[Abe Sargent]

Discovery



June 1, 1553 – We get knowledge of 33 sea lanes and provinces. Some other eastern power must have learned it, and its fifty years was up. Let’s take a look at what we can now see.

I can now see a bunch of the North African inland provinces.

I can now see North Scandinavia and the seas up there. This includes Iceland, which is currently controlled by Portugal.

I can see the Atlantic island provinces of Madiera (Port), The Caniaras (Castille) and The Azores (Port). I can see a lot more of the eastern Atlantic.

I can now see about five more provinces in the Red Sea area. I offer a trade agreement to newly discovered Yemen.

I discover all of the north west African coast.

All in all, a powerful slate of discoveries.

5 June, 1553 – NSD: Coast of Ciskei, NLD: Transkei, unclaimed

12 June, 1553 – NSD: Coast of Transkei, NLD: Natal, unclaimed

18 June, 1553 – NSD: Coast of Natal

22 June, 1553 – NSD: Gulf of Zambeezee, I’m heading over to Madagascar.

1 July, 1553 – NSD: Taolagnaro Bay.

10 July, 1553 – NSD: Coast of Tamatave

20 July, 1553 – NSD: Diego Suarez Bay

29 July, 1553 – NSD: Zanzibar Strait, NLD: Kilwa, Mozambique, Mombasa and Malindi, four provinces of the Swahili. I offer a trade agreement. I order my fleet to return home because they are starting to show signs of wear.

4 August, 1553 – NLD: Boina and Manabe, two unclaimed provinces on Madagascar

16 August, 1553 – NLD: Sofala and Quelimane, another pair of Swahili province

4 October, 1553 – For some reason, Ak Koyunlu is asking us for military access. I agree out of a lark. Also, NLD: Benin – a province of Kanem Bornu. NLD: Whydah, an unclaimed IVORY province just west of Benin.

7 October – NLD: Gold Coast, an unclaimed IVORY province.

29 October, 1553 – NLD: Cape Verde, unclaimed islands off the coast of Africa.

15 November, 1553 – My fleet returned to dock at the Canarias. It was almost destroyed by attrition. I need to establish a post on the coast of Africa if I want to go further in that direction.

If I want to send out some troops to clean out a province and then set up home, what provinces would I be interested in:

Sierra Leone, still on the western bump of north Africa, this ivory province feature 7000 natives that are very angry. It would costs us 62 ducats to try and place a settler here, with a current 44% chance of taking before clearing out the baddies. 186 days to arrive here.

Grain Coast, next door to Sierra Leone with spices, 5000 pissed off natives. The same data otherwise as Sierra Leone.

Two provinces over and on the underside of that north western bump is the Gold Coast. This ivory province features 9000 fully pissed off Africans, with a 220 day trip.

Adjacent to Gold Coast is Whydah, which is next to Benin. This ivory province features 5000 pissed off natives.

Near the southern end of the west coast of Africa is Damaraland. This is an Ivory province with 316 day travel time for colonists. The chance to set up here is 54% because the 4000 natives, although a bit on the aggressive side, are not pissed off and looking for heads.

Cape Verde. There are no natives here. Colonists will set up with a 71% chance and in just 163 days.

If I want a post for us to explore from, Cape Verde is easy to set up, but not great for Cross Africa explorations, since it is so close to the northern part of Africa. If I want a deeper post, Damaraland is the best choice. On the other hand, Cape Verde sets up easily and I don’t have to worry about natives. Of course, it’ll never be anything more than a naval post with its grain.

On Jaunary 1, I’ll order colonists to Cape Verde if it is still unclaimed.


19 November, 1553 – RM: France

15 March, 1554 – Sweden inherited Connacht.

1 June, 1554 – Our trade tech increased.

13 June, 1554 – We establish a colony at Cape Verde.