For some reason, blacks don't seem to be good at raising horses and riding horses. Therefore, in sub-Saharan Africa, there has never been a black country known for its cavalry.

Both the Mali Empire and the Songhai Empire had cavalry, and both were not small. However, those horses were bought from North Africa through the gold trade routes in the Sahara Desert.

In essence, the Mali Empire and the Songhai Empire were actually agricultural countries with backward agricultural technology, and they were not as good at horseback riding as the Arabs in North Africa. Therefore, the black country in West Africa seems to have cavalry, but in fact it does not know how to ride and has low combat effectiveness.

And those nomads, like the Mongols, like the Persians, like the Arabs...... Those nomads, who grew up on horseback, were given a cutlass and ordinary herdsmen could also act as cavalrymen. This point is incomparable between the Mali Empire and the Songhai Empire.

How bad were the black cavalry in West Africa? In 1590, when Morocco destroyed the Songhai Empire, it only sent 3,000 soldiers and horses to defeat the main force of the Songhai Empire's army, which had tens of thousands of cavalry and more infantry, and then destroyed the country......

Moreover, of these 3,000 people, only half were Moroccan scimitar cavalry. The other half, in fact, were Spanish mercenaries who used arquebuses......

If it were replaced by Tatar cavalry, it was estimated that the 3,000 Moroccan expeditionary force would be beaten out. But the more than 10,000 black cavalry of the Songhai Empire were purely for show, and they were defeated in one battle...... The Inca Empire had never seen horses, and it was reasonable to be frightened by the Spanish cavalry, but there were thousands of cavalry in the Songhai Empire at that time!

Anyway, blacks have never been out of a country known for their cavalry. The main reason is that there are few nomads among the blacks who ride horses and graze herds. Nomads on horseback do not have poor combat effectiveness. Whether it is the Mongols, Tatars, Persians, Arabs, those herdsmen, as long as they get on their horses and pick up their scimitars, they are not to be underestimated.

And the cavalry of the agrarian country is sometimes fierce, but more often it is just a show. It was not until the advent of cavalry in modern times that the cavalry superiority of the nomads was truly lost. And before that, the cavalry of the nomads was the skull.

This is because the cavalry of the nomads is extremely skilled in all their riding skills. Not to mention how strong the combat effectiveness of horse warfare is, even if the head-to-head confrontation fails, those nomadic cavalry can rely on superb riding skills to turn around and ride their horses to escape. And the cavalry of the agrarian country, even if they defeat the other side, cannot completely destroy the cavalry of the nomads. And if the battle is defeated, no one is good at riding, and you can't escape......

Therefore, relying on the guerrilla-like tactics of "fighting if you can, and running away if you can't fight", the nomadic cavalry has always been a headache.

Marin provided horses to the blacks of the Senegalese steppes, and told them to ride and shoot something, which definitely opened a Pandora's box. However, the good thing is that it is taught to black people. If you teach the Indians, who are brave and warlike themselves, it is estimated that something will happen......

But in any case, what happened in Africa had nothing to do with Marin. The blacks are powerful, and the unlucky ones are also the Portuguese, and Marin is happy to see the Portuguese jokes......

……

Considering the difficulty of hunting rhinos and elephants, Marin decided to supply the locals with arquebuses, moreover, large Mushket muskets. With bullets weighing up to 50 grams, the Mushkert musket is powerful and an excellent weapon for hunting rhinos and elephants.

It's just that because the rhinoceros skin is too thick, even a 50-gram buckshot may not be able to penetrate. When the time comes, only the rhinoceros can be injured, but not killed. And this is very deadly.

Because, the injured rhino is extremely dangerous, they will go crazy when they are injured, and then become unstoppable like a tank. If you are crushed or rammed by such a beast-type tank, you will definitely die or die.

So, while supplying the local blacks with Mushket muskets, Marin decided to produce a batch of steel balls for the hunt of rhinos and elephants.

This is because, although steel balls are lighter than lead balls, they are much harder than lead bullets. The soft buckshot hits the rhinoceros skin, and although it can use kinetic energy to inflict damage on the rhino, it is definitely not fatal. As long as the buckshot can't break through the thick skin of the rhinoceros, it can't kill the rhinoceros, only to hit it hard.

Unlike steel balls, steel balls are definitely hard enough. When hit on the rhinoceros skin, it will not be deformed, it can only be hard. And with the hardness of the steel ball, when it comes to rhinoceros leather, it is definitely a failure of rhinoceros leather. As long as it is penetrated into the skin, it is easier to hit and kill the rhinoceros hard.

In later generations, many shotgun bullets used to hunt wild boars and elephants would also choose a copper-shelled lead core, with a hard copper surface and a lead core inside. In this way, the bullet has enough kinetic energy and has the tough power to break through the hide......

The bullets of the Mushkert musket were large enough and powerful. A knight in steel plate armor can't stop it, let alone a rhinoceros? Switching to steel balls can definitely cause fatal damage to rhinos.

In fact, the steel-core single-headed bullet that Marin had previously engaged in was more suitable for hunting rhinos. Because, the steel core single-headed bullet has sharp steel nails to break the defense, which is easier to break through the defense of the rhinoceros leather.

However, considering that the steel-core single-headed bullet is one of the top secrets of the North Sea State, Marin did not choose to use the steel-core single-head ammunition for the Senegalese blacks in the end. Instead, steel balls. Although it does not reach the weight of 50 grams of lead balls of the same volume, steel balls also weigh about 35 grams. Under the powerful kinetic impact of the Mushkert musket, the 35-gram steel ball is enough to hunt rhinos and elephants. The only trouble is that the production of steel balls is much more difficult than lead balls.

However, the good thing is that this kind of steel ball is larger. Using the sand turning method, although it is more difficult, it can also be cast. After all, the steel ball also weighs 35 grams. Even if the accuracy is not enough and there are flaws, it can be polished. Moreover, the bullet can be wrapped in leather and pushed into the barrel, so it does not need to be made so precisely. Anyway, as long as the diameter of the steel ball does not exceed the inner diameter of the barrel......

……

While Marin was busy murdering rhinos and elephants in the Senegalese steppes, someone from the Roman side came......

It was Pope Julius II's envoy and an important steward of the Rovere family, one of Julius II's henchmen, named Sconey.

Since he is the secret envoy of the Pope's father-in-law, and he is a secret envoy at the confidant level, what he brought is naturally heavy news.

Marin personally received Scone and invited him into the palace's secret chamber to discuss matters. Sure enough, the news brought by Scone was heavy enough that the Pope wanted to make a move against the Republic of Siena, and he needed Marin to send troops to support him......