on the table.
He took out the book he bought in Pulan City and opened the red and black cover.
"The Origin of Steam"
He has been studying continuously these days. He does not seek to be proficient in these advanced knowledge, but at least has an understanding.
Moreover, the various knowledge and ideas described in the book can always trigger his thinking.
As the train roared along the way, Andre would occasionally go down to take a breather at the supply station, and then read a book.
It only took two days in total to arrive at Port Deegan.
It's faster and the trains carry more cargo.
Even the cost, even the most luxurious first-class sleeper, is no more expensive than traveling a long distance.
"This is civilization."
Stepping on the snow-white bricks of Port Degen, Andre muttered these words silently in his heart.
The port in front of us surpasses any other port in the Griffin Kingdom.
Huge scale, neat containers, and suspensions several stories high.
With the roar of the steam engine, a standard container can be lifted onto the vehicle at one time, which is more efficient.
He had not seen any of this when he came.
In just over a month, there have been earth-shaking changes.
This kind of fast pace has never been seen in the Griffin Kingdom.
Over the past hundreds of years, the Griffin Kingdom seems to have changed little, except for the replacement of several kings.
Farmers are still farmers, nobles are still nobles.
The farmer carries a wooden dung fork down to the field.
Nobles hunted on horseback with bows and arrows.
If there are no accidents, this kind of society will continue forever.
At one time Andre thought that such a kingdom was perfect, and as a vested interest, he enjoyed it all.
But now, it's time for everything to change.
If it doesn't change, there will be outside forces that will cause the kingdom to change.
If you don’t want to lose everything you have now, you must take the initiative to change.
Sighing, Andre quickly cheered up.
"The steam engine in the Northern Principality has only been around for a year or two, so we still have a chance."
Trying to catch up, there is still no way to know.
Although the Griffin Kingdom is feudal and conservative, it is an old kingdom after all, and it still has its heritage.
Especially when it comes to making money, the nobles of the Griffin Kingdom are very motivated.
Important ports such as Port Degen are often home to various forces in the Griffin Kingdom.
Andre soon found someone to inquire about the fleet returning home, and then learned a new piece of news.
"The first commercial steam ironclad has been launched. It is said that the first batch will be converted into passenger ships and run on routes in several countries. This time we can take this iron ship back." The attendant said excitedly about the news he had learned.
"Can an iron ship really float on the water?" Most other people in the mission found it difficult to accept the ironclad ship.
They can accept the steam engine because they don't understand the principles at all.
But how could an ironclad ship float on the water? It was made of iron.
But Andre's reading these days was not in vain, and he quickly figured it out: "It's buoyancy. As long as the buoyancy is greater than the weight of the ironclad, it will of course be able to float."
"The count is wise."
Andre didn't feel any enjoyment from his subordinates' mindless flattery.
This knowledge is inaccessible in the Griffin Kingdom.
On the surface, it seems to be a gap in steam engines, but is it not a gap in knowledge?
"Book a ticket for a batch of steam ironclads, and ask if you can take our goods back with you."
Andre made a quick decision to go back on the latest ironclad.
He always wanted to see how powerful new things were.
Soon, he bought the return ticket, but the cargo he could bring was limited, and a large amount of cargo still had to be transported back by old sailing ships.
Andre left a few confidants to escort the machinery back, and he boarded the ironclad with his men.
A passenger ship with a displacement of 3,000 meters is a well-deserved giant of this era.
Commercial steam ironclad ships have simpler requirements for strength and structure, and the most difficult part is the manufacturing process.
Fortunately, military technology has been downgraded and is stable enough.
The Pearl passenger ship is parked in the newly built berth in Degen Harbor.
Since this big guy stopped, there has been an endless stream of visitors every day.
Everyone wants to see the outstanding work of this era, the ironclad ship that seems like a miracle.
When Andre saw it for the first time, he felt deeply shocked.
This is a big ship with a total length of 84.9 meters, a beam of 14 meters, a depth of 6.7 meters, an empty displacement of 1985 liters, a full load of 3000 liters, and a speed of 10.89 nautical miles per hour.
A sailboat is just a tiny thing in front of it.
It is easy to carry thousands of people at a time, and the speed is not slow at all.
"Such a huge ship can sink most warships with a collision, right?" Andre was shocked.
Moreover, passenger ships also have self-defense weapons, but they need to be camouflaged at the berth.
The berth that can stop such a large ship is also the latest modification.
There are more than a dozen similar berths nearby.
