Chapter 1031 West Indies General Archives
Xiao Peng switched the livestream to the ROV and HOV cameras, the screen filled with bubbles. He lit a cigarette and spoke leisurely, "Back then, several fleets were responsible for transporting colonial treasures back to Spain. Almost all of them returned to mainland Italy before Philip V's wedding. Only one fleet encountered problems: the Sino-American fleet, with the Capitana as its flagship. They were late because they were carrying a large amount of wealth from the East."
"It was a rather chaotic era, summed up in one sentence: 'Portugal and Spain were dividing the world, the Netherlands wasn't far behind, and the British were taking advantage of the situation.' Although Spain possessed greater wealth, the Portuguese-controlled East was renowned for its crafts, spices, and other products. For example, everyone knows that South America is rich in gemstones, but when it comes to jewelry crafting, the East is more sophisticated. So, to curry favor with the king, a governor of Spain's South American colonies did something remarkable: he shipped some jewelry from South America across the Pacific to India. After processing it there, he sailed it back across the Pacific to South America, transported it overland to the Atlantic, and rendezvoused with the Indian fleet. Together with the Indian fleet's gold, silver, and jewelry, they sailed across the Atlantic back to Spain to celebrate the king's wedding. However, this was a significant waste of time. The fleet didn't leave the port of Veracruz, Mexico, until July 31, 1715, a year after Philip V's wedding."
Xiao Peng took a puff of his cigarette and continued, "Why did it take an entire fleet to transport the treasure? It wasn't because there were too many jewels, but because the British at the time specialized in maritime robbery. They were what were called 'privateers,' or in other words, 'royal pirates.' The Spanish needed a fleet to protect their wealth. The route they took was also a relatively safe one, along the southern coast of Mexico, through Cuba, across the Bahamas, into the Atlantic Ocean, and on to Spain. This route was basically close to land, reducing the chances of being robbed by British pirates..."
"But they escaped man-made disasters but not natural ones. Once they entered the Atlantic, the entire fleet disappeared. The last sighting was in Bermuda, a British territory. The British disagreed, believing the Spanish were deliberately casting aspersions on them. Regardless, the fleet vanished. A few days later, a hurricane struck Bermuda and the Bahamas, leading to speculation that the fleet was destroyed. Of course, others disputed this theory, and the Van Gogh family, responsible for escorting the treasure, was blamed and ultimately fell into decline, vanishing into history."
"Oh, I'm not talking about the painter Van Gogh, but a family in both Spain and Mexico that thrived through colonization in South America. Familiar with the sea, this family commanded the Spanish colonial navy in South America. They were responsible for capturing British pirates, maintaining colonial law and order, and transporting goods. Why do we suspect we've found the 'Queen's Gift'? Because we discovered a shipwreck called the 'Capitana.' There have been many ships with this name throughout history, but we found this one on board as well."
He moved the mouse a few times, and a photo appeared on the screen of the live broadcast room. The photo was a copper plate with squirrels and other patterns engraved on it.
"See this copperplate? It was found on the Capitana, the ship at the bottom of the ocean. The pattern on it is the Van Gogh family crest. And the Van Gogh family was the commander of the fleet that escorted the 'Queen's gift.' The Capitana was the flagship of that fleet and also the Van Gogh family's private ship."
When people heard this on the barrage, they all started to post comments.
"Didn't you say the Van Gogh family had vanished into the depths of time? How do you know this is their family crest?"
"Exactly, how do you know so much about what happened hundreds of years ago?"
"We know about the Bourbon family, but how come we don't know about this 'Queen's bride price'?"
Xiao Peng laughed. "I can tell you, knowledge is really important. There's a 'Comprehensive Archives of the West Indies' in Seville, Spain. The so-called West Indies are the islands in the Caribbean Sea, including Cuba and Jamaica. In 1492, Columbus, carrying letters from Spain, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Bactria. He ended up on San Salvador Island, east of the Bahamas, and mistakenly thought the island was near India. He even called the island's indigenous people 'Indians.' He later discovered it was a misunderstanding, but he still mistakenly called it the West Indies, a name that continues to this day."
"Serbia's 'General Library of the West Indies' is undoubtedly the best place to explore archives from the Spanish colonial period in South America. It's located near the Royal Palace of Serbia and Seville Cathedral. King Carlos III of Spain collected all relevant documents concerning the West Indies into this archive, which contains over 80 million pages and 43,000 volumes, including letters from the period. Even more remarkable, it also houses royal correspondence, official documents from successive historians, royal decrees, and archives related to various families. However, it's currently only open to the public; general visitors are not allowed to view the books. I was able to access the archive because I was assisting the Spanish authorities with a search. Inside, there's a 1905 Spanish book called 'Puebla,' which chronicles the Van Gogh family. They were the product of a marriage between the Spaniard Hugo Hubier and the local Mexican nobles, the Van Gogh family. Because they weren't of pure Spanish heritage, they were targeted."
Xiao Peng clicked the mouse again as a nautical chart appeared. "This is a navigation chart from that period, found in the 'West Indies General Library.' Take note. If we shift this traditional route three degrees south, it's exactly where we are now. Navigation in that era relied on charts, magnetic compass roses, water clocks, quadrants, navigational charts, and other equipment, which were prone to angular deviations. Even if Capitana's commander was a formidable figure and had the basic direction correct, a three-degree deviation would have been enough to end their career. And as for the 'Queen's bride price,' what was on board? Let me tell you, forty boxes of gold, silver, and jewelry. Including Indian diamonds, Burmese rubies, Colombian emeralds, and other precious gems. If the records are correct..."
Xiao Peng clenched his fist and showed it to the camera: "They are all this size!"
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