Australian Storm 1876

  Chapter 413 Xi'an Town

   "Captain, next month it's our sixth and third company's turn to go to Great Hanish Island to change defenses, but I heard that someone else has been changed, isn't that justified?" Li Yong said in a buzzing voice.

  He knew that the instigator must be the officer in front of him, but if he didn't come to appeal, he always felt very suffocated in his heart.

  Greater Hanish Island is located at the most important point in the Mande Strait. Due to its limited area, it is impossible to put the entire task force over 1,700 on it. Therefore, the method of garrison in rotation is adopted, and the defense is changed once every two months.

  Although it is only 137 kilometers away from the town of Xi’an, the Greater Hanish Island is located at the top of the southeast of the Red Sea. It is surrounded by abundant water vapor and abundant products. It is rich in various marine fishes. The individual is large and fat. It is stationed on the island to eat all the seafood.

  In addition, the island has lush forest vegetation and a large number of poultry and livestock such as pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, etc. The food is not so good, and it is much better than here in Xi'an.

  So the soldiers hope to go to the Great Hanish Island to garrison, it is 100 times better than eating sand here.

"Hey...Is there still room for bargaining to execute the order?" Lei Xiaopeng sneered and scolded his face with a serious expression; "You are all military officers. You should have your own opinions. Don't listen to the wind or rain and those The soldiers get together, they have a **** insight? It’s okay to eat big fish and meat. The mission of garrisoning the Great Hanish Island is highly dangerous. Once the French go crazy, the warship will come over with a violent bombing, crying when the time comes. Nowhere."

   "Captain, don't fool our brothers. I don't believe that the French warships dare to open fire at the Saint George's flag. Let them be brave."

  Lieutenant Li Yong looked at Lieutenant Mo Zhenxiong next to him, with a clear look of disbelief on his face. The two of them were officers from the Earl’s Mansion Guards. They were both first-class officers regardless of their knowledge and courage, and they couldn't help easily.

  Alas...I blamed myself for lack of concentration. When I came to this ghost place with a hot mind, I don’t want to say anything, it’s all tears!

Lei Xiaopeng was speechless now, he stared at the two young officers in front of him, and saw that their originally white and ruddy faces were dark and thin in the hot sun near the north equator, and he felt a little unbearable in his heart. .

  This thing was originally done by myself.

  That... just a few old men in the camp got together for a drink. After a begging, Lei Xiaopeng was quite caring for the old brother who followed him from birth to death, so he nodded and agreed.

  On the one-third acre of land in Somalia (including Djibouti) in Africa, Lei Xiaopeng is the emperor of the earth. He decides all the rules himself, and of course he can change it.

"Don't talk to me about these useless things. The French are not blind. A group of soldiers with black hair, dark eyes and yellow skin just put Her Majesty's crown on their heads. What can they do?" Lei Xiaopeng forcefully defended. One sentence, and then his tone slowly changed to soothing; "Two months passed in a flash. Follow me, someone who Lei will never treat you badly. The first batch of creditors at the end of the year will definitely have your names. Turn You can get a promotion and raise your salary in the new year."

   "This was originally planned. Let's say regret is useful now?"

"Better mother complained, the troops have been here for more than half a year, you guys still have the opportunity to enjoy the big Hasni Island, haven't I stayed in Xi'an town all the time to eat sand? Who really loves me again? ?"

   "Then...but it's going to be up the peak."

"Fuck me, although the weather here is a little hotter and there is more sand, but there are Arab women and black women in the tavern in the town. This is nothing like the Greater Hassni Island. Women."

  Arab women and black women?

Li Yong Li and Lieutenant Mo Zhenxiong showed dismissive expressions on their faces almost at the same time, which made Lieutenant Colonel Lei Xiaopeng even more upset and chased them away like flies.

Xi'an Town is located in a fjord. The nearby terrain is a steep mountain about a hundred meters above the sea. It stretches dozens of kilometers along the coastline. The desolate and deserted earthy-yellow tone contrasts sharply with the azure blue ocean, as if hidden in the dryness. With vitality.

On the coast of the Gulf of Aden which is hundreds of kilometers long in Djibouti, Xi’an town is not the best dock, but it is the most livable. Lake Asal is nearby. When the rainy season comes, the lake overflows and runs along the dry river. Flow to the Gulf of Aden.

For thousands of years

  The local indigenous people have never thought of building a dam on the dry river for most of the time to expand the surface of Lake Asal and retain the precious precipitation during the rainy season.

After Lei Xiaopeng’s team arrived, the construction team arrived immediately and built a dam as soon as possible. No matter where the lake of Asal Lake spreads during the rainy season, it can nourish the nearby Gobi desert. A drop of water flows into the Gulf of Aden.

   more than half a year down

The town of Xi'an has formed a small town with more than 3,000 Chinese living. Near the town, there are rolling wheat waves and crisscrossing rice paddies. Industrious Chinese build diversion canals to irrigate the fields, raise cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, and vegetables. It will not take long. The first batch of grain will be produced, and agricultural and sideline products sufficient for self-sufficiency will be harvested.

