At present, Marin has four converted galleys in his hands, which travel to and from the Mediterranean, and are responsible for trade with the Mamluks. Marin used to import chemical raw materials such as trona and miscanthus from Egypt, and sometimes bought some Arabian horses through Egypt.

Of course, there are not many Arabian horses in Egypt itself. Therefore, to buy Arabian horses, it is more about borrowing Egypt as a trading platform. This is because the Arabian horses purchased by Marin mainly come from the Najd and Hejaz regions in the east and southeast of Egypt, as well as from Oman and other places. After all, there were not enough horses in Egypt, and most of the Mamluk cavalry had only one horse.

In addition, it should be pointed out that although the Hejaz region (i.e., the area that included the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina) was nominally part of the Mamluk dynasty of Egypt, in reality the Hejaz region was autonomous and ruled by the Hashemite family, the same clan of Muhammad, and the Mamluks could not rule the region directly. After all, the Hashemites were authentic families of holy descent, and the Mamluks had to respect them as well. The Mamluk rule over the Hejaz was somewhat similar to the Qing dynasty's rule over the Western Tibet, when the Qing Dynasty authorized the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama to rule Tibet. The Mamluk dynasty also authorized the Hashemite family to rule the Hejaz region, and only occupied the name of righteousness. In exchange, the Hashemite family of the Hejaz must also recognize the puppet caliph of Cairo as the spiritual leader of the entire Allahic world.

In fact, the caliphate, who was born from the Abbasids, was also a branch of the Hashemite family. Muhammad married his daughter Fatima to his cousin Ali, and their descendants became the head of the Hashemite family. And the Abbasids are actually descendants of Muhammad's uncle Abbasid. So, in general, the two families are a family.

But interestingly, Shiites venerate Ali's descendants, the Hashemite family, as the heirs to the true caliphate, while Sunnis believe that it is not necessary to be a descendant of Muhammad to become a caliph. For example, the Abbasid dynasty was founded by the descendants of Muhammad's uncle, the Abbasids, not Muhammad. It stands to reason that the Hashemite family should support their Shiites. But, in reality, the Hashemite family, which controls the two holy cities, belongs to the Sunni sect...... Of course, this is also helplessness. Because, Sunnis occupy the dominant position in the Arab world. If they support the failed Shiites, it is estimated that the family will also be expelled from the holy city. And there are obviously huge benefits to occupying the Holy City, for example, receiving pilgrims from all over the world, which is a huge annual income. The Hashemite family ruled Mecca and could have made a fortune on the pilgrimage. For example, monopolizing the hotel industry, providing high-priced accommodation, and providing high-priced food. Then, some so-called "blessed" religious souvenirs are sold at high prices...... It is said that in later generations, the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca has yielded tens of billions of dollars in Saudi Arabia...... Therefore, in the face of interests, it is normal for the Hashemite family to bow its head and admit Sunnis......

However, after acknowledging the mainstream Sunnis, others did not dare to touch them. After all, they are authentic descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. For example, the Mamluk dynasty was obviously drooling to death about the huge income from the seller's pilgrimage, but they just didn't dare to grab it casually. Otherwise, it will become the enemy of the whole world. Even when the Ottoman Turks later occupied the city, they entrusted the Hashemite family with the administration of the holy city. In exchange, of course, the Hashemites later recognized the Turkish sultan as the Orthodox Caliphate...... But which green onion is the Turkish Sultan of his meow? Is there a Hashemite family lineage? No...... But the Hashemites admit it - there is no way, if they don't admit it, the Turks will turn their faces and kill people. But admittedly, it is still possible to control the oily Mecca......

All in all, the Hashemite family is a bit like the Confucian family in China, and successive dynasties have respected them as mascots. However, no one from the Kong family went on a pilgrimage to Qufu, and there was nothing to make money, only the false title of Yan Shenggong. And the Hashemite family had the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and made a lot of money.

