Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 646: The Oceanic Plan
Chapter 646: The Oceanic Plan
TL: Rui88
The first circumnavigation in human history had been completed under his leadership, which was quite a meaningful event for Paul.
To outsiders, the Count was overjoyed, extremely excited, as if it were a festival.
But Paul’s heart was not as fervent as he appeared. It was not that he was not excited at all, but that the degree of his excitement could not compare to what he showed.
Combining the knowledge from his previous life with the various phenomena he had observed in this one, Paul had long concluded that this world was a celestial body like Earth.
Undertaking a circumnavigation, for him, was more like replaying a game he had already cleared to get a commemorative achievement.
Of course, for Paul, who had become a ruler, it was not as simple as just getting an achievement.
Expanding territories and colonizing distant oceans? There was no such need or pressure for now, or at least not in the lands under his control.
But doing business with the natives and opening up new markets was still possible. No matter how different the cultural backgrounds were, people still had to eat, drink, and relieve themselves.
Also, it was to get a preliminary understanding of what important resources were available around the world.
The Northern Exploration Team had brought back furs, medicinal herbs, and minerals.
The Eastern Exploration Team had brought back… it seemed to be oil and rubber?
The Western Exploration Team, the situation on the new continent was still unclear, but two brand-new continents, north and south, held infinite possibilities.
Moreover, in the records of the Western Exploration Team, in the ocean west of the Northwest Bay, large flocks of seabirds gathered on many uninhabited islands, their numbers astonishing, so many they were hard to imagine.
According to Paul’s thinking, such islands often accumulated large amounts of bird droppings. The main component of guano was phosphate, and before the invention of chemical fertilizers, bird droppings were the best fertilizer.
On Earth, Christmas Island and Nauru had made great fortunes from guano, and Peru and Bolivia had gone to war with Chile over bird droppings (and saltpeter, in fact).
Before his own chemical industry could mass-produce fertilizers, finding such guano islands would be a great help in increasing the agricultural production capacity under his rule.
Paul did not hesitate. After Gran and the others had rested in Lakeheart Town for a few days, they were once again summoned to the Lord’s mansion to discuss the next “Exploration Plan” with the key members of the Administration Council.
On the wall of the meeting room hung a huge map.
This was a geographical sketch drawn by the cartographers of the Western Exploration Team for the areas they had passed through.
Of course, because it had not been comprehensively and meticulously surveyed, most things on the map were estimated.
For example, the distance between islands, the shape of the continental coastline, the direction of ocean currents, and so on, were often based on feeling. 𝘳𝖆NȫβĘ𝐒
Paul smiled and said to Gran, “For this vast ocean to our west, have you not thought of giving it a name?”
Because the Kingdom of Ordo was only adjacent to the sea on its western side, the people of this land simply referred to the western ocean as “the great sea,” or rather, “the great sea” was the name of this body of water to the west.
Now, the Aldans’ range of activity had expanded unprecedentedly, and Paul needed to divide and name the global waters.
Gran replied, “If you would permit it.”
“Of course I permit it. This right and honor should belong to you,” Paul answered sincerely.
“In that case, we have discussed it, and we could name it the Ocean of Tranquility.”
Paul asked, “Why choose this name?”
A look of reminiscence filled Gran’s eyes. “When we were crossing this ocean, perhaps we received the Heavenly Father’s protection. We did not encounter any extreme weather throughout the entire journey. It was truly fortunate. We hope this name can also bring good luck to those who cross this ocean in the future.”
“Excellent! Excellent!”
Paul led the applause. He was very satisfied with Gran’s answer. Gran was truly a good person.
“Alright, then it shall be called the Ocean of Tranquility from now on.”
“What about the other ocean?” Paul pointed to the map from a distance, referring to the ocean between the west of the new continent and the east of the old continent.
“Oh, that place was the opposite of the Sea of Tranquility. Perhaps our good luck ran out. We encountered a lot of bad weather there, such as hurricanes, and many undercurrents. Fortunately, there were no losses. What do you think of calling it the Ocean of Hurricanes?”
“Alright, let it be called the Ocean of Hurricanes!” Paul agreed to Gran’s naming.
Paul asked again, “According to your wishes, you want to go to that continent of the goat-people again?”
Gran nodded, “I can’t wait to set sail again to save those brothers who are being enslaved by the foreign race.”
Paul nodded, “I will prepare what you need immediately. And for this voyage, I will also dispatch many cartographers and surveyors to accompany you, to draw more precise sea charts and maps, and to survey the various resources along the way.”
“Gentlemen!” He looked at everyone present. “I intend to establish communicable relations with the foreign races on the new continent. Do you have any opinions?”
Old Ford was the first to speak. “If they are not inherently evil, of course, that would be fine, but… the goat-people Gran speaks of don’t seem very friendly to us?”
There was doubt in his tone.
“But there are also the relatively friendly bull-headed people,” Paul said. “Moreover, according to Gran, when they first visited the port of the goat-people, the manager there was also very friendly. So I believe something must have gone wrong in between.”
“If communication is possible, then naturally there’s no problem. Lord Grayman’s meaning is, to start… trade with them?”
The head of the Department of Commerce, Emerson Lowry, asked this. The Department of Commerce was a newly established department in the Administration Council.
“That’s right. I think this will help broaden our sources of wealth,” Paul nodded. “Just think, two brand new continents, what a huge market that would be.”
Gran reminded him, “Lord Grayman, the goat-people have a high level of civilization. They even invented paper themselves, very similar to the kind you invented.”
“Invented paper?” Paul was not surprised. “Oh, that’s nothing. It’s not strange for paper to emerge from anywhere in this world. It’s not some profound technology. We still have many other things to sell.”
“However…” He stood up, walked to the wall, and patted the map hanging on it forcefully.
“These two oceans… are truly too vast for us now. I hope to find some sufficiently large islands in the ocean to establish supply stations and repair yards for our future fleets…trade fleets, but not excluding others.”
He looked at Old Ford. “But it’s not enough to just send people to garrison them. If we can find islands suitable for living, the kind that can support a certain amount of agriculture, they will be incorporated into our territory. I hope to develop settlements on them with a certain degree of self-sufficiency.”
“As you command, Lord Grayman.”
The head of the Administration Council accepted the order.
Chapter 646: The Oceanic Plan
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