1850 American Gold Tycoon

The pirates in Southeast Asia are indeed a maritime force that can be exploited.

At this time, no matter who you are, whether your identity is honorable or not, as long as you are willing to help fight the Dutch East India Company, you have united front value.

"Liu Shanbang, it's up to you to contact the pirates in Southeast Asia." Liang Yao said to Liu Shanbang.

Liu Shanbang has lived locally longer and has more contact with these pirates. It is more appropriate for Liu Shanbang to contact these pirates.

"To contact the pirates, we need money." Liu Shanbang said with some embarrassment.

It is okay to let the pirates take action on their side, but this requires money, and their Dagang Company and other Chinese resistance companies have been unable to afford the money to bribe the pirates after four years of war.

"How much money do you need to buy these pirates?" Liang Yao asked directly.

Liu Shanbang thought for a long time and came up with a number: "Thirty thousand US dollars."

Liu Shanbang was worried that if he lowered the price, he would not be able to sell it to pirates. If he raised the price, Liang Yao would not agree.

"I'll give you fifty thousand dollars to make sure these pirates are on our side." Liang Yao said happily.

Fifty thousand US dollars is not a big sum of money for Liang Yao.

If $50,000 can get some help, it's money well spent.

Of course, Liang Yao's bottom line is that these pirates are not on the side of the Dutch East India Company. There can't be many helpers, and Liang Yao can accept a few enemies.

"With these fifty thousand dollars and your prestige, why can't you convince those pirates?" Liu Shanbang was overjoyed.

“Although the Dutch and Indian authorities have more than 28,000 soldiers, they need to use these soldiers to maintain order in their colonies in the East Indies, and the number of troops they can spare to fight us is limited.

Our goal is to focus on the island of Borneo. Without the colonial baggage of the Dutch and Indian authorities, we are not completely without initiative. "Liang Yao analyzed.

The Dutch-Indian colonial authorities had more than 28,000 troops on paper, but it did not mean that they could devote all their troops to the battlefield on Borneo Island.

The role of the Royal Dutch East India Army was not just an army but also a colonial police force.

If all these troops were withdrawn, the colonial order that the Dutch and Indian authorities had worked so painstakingly in the East Indies would collapse.

Give up the islands of Sumatra and Java, which are already under firm control, and devote all their forces to fight for the island of Borneo, which has not yet established a firm foothold.

Liang Yao believed that the Dutch and Indian authorities would not be so stupid as to pick up sesame seeds and throw away watermelons.

In fact, the Lotus War that lasted for four years on the island of Borneo has shown that the Dutch and Indian authorities do not have sufficient mobile forces. Otherwise, they would not have wanted to win over the Lanfang Company to fight against other Chinese resistance companies, and it would not have taken four years to do so. Capture the Chinese base in West Borneo.

“The Sacramento Arsenal has stockpiled 60 6-pounder Sacramento cannons, 35 12-pounder cannons, 10 20-pounder cannons, and 5 24-pounder cannons.

In terms of small arms, after we suspended the delivery of rifle orders to the French, we also stored 2,300 Walter M1851 rifles and 4,500 Walter M1851E rifles. "Sutter said.

"The artillery is enough. As for light weapons, let the arsenal produce them quickly. The French order cannot be delayed for too long. The French liquidated damages are not a small amount." Liang Yao thought for a while and said.

"Collect some Springfield M1842 rifles in good condition. Whether they are rifled guns or smoothbore guns, as long as they are in good condition and the guns are usable."

Dagang Company and other Chinese resistance companies still have more than 20,000 young men under their command. Liang Yao plans to arm these Chinese young men who resist the companies.

It is better to let these local young men bear the heavy casualties in the tough battle, which can also reduce the losses of the Western Brigade.

Less than 7,000 Walter rifles were definitely not enough to arm more than 20,000 young men. Liang Yao could only collect some Springfield M1842s in stock and bring them with him.

