Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 248

248. Prince Henry the Navigator (3)

With King John I’s approval, Henry acted swiftly.

“First, let’s reinforce the defenses of Ceuta.”

Ceuta, the southern pillar of the Pillars of Hercules [a strategic location at the Strait of Gibraltar], had been captured by Portugal during its invasion of Morocco.

It was a crucial strategic point for travel between the Mediterranean and the regions of Britain and France.

While land travel from Italy was possible, the Alps presented a significant barrier.

Therefore, transporting goods desired by nobles from England, France, and other Northern European countries required passage through the Mediterranean and up into the North Atlantic.

This made Ceuta increasingly valuable.

The Marinid dynasty of Morocco, having lost Ceuta, was constantly rebuilding its strength and seeking opportunities to reclaim it.

And it wasn’t just the Marinid dynasty.

The Crown of Aragon and the Crown of Castile and León, which had driven out the Islamic dynasties from the Iberian Peninsula during the Reconquista [the historical period of Iberian Christian kingdoms reconquering the peninsula from Islamic rule], were also eyeing Ceuta.

To counter these threats, securing Ceuta’s defenses was paramount, as it would serve as the forward base for the route to Joseon [an old name for Korea].

To this end, Portugal invested heavily in strengthening Ceuta’s defenses.

They widened and deepened the fortress’s moat, originally built and used by the Muslims, and deployed a large number of cannons.

However, they didn’t focus solely on Ceuta’s defense.

Henry also dispatched exploration ships to chart the west coast of Africa.

The goal wasn’t just to discover sea routes, but to establish supply bases.

-Find a suitable location on the west coast of Africa to serve as a supply base.

-A place with a geographical environment offering shelter for ships during bad weather.

-A place where securing food, drinking water, and timber for ship repairs is easy.

-A place with a climate similar to that of Europe.

-A place where contacting slave traders is convenient.

To find a location meeting these criteria, Portuguese ships sailed from Ceuta to explore the west coast of Africa.

* * *

“Funding is already becoming an issue.”

“Already?”

Prince Henry frowned at the reports from the officials overseeing the explorations.

With the King’s approval, Henry’s exploration efforts had received substantial funding.

However, those funds were already dwindling.

“What’s the cause?”

“We don’t have enough ships.”

“Nor enough sailors.”

“Ugh….”

Hearing the officials’ reports, Prince Henry groaned and held his head in his hands.

Exploring the west coast of Africa couldn’t be accomplished with just one or two ships.

To ensure progress, at least two ships needed to be dispatched every six months.

This was due to the limitations of wooden ships and the challenges of communication.

Unlike the relatively calm Mediterranean, the sea off the west coast of Africa was treacherous.

Even a minor mistake could lead to the loss of both ship and crew.

The problem was that if a ship was lost at sea, there was no way to know what happened to it.

Until the ship returned on its scheduled date, the shipowners and the crew members’ families could only pray for their safe return.

Therefore, sending at least two ships together every six months was essential.

If two or three ships sailed together, at least one might survive and bring back the survivors.

This exploration method inevitably required a large number of ships.

Even with shipyards in mainland Portugal working tirelessly to build more, a shortage quickly arose.

The problem of sailors was even more acute.

Even if a ship returned safely from an exploration, it was rare for all the sailors who had departed to return unharmed.

Whether due to disease, pirate attacks, or other incidents, casualties were inevitable.

Furthermore, long-distance voyages in harsh conditions weakened sailors physically and mentally, making it impossible for them to continue serving on board.

Consequently, when the returned ships were repaired and prepared for departure, almost half the crew often consisted of new sailors.

“What’s the solution to this?”

At Prince Henry’s question, the officials replied in unison.

“We need to recruit more sailors!”

The officials’ reasoning was as follows:

-Recruiting and employing a large number of sailors would allow for the training of experienced sailors.

-With a sufficient pool of sailors, those returning from long-distance voyages could be given adequate rest.

“Hmm…. I see. Do as you say.”

“I repeat, funding is a problem.”

Prince Henry frowned at the officials’ response.

“What’s the solution?”

At Prince Henry’s question, the officials offered various suggestions.

“We need to increase the trade of spices and Joseon goods.”

“That’s difficult due to the Italians. Isn’t that why we’re seeking a route to the East?”

“We need to gain control of the African gold trade route.”

“That’s also difficult because of the Muslims.”

“We can expand the slave trade.”

Prince Henry nodded at the last official’s words.

“That’s a good point. As we pioneer the route, opportunities for acquiring slaves will also increase. Draw up a plan.”

In this way, the grim exchange between Europe and the African continent accelerated and expanded.

It was an unfortunate butterfly effect caused by Hyang’s intervention.

* * *

Prince Henry began to expand the number of sailors on a large scale, following the officials’ suggestions.

‘Prince Henry of Portugal is recruiting sailors and captain candidates!’

