The Madeira Islands (32°N, 16°W), located just beyond the mouth of the Mediterranean, were known as the "Pearl of the Atlantic." They now belonged to Portugal and lay off the western coast of Africa. The islands covered about eight hundred square kilometers of land, enjoyed a subtropical maritime climate, and formed an archipelago in the east-central North Atlantic, consisting mainly of volcanic islands.
The scenery there was beautiful, the climate mild, and grapes and wine were produced in abundance. The islands were an important European trading hub and export port.
For ships crossing the Atlantic from Europe to the New World, or heading south to Africa, India, or the distant East, Madeira Harbor was a vital stopover.
At the same time, Madeira Harbor was one of the important transit points for slaves, gold, gemstones, and Java's spices shipped from Africa to the Americas.
It was only one such port because Las Palmas (28°N, 16°W), another island port directly to its south, served almost the same purpose and was also its rival.
The only difference was that Madeira Harbor belonged to the Portuguese, while Las Palmas belonged to the Spanish. Their relationship had always been a delicate one.
Of course, the ins and outs of Portugal's relationship with the Kingdom of Spain couldn't be explained in a few words, and that wasn't the point. The point was that Li Huamei, admiral of the Li family fleet, was currently in Madeira Harbor, taking on supplies and making final preparations. They had been waiting there for a week and were now getting ready for their voyage to the New World, scheduled to begin when the tide went out that day.
After all, reaching the New World meant crossing the entire Atlantic. Even with favorable currents and no storms or other bad weather, the