September 1652, Bay Island Lobster Harbor.

Ma Wanpeng, an "old peasant from northern Shaanxi", once again arrived by boat in this small port city, which was also under his rule. This was his first arrival on this slightly hot island, because the New China Pioneer Team intended to officially develop the resources here, and they had even coordinated with the Blackwater Pioneer Team to introduce a group of Ming people with tropical life experience to prepare for the primary development of this rich area.

Hundreds of Sakarava people were originally inhabited in the port of Lobster on Bay Island, but their population began to decline sharply after the arrival of the East Coasters, most of them from diseases brought by outsiders, and a few from land disputes with the East Coasters. At a time when the colony of Xinhua Port is becoming more and more stable, the government of the pioneer team has begun to turn its attention to other areas of the island, especially some coastal areas with great economic value, which must be taken first, so as not to be intervened by foreign colonists in the future, which will complicate the problem.

It is in this way that the Lobster Harbour of Bay Island was included in the development agenda, and the island is undoubtedly extremely rich in resources. From the southeast of Zarattanana (Falklands are mostly this long list of painful names...... Heading northwest, the Sambirano River – which originates in the central highlands – winds its way through the Zaratana mountain range and brings together a large number of tributaries – notably the Zaratanana Range, known as a water vapor condenser, which contributes a considerable amount of water to the Zabirano – and eventually roars into the Mozambique Channel.

The river flows fast, the water is fierce, there are many rapids, waterfalls, and there is little navigable value, but there are abundant water resources - this seems to be the main characteristic of the rivers of Xinhuaxia Island. Multiple hydropower resources – the area flowing along the way is constantly cut by rivers, rain, and strong winds. About 1 cm of soil is eroded every year. The eroded soil – rich in volcanic ash, mica, soda lime and organic matter – is eventually washed into the Sambilano River by rain and short streams, then into the sea with a force of ten thousand pounds, and finally deposited at the mouth of the sea, creating a fertile delta impact plain.

The waters of the Sambirano River are so fierce that the waters near the mouth of the river have receded for several kilometers – as evidenced by the mud-coloured waters that are two or three kilometres away from land. The early settlers on the east coast of the island were justified in thanking the river, as it was the abundance of nutrients it brought down from the land that attracted huge numbers of fish and shrimp in this small bay. The lobster is the most famous, and it was clearly one of the main sources of income for the colonists on the east coast of the island.

The lobster port is directly opposite the mouth of the Sambilano River, and Ma Wanpeng can easily look out on the land on the other side of the wharf, where there are vast areas of "bright forest" - there are even large "dark" forests on both sides of the river - but there is not a single village in sight, not even the canoe, the main means of transportation of the natives, as if to indicate that this place is uninhabited.

"The other side of the river will also be our land in the future, and the forest resources must be well protected, so that those stupid and stupid Sakarava people do not destroy it. You have all attended night school at the Agricultural Bureau, and you know the serious consequences of the large-scale destruction of forest resources, so I won't say more. Ma Wanpeng said this. Turning to look at the lush forest in the distance behind him, he said in a stern tone: "About the development of the forest resources of Bei Island. I know that there is a great demand in the local area right now, but we must not cut it indiscriminately, and we must do it in moderation. The daily and monthly felling volume should be strictly controlled, and the replanting of saplings should also be kept up in time, which is not a joke and must be strictly enforced. You must know that the cadre assessment in the new Huaxia area is linked to these things, and you all give me a snack. ”

When the bright forest is destroyed, the exposed land is taken over by short grasses, but these grasses apparently do not prevent the soil from evaporating at high temperatures and turning guò leaching into brick-red bauxite. The bauxite becomes more barren by evaporation and creates a hard, fertile crust on the surface (brick-red crust) – a dead soil that is agriculturally useless.

Under the protection of forests, the root system of trees transports water to the depths of the water and stores it, which also reduces evaporation and promotes biological and chemical processes, leaving the brick red soil in a juvenile state - a state that contains a lot of nutrients and can be used to grow food with careful care and orderly work. However, once the vegetation disappears, the content of iron and aluminum salts in the soil increases, and the soil rapidly becomes alkalized, as was the case in many parts of Madagascar in later generations.

Officials who accompanied Ma Wanpeng on his tour of the port and suburbs were also convinced that there were so few "civilized people" on New Huaxia Island that they could live well without having to compete for land with the forest. This, coupled with the restrictions on the upper limit of land ownership by individuals in the Land and Resources Law, and the provisions of the Forest Law on forest harvesting, have made the settlers of Lobster Port cautious about developing local resources.

Koh Bey is a volcanic island that is divided into separate valleys by cooled lava flows or hills, surrounded by forests and rivers. Most of the area remains untouched, with "Savoca" on the hillsides, bright forests in the valleys and occasionally "dark" forests in well-watered areas. It is filled with insects, birds, and apes, exotic animals (endemic to New Huaxia Island), lush vines, and sheep's tooth plants as tall as trees...... Rocks, rapids, waterfalls, intertwined into a wonderful, unforgettable view.