‘I heard that going to Africa once will make you rich!’

Rumors spread throughout Europe, and sailors and captain candidates flocked to Portugal from Italy and other countries.

Young people who had lived lives without prospects as serfs or guild apprentices headed to Portugal, hoping to make their fortunes.

And it wasn’t just them. Experienced sailors who had worked on other people’s ships in the Mediterranean also moved to Lisbon, Portugal.

“I can’t work for someone else forever, can I?”

Those who gathered were transferred to Ceuta.

Sailor hopefuls began training in Ceuta, and captain hopefuls were appointed as first mates on newly deployed exploration ships to assess their abilities.

During this process, many people – both sailor and captain hopefuls – were eliminated.

This was partly due to the superstitions prevalent among European sailors at the time.

To achieve Prince Henry’s goal, crossing the equator and venturing south was essential.

However, not only the newcomers but also Portuguese sailors accustomed to the rough seas around Portugal considered crossing the equator taboo.

Such taboos were rooted in experience.

The place known as ‘Cape Nun’ [Cape No], located at 29 degrees north latitude on the west coast of Africa, earned its name because none of the sailors who passed it ever returned.(Note 1)

Therefore, many people quit.

“Crossing the equator is an impious act!”

However, more people flocked to Portugal with dreams of success than those who quit.

This was because they saw their neighbors growing rich by trading slaves from Africa and goods from India, China, and Joseon.

* * *

Prince Henry was well aware of this problem.

To address it, he recruited geographers to Sagres while simultaneously searching for sailors and captain candidates.

The mission of these geographers was to conduct research based on the sailing logs of Islamic, Byzantine, and other captains recorded during navigation.

The results and newly acquired information were then shared with the commanders and captains of the expeditions.

Naturally, all of these activities consumed funds. While training expenses for sailors could be deducted from their profits upon returning from a voyage, this wasn’t possible for scholars.

In the end, Prince Henry turned to his father, the King.

“We need to enlist the help of merchants.”

* * *

‘Prince Henry is raising funds from merchants. The goal is to find a detour route to the East!’

This rumor quickly reached Italian merchants.

Italy. Florence.

“The cowards have found courage.”

Cosimo de’ Medici, the head of the Medici family, chuckled and muttered upon hearing the rumor.

There was a reason why Cosimo dismissed them as ‘cowards’.

He, who would later build the Medici family’s fame and infamy, was an exceptional intellectual.

From a young age, he learned Latin, Greek, Arabic, and Hebrew, and interacted with scholars and artists.

Furthermore, fulfilling his father’s wish for him to inherit the family business as the eldest son, he diligently collected ancient books.(Note 2)

The ancient documents he acquired from Europe and Byzantium, along with information obtained through Islamic merchants, gradually expanded his knowledge.

That’s why Cosimo called them ‘cowards’.

As mentioned earlier, the people of Northern Europe firmly believed that crossing the equator was impossible.

However, Cosimo knew that Islamic merchants were crossing the equator without issue, albeit by land.

Of course, aside from unavoidable natural disasters and attacks by robbers.

In addition, he also knew that the Ming Dynasty, a new empire in Kitai [an old name for China], had sent a large fleet to the end of Africa.

Not only the Ming Dynasty’s fleet, but also many Islamic merchants had attempted to sail from the east coast to the west coast of Africa.

And he also knew that these attempts had ended in miserable failure.

* * *

The southernmost tip of Africa, the waters near the point where the east and west coasts meet, became the graveyard of Islamic ships due to its geographical characteristics – natural adverse conditions such as currents and winds.

The triangular waves created by the meeting of the two oceans were difficult for the dhows [traditional Arab sailing vessels] used by Islamic merchants to overcome.

Ultimately, due to these natural limitations and the lucrative trade already taking place in the Mediterranean, Islamic merchants abandoned the challenge.

In the end, Cosimo, aware of the possibility of developing a detour route through various sources, watched Prince Henry’s challenge and deemed it ‘cowards have found courage.’

* * *

“Hmm…. What should I do?”

Cosimo, having understood Prince Henry’s actions, pondered his response.

As mentioned, Cosimo possessed vast knowledge. If he cooperated with Henry, Prince Henry’s efforts could succeed quickly.

“But the problem is that it’s not profitable for me.”

Cosimo’s enormous wealth stemmed from the Medici Bank, which had branches in 16 European countries.

However, the capital that sustained the bank came from intermediary trade between Islam and Europe.

Therefore, Cosimo chose not to share his knowledge.

Of course, there were many others with excellent scholarship besides him. However, few possessed the comprehensive knowledge he had accumulated and were in a position to wield political and economic power simultaneously.

* * *

Note 1) Exploration Age. Hankook Ilbo Time Life. Published in 1978.

Note 2) https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%BD%94%EC%8B%9C%EB%AA%A8_%EB%8D%B0_%EB%A9%94%EB%94%94%EC%B9%98