Although Liang Yao disdains these old-fashioned Springfield rifles, the current equipment of the Royal Dutch East India Army is not as good as the equipment of the current American Army.

Before 1830, the Dutch military industry was not lagging behind.

However, before 1830, the Dutch military industry did not fall behind on the premise that Belgium was within the framework of the United Provinces of the Netherlands.

Rather than saying that the Dutch military industry before 1830 was not lagging behind, it is better to say that the Belgian military industry before 1830 was not lagging behind.

Before 1830, the Netherlands' arms supply came mainly from the scorching sun of Belgium.

In 1830, after Belgium became independent from the Netherlands due to the French July Revolution, the weakness of the Dutch military industry became apparent.

Belgium's industry and agriculture are developed, while the Dutch economy is focused on commerce and fishing.

Therefore, after Belgium became independent, the Dutch were unable to independently manufacture guns that did not lag behind the world average.

Of course, the inconsistency in economic structure and economic interests was also the reason why Belgium and the Netherlands eventually parted ways.

After Belgium became independent, the Dutch urgently introduced production lines from abroad, established the Delft State-owned Military Factory, and launched the Netherlands' first standard rifle in 1848: the 1848 rifle.

The most advanced equipment of the Royal Dutch East India Army is the 1848 rifle.

This kind of musket fired with a flash cap fired 5mm round projectiles, also known as the first generation Dutch bullet.

In an era when both Britain and France were replacing miniguns and even breech-loading rifled guns, the 1848 rifle launched by the Dutch was obviously lagging behind the times.

However, the launch of the 1848-type rifle is not meaningless. It at least proves that the Netherlands still has the ability to independently produce light weapons after Belgium became independent. Furthermore, this gun unified the calibers of the standard weapons of the Dutch domestic army and the colonial army.

This is something the Dutch authorities have never done before.

"Boss, all the guests you invited have arrived and are waiting in the lobby."

When the meeting was about to end, Carnegie leaned into Liang Yao's ear and said to Liang Yao.

Seeing that everything that needed to be arranged had been arranged and everything that needed to be explained, Liang Yao ended the meeting and came to the living room.

When he sent troops to Borneo, he did not want this to be a war for himself alone, but wanted it to be a colonial war for all Californians, at least most of them.

At present, the Dagang Company and other Chinese on the island of Borneo have not yet been destroyed, and Britain and France are caught in the Crimean War, which is the best window to send troops.

If you don't seize the opportunity this time, you will have to wait for a long time if you want to get involved in Southeast Asia in the future.

These people in the living room are not as easy to fool as ordinary people.

Ordinary people can stir up their emotions with a few articles and photos, but these California powerhouses in the living room cannot.

Liang Yao, Fremont, Sutter and other key figures in California's military and political affairs walked out of the conference room. The debate in the conference room was still very fierce.

The topic they debated was whether it was necessary to send troops directly to the island of Borneo.

Although Liang Yao sent troops to Borneo Island in the name of Umbrella's mercenary force, anyone with a discerning eye knew that this was Liang Yao's use of the Western Brigade to send troops to Borneo Island, and it was just a cover-up.

Of course, this is not the biggest concern of the upper-class Californian people in the living room. After all, the Western Brigade is mainly supported by Liang Yao himself, and it is not their turn to point fingers.

What they can put their finger on is that Liang Yao wants to requisition their merchant ships and let them organize private armed forces to go to Borneo with the army.

This made many people, especially the non-Chinese upper-level Californians, hesitate and weigh whether it was necessary to go to Borneo Island. To put it bluntly, it was what they could gain by paying for and organizing armed forces to accompany Liang Yao to Borneo.

At this point, not to mention the upper echelons of California, even the core of the highest echelons cannot fully reach a consensus.

Governor Robinson believed that California's top priority was to focus on developing its own economy, rather than going on an expedition to fight a meaningless war with the Dutch on an island tens of thousands of miles away.

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