……

Because he was worried that Turkey would annex the Mamluk Dynasty and become bigger, Marin sent a fleet to Egypt to see if he could buy more Egyptian goods and give the Mamluk Dynasty some economic support.

So, Marin instructed the fleet to go to Egypt and buy more livestock, such as cattle......

Marin thought, how can the Mamluk Dynasty in Egypt say that it was also a country developed by animal husbandry, so there should be enough cattle to sell, right? It just so happened that Marin needed a lot of ploughing cattle to develop the New World. Therefore, Marin instructed the fleet, to buy more cattle, both financially and conveniently.

Unexpectedly, after the flotilla returned, the head of the flotilla, Hansel, came back and reported that there were very few Egyptian cattle......

"What? There are very few cattle in Egypt? Marin was bewildered when he heard this. Then, thinking for a moment, he asked:

"And how did the Egyptians plough the fields?" You know, the Nile Valley in Egypt is a famous agricultural region. There are no cattle, do they plough with horses? But that's not right. Arabian horses are medium-sized horses, not heavy horses that are suitable for arable land like Europe......

Hansel replied:

"Although there is a lot of arable land in the Nile Valley in Egypt, only some of them use cattle to plough the land. For the most part, camels are used to plough the land......"

"What? Can camels also plough the land? Marin was dumbfounded.

"Yes, camel ploughing! The minister saw the locals ploughing the land in the Egyptian countryside. Their method of plowing the land is that the man holds the plough in the back. In front, a woman or a young man with little strength leads the camel forward and controls the direction. That is, the Egyptians ploughed the land with camels, and it took two people. However, the camel puller does not need to be in the prime of life. And, according to the locals, camels are used for most of the farmland on the Arabian Peninsula. Camels are more adapted to the arid and hot climate. In addition, it is possible to carry goods without plowing the land. ”

Marin was amazed when he heard this, and continued to ask:

"That is, there are a lot of camels in Egypt?"

Hansel thought for a moment and said:

"Yes, a lot! Walking in the cities and countryside of Egypt, you can see camels everywhere. Normally, those camels either carried people or goods. It is said that a camel can carry 400 pounds of cargo for a long distance, and can travel 40 miles, or 64 kilometers, in a day. Moreover, camels are very tolerant of rough feeding, you can eat some wild grass casually, you can go without drinking water for several days, and it is very easy to raise. Therefore, camel breeding is very popular in Egypt and Arabia. And camels are also the main means of transportation over there......"

"Carrying 400 pounds of cargo 64 kilometers a day...... Good boy, this is a great means of transporting heavy loads......" Marin smacked his lips. You know, the average infantry marches only about 40 kilometers per day. Camels can carry 400 pounds and run 64 kilometers a day, faster than a large army marching.

"In this way, raising camels is more cost-effective than raising cattle......" Marin thought as he touched his chin.

Cattle can only be raised by ploughing the land, and although they can also pull ox carts, the ox carts are too slow. There is no shortage of horse-drawn carts in Europe, and naturally no one uses ox carts.

"And how fast are the camels plowing the land?" Marin asked.

"It is said that you can cultivate more than 5 acres of land every day, which is better than a cow!" Hansel replied.

"So powerful? So, what is the price of a local camel? Marin was surprised.

"10 gold coins at a head, as many as you want! In Egypt, camels are everywhere! ”

"That's great, I order you, go to Egypt again, buy as many camels as you can!"

Hansel thought for a moment and said:

"It's okay to buy camels, it's just that, Grand Duke, if you want to ship camels, the ship may have to be refitted. After all, camels are taller ......"

"That's no problem, I'll send shipyard craftsmen to be in charge of refitting ships!" Marin said in high spirits. Since I couldn't buy enough cattle, I bought camels instead. There are many camels in Egypt, and buying camels is not only convenient for yourself, but also for Egyptians to profit, a win-win situation......

……