  May be the reason for the sufficient sunshine. Don’t look at the yellow sand on the Gobi Desert here, the melons and fruits that can be grown are very sweet, very crisp, and very delicious.

As the base camp supporting the front, there are less than 1,000 troops stationed in Xi’an. The remaining more than 2,000 Chinese workers are the main body of urban construction. In more than half a year, they built a reinforced concrete permanent wharf, a large warehouse area, and masonry buildings. In the main town, tens of thousands of acres of fertile land have been opened up in the oasis, and a large logistics base has been initially completed.

  On the high platform near the pier, the workers built several open-air forts with reinforced concrete. Now the inside is empty, covered with a lot of firewood to prevent people from spying on the reality.

  The main firepower to defend the town of Xi’an is 6 95mm Miss Australia artillery, plus 12 Maxine machine guns with firepower company. This air-cooled machine gun is more suitable for arid African regions, and is easy to carry, powerful and easy to use.

  The entire expeditionary task force is a regiment-level organization, with 8 infantry companies, an artillery company, a firepower company, and a headquarters company. There is no battalion-level organization.

  Two infantry companies defending the Greater Hanish Island, plus a platoon with firepower, totaling more than 360 personnel, which are rotated every two months.

The artillery company and the headquarters company are permanently stationed in Xi'an. In addition, there are 4 soldiers on standby at any time. They are mainly used to patrol the surrounding area and replace the defensive forces on the Greater Hanish Island, drive away small groups of enemies and malicious forces, and declare the area. Territorial rights and colonial rights.

  The remaining two infantry companies went to Mogadishu to establish a stronghold, which is located in the southeast of the Horn of Africa, more than 2,900 kilometers away from the town of Xi'an.

  In the small town

There are veiled Arab women, Arab merchants who come from afar with camels, African women hawking fruits and vegetables on their heads, farming farmers who come to the town in twos and threes to drink tea, military personnel who are not on duty, and others. Some coquettish women in the pub and brothel were soliciting customers, and the market seemed very lively.

As an African transit station connecting the Eurasian ocean trade route, the ocean-going ships of the United Shipping Company in the 19th century have begun to enter the port one after another, adding fresh water vegetables and food here, and the crew will come to the tavern to relax and find a woman to have fun. happy.

  As a result, this small town prospered rapidly, and there is no shortage of goods on the street. Many sensitive Chinese businessmen and Arab businessmen have opened shops here to operate their own special products.

  The wool tapestries and carpets produced in Australia are all machine-woven, with bright colors and good texture. Although they are expensive, they are still very popular among Arab merchants. They are very good sellers.

  In addition, toffee, cocoa, spices, machine-made knives, farm tools, high-quality flour and sausages are very popular. They are transported by ships to Yemen ports, and then sold to West Asia through the camel fleet of Arab merchants.

  Arab merchants brought camels, cows, horses, silver tableware rich in Arabian style, handicrafts, and of course the most important products were Arab women.

Today’s West Asia is turbulent. The formerly powerful Ottoman Empire gradually lost its dominance over the Arabian Peninsula. Strongmen from all over the world swarmed and each occupied a territory to attack and kill. German and British forces infiltrated the Kingdom of Iran. The Saudi Arabia region had no leader. Local heroes in the river basin emerge in endlessly, and the situation is chaotic like a pot of porridge.

  This chaotic situation has caused people to be displaced and their lives are difficult. Arabs have always had a tradition of slave trade, so fair-skinned Arab women have become the most popular product in Xi'an.

The local Chinese construction army does not look down on the dark-skinned African women, but has a soft spot for the fair-skinned Arab women. Many farmers who reclaim in the local area buy one or several female slaves to go back, and usually help work and farm the land. Raising chickens, ducks, sheep, cows, milking and feeding pigs, you can also pass on the lineage at night, and you can do it in one fell swoop.

  In order to encourage Chinese immigrants to take root in Africa, Red Fort’s policy is that no matter how much land is reclaimed, ownership is privately owned. Banks will give preferential loans of no more than £50 to support the creation of private farms and plantations.

  Of course, taxes still have to be paid.

  The most favorable policy so far has encouraged a large number of Chinese immigrants who desire land to come to the Horn of Africa, take root and thrive.

In the 19th century, the United Shipping Company set up an office in Xi’an. It owns two 3,500-ton freighters on routes between Yemen and Oman. It has already contacted powerful families in Iran and is preparing to sell more products. The densely populated Mesopotamia will expand the product market.

As a settlement established by Queenslanders, the town of Xi'an is heavily guarded. From time to time, heavily armed patrols can be seen passing by. There are tall lookout posts and checkpoints on the edge of the town. Shining bayonets are exceptionally bright in the sun. Conspicuous.

  This level of force is unmatched in the entire Horn of Africa, and the security is high enough.

This is exactly what Arab businessmen like. The towns and cities managed by Queenslanders are in order. There are even royal police and sheriffs, as well as Shangri-La Bank and Huitong Bank offices. Proper business activities can be protected without worrying about personal and financial safety. Moreover, ocean-going freighters traveling from north to south bring a wealth of goods, which is simply the best place to do business.

  (End of this chapter)