Cape Town (4)

In response to the appeals of Babel and the people of the Netherlands in southern Africa, Treville stated that because of the various perverse actions of the Britain, it was only a matter of time before France declared war on Britain in order to uphold justice, and perhaps the war had already begun.

"However, like you, we don't have any special way to understand the situation in Europe," Treville said. "Within my authority, I can only send personnel back to Europe to help you make a request to the France government. But, my friends, you know that if war hasn't broken out yet, you will have to wait. And if war has broken out, Europe is the main battlefield. Deploying an army in a very distant place, far from the main battlefield, will still be a very costly undertaking. Moreover, logistical supplies will be extremely difficult to obtain."

"We can help with logistics!" Babel said. "We have food, gunpowder, and even warhorses. You France don't need to bring them; we have horses. You just need to bring your guns and cannons."

"The problem is the cannons. Do you have ports where warships and transport ships can dock so that the cannons can be safely unloaded?" Treville asked.

These Netherlands did have ports, but only small enough for a couple of fishing boats to dock. Warships or large transport ships couldn't get through, and they lacked the necessary port facilities. Besides, if they controlled such ports, they could easily rake in money; they'd be crazy to fight the Britain to the death.

"We don't have any usable ports," Babel said after a moment's thought. "But we can build a temporary port that can accommodate warships and transport ships. In fact, there are several places with good conditions and the potential for port construction. Your people will go back, and then wait for the army to arrive; that will take several months, won't it? During that time, we should be able to build the temporary port."

So Treville had Babel draft a petition, which all the Netherlands signed, and then gave the document to his men to return to Europe on a fast ferry. While fast ferry ships are no longer the fastest vessels, they are still widely used because of their long range and strong support capabilities.

Then Babel and his men arranged for people to monitor the British Army in Cape Town —in fact, because of the previous battle, the Britain were also hesitant to come out. In short, the basic situation near Cape Town was:

"John inside, if you're a man, come out and fight!" the Netherlands militia shouted through megaphones from outside the range of the cannons.

"Hey rebels outside, come on up if you dare!" the Britain shouted from beside the cannon at the Netherlands militia outside.

"Get down!"

"Come here! Come here! What are you afraid of? Come here!"

The Britain didn't come out, and the Netherlands militia didn't go either. Of course, this seemed to be very advantageous for the Netherlands militia. However, even Treville hadn't expected that besieged Cape Town would have no shortage of food. Because it was a port, without a navy, it was difficult to blockade a port.

Indeed, at this time, most countries in Europe dared not disobey France and trade with the Britain. However, the situation was different in southern Africa, far from Europe. There were still many indigenous tribes there who didn't even understand the difference France and England. Therefore, Napoleon's formidable reputation couldn't prevent them from trading with the Britain. The Britain easily exchanged surplus iron tools for a considerable amount of grain from the Africans. This kind of trade didn't require any ports on the African side; as long as there were places to dock small boats, metal tools and grain could be exchanged smoothly. Therefore, the Britain didn't need, at least not for the time being, worry about food.

The Netherlands militia's port, however, was only half-expanded when it was discovered by the Britain. The Britain still had two frigates in Cape Town —old-fashioned sailing cruisers. These warships were obsolete in Europe, but still useful in more remote areas. For example, they were still widely used in South Africa and the Far East. Besides retiring a large number of these old sailing warships, the Britain also transferred a significant portion of them to the Far East. For instance, the former Britain flagship, Victory, was now with the Britain East India Company. Of course, the East India Company had modified the ship, removing one gun deck and converting the lower gun deck into cargo holds.

Upon discovering that the Netherlands were expanding their port, the Britain, of course, showed no mercy. They sent two patrol ships over and unleashed a barrage of fire, reducing the half-expanded port to rubble. The Netherlands, lacking any artillery, were equally powerless against the Britain, even with their outdated sailing warships.

After destroying the port the Netherlands were expanding, the two Britain frigates patrolled the coastline almost every few days, bombarding any port they found, even small ones used for fishing boats. Clearly, ports where cannons could be deployed were no longer viable.

"The port is still not being built. What will we do if the fleet arrives? If we had known this would happen, we should have gotten a ship first and sent some mines over," Treville said to Babel.

"Mr. Treville, it's really not our fault; the Britain are just too cunning," Babel said.

"Now is not the time to discuss who to blame, but the time to think about how to deal with it," Treville said.

Babel fell silent for a moment before saying, "If, if the fleet really comes, then we could land in Maputo or Walvis Bay and then come overland from there."

"How is that possible? It's nearly two thousand kilometers from Maputo or Walvis Bay to here. Considering there are practically no decent roads in Africa, how is this possible?" Treville couldn't help but shake his head.

"Then the fleet will first anchor in the bay over Saldanha. The conditions there are excellent, suitable for building a large port. Our original port expansion was located there. Anyway, it's surrounded by land on three sides, so even if the wind picks up, the waves in the bay won't be too big. Once the fleet gets there, and the Britain warships won't dare to cause trouble anymore, we can quickly build the docks... Believe me, it won't take much time," Babel replied.

"As far as I know, the Sadaniel region lacks fresh water," Treville said, frowning.

"Ah, Philippe, you don't need to worry about that. We'll definitely ensure you have fresh water. Besides, you probably won't be sending too many people. Fresh water shouldn't be a problem."

"It's not just about the people; the ships themselves also consume a lot of fresh water," Treville reminded them.

"Okay, don't worry, I'll get it ready," Babel said. "We'll not only provide them with drinking water, but also water for their baths."

In fact, there was a radio transmitter on Philippe Treville's high-speed transport ship. After sailing about two thousand kilometers north, they could contact France outposts in Central Africa via radio and relay messages back to Paris quickly. So, Paris quickly learned about the situation in South Africa.

Napoleon summoned the naval and army generals to discuss the situation in South Africa.

"Your Excellency, I know that South Africa is a strategically important location. But why are we in such a hurry to take action South Africa?" Admiral Treville asked.

"If the Britain are defeated, then for diplomatic reasons, we must allow the Netherlands to restore their rule over Cape Town. However, we must have a reliable foothold in this area. After the war, do the Britain still want to hold onto India? And to enter India, it is essential to have a base in the South Africa region," Napoleon said. "Furthermore, an expedition from the Academy of Academy of Sciences investigating Africa biology discovered gold deposits in a stream near a highland area about 500 kilometers from Maputo. The local natives call this area the Golden Mountain. Subsequently, the Academy of Sciences sent mineral experts again, under the pretext of studying migratory birds, to investigate this area once more..."

"How is it?" Marshal Berthier asked quickly.

"After their investigation, they believe there is a large gold mine in this area. Of course, this is only a possibility, and perhaps the mine is not as large as imagined," Napoleon said with a smile. "But even for this possibility, it is worthwhile for us to take action in South Africa. First, we will take Cape Town, and then use it as a base temporarily— Cape Town is still a bit far from our destination—to find a harbor on the east coast as a stronghold, and finally control the still unclaimed Golden Mountain."

Of course, everyone knows that this reason cannot be made public. So the public reason is that we need to establish a base on the east coast of South Africa to support our return to India. Therefore, the government will not invest much in inland development; it will mainly be led by individuals. Gentlemen, you are all my best friends, and you should know what this opportunity means. Well, we can set up an investment company together. Of course, I suggest that everyone prepare a front when setting up this company."

"Your Majesty, you are truly... even the vast Atlantic Ocean cannot contain my gratitude and love for you," Augereau said gratefully.

"Me too, me too..." Murat shouted.