1632 Snippets
1636 The China Venture – Snippet 18
1636 The China Venture - Snippet 18 Normally, there were two major convoys of VOC ships to Batavia, the Christmas fleet and the Easter fleet. The Easter fleet arrived in Batavia at a bad time relative to the monsoon season, and even the Christmas fleet could arrive too late to catch the southwest monsoon to China and have to tarry in ague-ridden Batavia for as much as half a year. Hence, the VOC had experimented in 1626 to 1628 with a fleet after the September fair. This "Fair Fleet" had left in October, and arrived in Batavia in June or...
1636 The China Venture – Snippet 17
1636 The China Venture - Snippet 17 Chapter 12 Year of the Dog, Seventh Month (August 23-September 21, 1634) Tongcheng, China The carter pushed a two-wheeled barrow down the main street of Tongcheng. It was laden with firewood. Tongcheng met the two criteria for a town: it had a protective wall, and a market. The word in the market was that someone had seen a cloud in the shape of a snake cross in front of the sun. Unfortunately, there was disagreement as to the color of the cloud. If it were red, it portended treason; if black, flooding...
1636 The China Venture – Snippet 16
1636 The China Venture - Snippet 16 Chapter 11 June 1634 Magdeburg "Mr. Ambassador," said Martina, "permit me to introduce you to your staff." "Please do so," said Johann Alder Salvius. Emperor Gustav Adolf's pick to head the USE mission was a man in his mid-forties, and taller than average for a Swede of the time. He was heavily-built, with a paunch and a thick-featured face. Above the Van Dyck beard loomed a large nose and greenish eyes which protruded a little. "This is Eric Garlow, of USE Army Intelligence," Martina continued. "He speaks...
1636 The China Venture – Snippet 15
1636 The China Venture - Snippet 15 The detour also lengthened what would probably have been a ten day cruise up to fourteen days. But that was good enough; Captain Hamilton had been told that the Powers-that-Be in the SEAC had decided upon a September departure. Goteborg, Sweden June 1634 Entering Goteborg harbor, the Groen Feniks exchanged salutes, first with Alvsborg Fortress, and then with the Rode Draak. Captain Hamilton studied the East Indiaman carefully; it seemed to be of conventional construction, and well-maintained. Of course the...
1636 The China Venture – Snippet 14
1636 The China Venture - Snippet 14 Chapter 10 May 1634 Stockholm At the Stockholm Mint, Marcus Koch, the Mint Master of Stockholm, and Captain Hamilton of the Groen Feniks watched as silver bars and coins were counted out and placed in iron-bound wooden boxes, each weighing perhaps five hundred pounds when fully loaded with eight thousand or so coins. The size of the box was deliberate; the Mint didn't want a box to be easy for a lone thief to carry off. Once the box was locked shut, the captain and the Mint Master affixed their seals to it....
1636 The China Venture – Snippet 13
1636 The China Venture - Snippet 13 PART II: 1634 For the Temple-bells are callin', an' it's there that I would be-- By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' lazy at the sea Rudyard Kipling, Mandalay Chapter 9 Tongcheng, China Year of the Dog, Second Month (February 28-March 28, 1634) The Fang family servants and tenants were lined up, waiting for orders, implements of destruction in hand. Fang Yizhi clapped his hands, bringing them all to attention. "The time we knew would come has at last arrived. It is necessary that we defend our lands against...
1636 The China Venture – Snippet 12
1636 The China Venture - Snippet 12 Chapter 8 Grantville December 1633 "So what will it be today?" asked Cora. Eric Garlow and Mike Song had met Mike's sister-in-law Ashley and Mike's brother Danny for lunch at Cora's Cafe. Eric looked at his companions. "Coffee. Black." "Me, too." "Me, three." "I'll make it unanimous," said Eric. Cora put her pad away. "Four black coffees, coming up." She then moved on to the next table. Ashley coughed. "I think you're going about the China venture the wrong way." "What do you mean?" asked Eric. "You're...
1636 The China Venture – Snippet 11
1636 The China Venture - Snippet 11 Jim, Martina and Eric were in Martina's kitchen, rinsing dishes. Jim and Martina had invited Eric over for dinner. Eric's wife Heather had also been invited, but Eric came alone, saying that Heather had been "indisposed." The Goss' boarders had, as a courtesy, gone out for the evening, and Mary was visiting with her husband Arlen at the Assisted Living Center, so it was just the three young people. Martina put the last dish in the drying rack and hung up her apron. "Actually, I have a particular interest in...