Of course, anyone who has lived on New China Island for many years knows that there is often an unknown murder hidden under the beautiful scenery. Active bacteria multiply and mosquitoes are incredibly dense and threaten the health of outsiders, and people who want to get close to this beauty of nature have to make great efforts to transform the environment. Ma Wanpeng originally planned to buy a piece of land to build a villa in the vicinity, but he would have to wait for the environmental transformation to bear fruit.

"Last month a couple of ships came in from the mainland, bringing in a total of 1,500 Guarani and Krandi. According to the plan. One-third was allocated to Neulaiburg, Neutenburg. Two-thirds of them are allocated to you. Captain Shi's attention to you here can be seen from this. Ma Wanpeng took the kettle handed over by his entourage, and after pouring it twice, he sighed comfortably and said: "Stimulated by the soaring tonnage of British and Dutch merchant ships and warships, the mainland has decided to start increasing shipbuilding efforts - of course, not warships - and is ready to expand the fleet size of the South China Sea Transportation Company and the South China Sea Fishery Company to adapt to the growing economic scale of the mainland." As for the wood needed for shipbuilding, there is naturally no local wood. Therefore, it can only land in the New China area. ”

In addition, the dark forests around Xinhua Harbor have fallen to a dangerous level after years of logging. Grandma's, the local people even make decent furniture with high-quality wood from Xinhua, let alone shipbuilding, and they don't know where this evil wind blows from. Ma Wanpeng continued, "Captain Shi has officially issued a ban on logging in the forests around Xinhua Port a while ago, and organized personnel to survey and count the remaining forest resources, and actively organize replanting - this is a good thing for future generations." So, for many years to come. The rapidly growing demand for timber resources in the local area is about to be pressed on Guihua Island (St. Mary's Island), Tacheng Port and Bei Island, and the burden on everyone's shoulders is not light. ”

In fact, even if Ma Wanpeng didn't say this, the local officials would have known about it for a long time. Because the Xinhua Wood Factory in Xinhua Port (a large local state-owned enterprise with wood drying kilns, wood processing plants, and many logging camps) has already sent some personnel to Lobster Port to build a branch factory, its purpose is self-evident.

The soil is fertile (mainly volcanic ash) and rich in forest resources, according to Ma Wanpeng's rough understanding, many deep-rooted trees on the island are actually 25 meters high, which is really amazing. And the varieties of these trees are very good, with the new Huaxia duck palm bean (Ma Dao duck palm bean), red iron olive, olive, and suitable for shipbuilding "Longotra tree" (white thick shell cinnamon), peach tree, etc., in addition to a lot of precious rosewood and ebony resources, the end is a godsend.

"The felled trees were immediately replanted with saplings, which were distributed by the Xinhua Port Agricultural Bureau as Arabica coffee tree saplings, which we bought at a great price and must be cherished." When Ma Wanpeng said this, he remembered one of his own painful investments, that is, the two Robusta coffee bean plantations that had been invested in Guihua Island and Xinhua Port, I don't know if it was because of the lack of adaptation to the soil and water or some other factors, the growth was very bad, and the quality of the coffee beans produced was also very poor, and it was used as the lowest grade coffee when it was exported to Mocha Port (a famous coffee distribution center, located in the Red Sea), which made Ma Wanpeng very frustrated.

But now he plans to reinvest in the fabled place of Alab Arabica for planting this promising cash crop. Of course, his biggest investment on the island will likely not be a coffee plantation, but an essential oil distillery, currently being built by his eldest son, Ma Xiaopeng, who is just coming of age.

The essential oil factory will use the aromatic trees produced in the Ilan Ilan plantation, which Ma Wanpeng will invest in, as raw materials to refine the essence of the oil and then export it domestically. Later, Bey Island and the opposite Sambirano are the most famous plant flavor producing areas in Malaysia, and Ma Wanpeng feels that his investment is still very reliable and should not lose money. What the? You say there's not a big market for this thing? Damn, I like it, I'm willing to lose money, can you manage it?

Of course, other mature investors are likely not to be as strong as Ma Wanpeng's playing ticket, and they are strictly in accordance with the planting guidelines of the New China Development Team to invest and operate. For example, some local investors (and even approved Genoese capital) are planning to come to Bey Island to open coffee and cocoa plantations (which were once the most important producers of Arabica coffee beans and cocoa in Malaysia), and pepper (pepper from the southeast coast of India) that grow with these two trees.

The manpower, material resources, medical and security services required are difficult for ordinary people to afford, and cannot be provided by non-government or large investors (or many small and medium-sized investors jointly operate, as in the case of sisal plantations in the eastern region). Fortunately, the successful operation of sisal plantations in Xinhua Port, Guihua Port, Tacheng Port and other places has greatly attracted local residents who have spare money, and they are very jealous of the rich returns obtained by the first batch of investors who have the courage to explore the tropics (of course, there are many investors who have lost their money or are sleeping on this land because of illness), and have a strong urge to invest in Xinhua Plantation.

However, this may not be implemented until the new immigrants of the Ming Kingdom arrive in large numbers and there are enough people on the island, right? Now that the New China Pioneer Team is no longer allowed to bring in Comorian "laborers" to work on the plantations - the local natives are naturally strictly forbidden - so how to obtain a large amount of manpower to develop the island (which must be extremely attritional) is indeed a very head-scratching problem. (To be continued......)