"This is the San Carlos Fortress..."

Starting from the camp, the Cangqing Dewdrop traced the river bank 13 kilometers, and soon saw the destination of his trip, the San Carlos Fortress, on the north bank of the San Juan River.

Unlike those fortresses in mature pioneering areas in Europe and the Caribbean, San Carlos looks more like a militarized settlement.

It is built on the land angle between the north bank of the San Juan River and the east bank of Lake Nicaragua. It has an irregular fan shape and occupies an area of ​​about two to three square kilometers.

The fortress is surrounded by a solid city wall made of thick logs with a height of seven or eight meters. The maximum width is 10 meters. There is a towering thatched observation deck on the wall, scattered with a limited number of soldiers and dozens of artillery pieces.

Artillery and soldiers were mainly arranged on the north and east walls facing the river. Obviously, the Spaniards also knew that the main threat to the San Carlos Fortress could only come from the San Juan River.

San Carlos is also a trade hub connecting the Pacific and Atlantic.

The Panama Canal in this era is still a dream. Adventurers will circumnavigate the vast South America and take boats from the Strait of Magellan or the Drake Strait to and from the two oceans.

And the larger the number, the businessmen who follow the rules will only choose the safe channel. That is, land in Managua on the Pacific coast, land transportation for 15 kilometers, and then board a ship in Granada, across Lake Nicaragua, from San Carlo into the San Juan River, and follow the current into the Caribbean Sea.

These are the two most convenient ocean passages in the world today.

As the place is at a critical point, San Carlos naturally takes into account the functions of the tax card.

It has a suspension gate at the mouth of the San Juan River. All merchants entering and leaving Lake Nicaragua must register and pay taxes with the Fortress Port Authority. According to the benchmark price and tax table provided by Spain, compare the category and nationality, and pay 1.5 to the amount of the goods. 5 points.

In all fairness, this tax rate can be regarded as conscientious compared to the current trade tax of 10-15 points, but the establishment of a tax card is an act that hinders commerce and has long been dismissed by the maritime powers.

Spain still regards this as a treasure. Except for the well-known fact that the Spanish are smarter than the people on earth, the only reason is probably that Great Spain has its own national conditions.

San Carlos has two piers. The lakeside pier is in the city. It is the main pier of the fortress. The riverside pier is a kilometer away from the city wall. There are only three symbolic 20-meter plank roads. nothing.

The Cangqing Dewdrop slowly berthed into the No. 2 plank road on the riverside, feeling the light trembling of the ship's bow touching the embankment coming from under his feet, and Lorraine stretched his waist lazily.

"Let's go, let's see the pride of the Iberian road bandits."

...

San Carlos sneaked into action.

As a compromise action to reconcile the contradictions between Nelson and Spencer, Lorraine did not actually have a clear goal here.

Wander around the city, stay for a while, investigate the number and firepower of the defenders, and if possible, perform some sabotage operations within its power, from breaking the city? From inside and outside to assassinating officers? Basically, it all depends on his interest.

Therefore, Lorraine pays more attention to obedience and ability when choosing his suite.

Twenty-three members of the Cangqing Dewdrops, in addition to Heina, Leif, Daniel, Freemani, and Barto? There are also eight indigenous sailors who are responsible for pretending to be slaves. They are led by a strong young man, Zogo Cao. What nationalities do the ten have? Only the Drake stormtroopers without Englishmen are equipped with short guns, swords and daggers? No sailor knives.

Does not bring the sailor's knife to conceal the identity of the seafarer? Similarly, Lorraine's main weapon has been changed from dual swords to umbrella swords.

However, the Spanish gentleman does not have the etiquette to carry an umbrella. The umbrella sword can only be carried by Fremani, who is an attendant. There is another thin sword inlaid with gems on Lorraine's waist, which was the spoils of a certain battle of Spencer.

Different from the appearance of the thorn sword? The extremely gorgeous Swift sword? The thin sword is more similar to the officer's sword. Its simple style, can pierce and split, was loved by the masculine Holy Roman and Prussian aristocrats, and it was also a common accessory for Spanish gentlemen.

The ship is stationary, and the ship board is lowered.

Leave the aboriginal sailors to fix the mess on the deck? Lorraine, who put on a tuxedo, and his entourage stepped on the not-so-solid dock bank.

Ding……

An octagonal gold coin steadily landed in the pilot's arms, dazzling the pilot's eyes.

"Generous young master!"

"Nice semaphore? Sir." Lorraine uttered skillful and precise Spanish. "I heard that San Carlos is a paradise in the rainforest? But I didn't expect the paradise to be so deserted..."

"You must have neglected the rainy season." The pilot showed his mouth full of white teeth. "Here will be heavy rain next month? Can the water volume of the San Juan River double? In the next six months? San Carlos is bustling. Heaven."

"I actually came early?"

"I'm afraid so."

In line with common principles elsewhere, the pilots at the dock are often the most relaxed and cheapest intelligence dealers.

They are the know-it-all in the city. They know many things that you will know sooner or later as long as you inquire, and through their mouths, they are the easiest way to get to know a place.

Lorraine quickly learned that San Carlos was a military city.

There are only a small number of civilians in the city. The main body of the garrison is the Nicaraguan colonial army of two companies, with grenadier configuration, and another battalion (five company) with permanent civilians in line configuration. There is also a garrison named San Carlos. The Brigentin frigate, with 120 sailors, was moored in the only water bunker on the lakeside dock.

There are eight 12-pound medium-sized coastal defense guns on the city wall, which are old-style cannons. Four of them are arranged on the south wall to the river, and the remaining four are arranged in twos on the east and west walls, facing the rainforest and Lake Nicaragua.

The commander of the garrison in the city is Antonio de Torrecias, a baron and colonel. He is also the commander of the local militia camp. He has his own manor and slaves on the island of Zapatra in Lake Nicaragua, the only one in the city. "master".

But his authority does not command the entire city's army. Whether it is the San Carlos or the grenadier from Grenada, he is his collaborator, not his subordinate.

Major Francisco de Mara, the captain of the Carlos, is the nephew of the Admiral Mara of the Grenada garrison formation, and the commander of the Grenadier Regiment, Gonzalo de Oviere, is the wife and brother of Major General Hawthorne, governor of Nicaragua. ~lightnovelpub.net~ In terms of background and personal connections, Commander Torrecias is not someone who can easily handle it.

And apart from the parents’ shortcomings among these big figures, Lorraine also knows that the best risotto in the fortress is the fresh lake risotto at the Titiali restaurant, and the only hotel in the fortress is Aunt Portuyani [New Cadiz Hotel] , Her daughter Portuyani is the oiran of the fortress. She is romantic and enthusiastic. She needs to pay an octagonal gold coin for one night's sleep, but she is definitely worth the money...

At the moment when the pilot was long-winded, Barto completed the port registration, Fremany rented a carriage, Leif volunteered to be the coachman, Lorraine interrupted the pilot's words in time, smiled and nodded, and rushed towards the fortress. .

Watching the smoke and dust of the carriage drifting farther and farther, the registrar from the Port Authority walked up to the pilot.

"This season, there are not many people like this rich man, let alone come from the river..."

The pilot blew the octagonal gold coin with a sigh, and listened quietly in his ear.

"Follow him! Change of guard in three days, Miss Potuyani, I'm here!"

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