"Punta do Sol...?" Captain Isabel Walton muttered a glance at the helmsman who was manipulating the rudder, and then at the Spaniard Cassiano, who was standing to the left of the helmsman, "Navigator, where is this Punta do Soor?" ”

Cassiano Avigliana, a Spaniard who was cheerful and honest, approachable and befriended, did not see his true face as a planter and slave owner at this time. The navigator in a canvas sailor suit nodded, looking at the blue Atlantic Ocean rippling on the port side, "Captain, this is just a small fishing port, and there is no slave trading market. ”

Unsmiling, Isabel nodded, and glanced at the sail on the mainmast, "Well, it's a tailwind now." As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at John Hawkins, who was standing in front of the helmsman to the right, "Navigator, full speed ahead." ”

"Yes, Captain." The navigator said yes, then looked at the boatswain's cousin Brady, who was standing on the open deck, "Boatswain, head ahead." ”

As the Nemesis began to speed up its course to the small fishing port with a tailwind, a large Clark sailboat with four masts with spinnakers and sails, and upper sails and top sails on the starboard side of about 4 leagues (12 nautical miles, about 22.2 kilometers) quietly appeared.

The rig, a name for length, was a unit of land and sea measurement in ancient Europe, equivalent to 4 Roman miles. In the ocean, it is usually taken 3 nautical miles (1 nautical mile is 1.852 kilometers, equivalent to 6000 feet), and it is usually used when sailing. When on land, a mile is usually considered 3 miles.

Captain John Hawkins, who was standing near starboard, was the first to spot the ship 4 leagues above the sea, and immediately reported to Captain Isabel, "Captain, we have found a merchant ship flying the flag of the Portuguese Empire on our starboard side. ”

"Oh...? So soon, the Portuguese came? Isabel muttered subconsciously, and took the lead in front of the fence near starboard to observe the water and sky. And the navigator Kasiano also came to her side, looking at the merchant ship on the sea in the distance, "Captain, that merchant ship is the Clark sailboat. Well, it looks a lot bigger than your ship. ”

"I know, Navigator." Isabelle's lips twitched slightly, her eyes fixed on the Portuguese-piloted Clark merchant ship.

At this time, under the influence of the northeast trade winds, which are hot and dry all year round, and the tropical desert climate formed by the subtropical high and trade wind belt controlled by the subtropical high and the trade wind belt on the west coast, and the cooling and humidification of the Canary cold current on the west coast, the strong sunlight makes the sea surface of the Atlantic Ocean sparkling, making people feel that the air is very dry and lacks moisture.

Despite the dryness of her lips, Isabel took a closer look at the Portuguese merchant ship. This is a Clark sailing ship that is several times larger than the "Nemesis", and its displacement will not be less than 300 tons. However, there was not a single blast hole on its multi-level deck or on the side facing Isabel. It was probably a purely cargo merchant ship, after all, Isabel didn't see at least one broadside gun that could increase the ship's firepower.

She couldn't help but chuckle softly as her eyes shifted from the merchant ship's hull to the surrounding sea. For she found that there was not a single small Galen armed galleon escorting the cargo merchant ship in the sea around it. Well, that's right, it seems that the Portuguese did regard the sea near the Cape Verde Islands as their own inland sea, and even escort ships were not sent for merchant ships.

It should be said that this is an excellent opportunity to carry out sea raids. Isabel stood by the fence and quietly observed the Portuguese merchant ships on the sea. She didn't pay any attention to the few people standing in the stern looking at her and her ship. At this moment, she was speeding up her thoughts about the possibility of looting.

Suddenly turning his gaze to the Spaniard Cassiano on his right, he deliberately asked, "Navigator, do you think this Portuguese merchant ship has any artillery or combat sergeants on board?" ”

Cassiano's eyes were fixed on the Portuguese cargo merchant ship from his own country as he rode the wind and waves on the sea, nodded and sneered, "Captain, I didn't notice that they had guns on the open deck. Even with the artillery deck set up below deck, as with your ship, I did not see a gun hole on the broadside. So, this is certainly a merchant ship dedicated to freight. ”

Isabel nodded and shifted her gaze a little further down, staring at the waterline of the Portuguese merchant ships. Turning his head to look at John on the other side, "Navigator, do you think it was loaded with cargo or live cargo from Africa?" ”

As for how to determine whether a merchant ship has cargo from the waterline, John Hawkins has only given a rough idea at present. Without saying a word, he stared at the asphalt-brushed waterline on the port side of the Portuguese merchant ship and shook his head, "Captain, this merchant ship has a shallower draft, which means that it must be loaded with cargo." However, I have no way of knowing if it contains live cargo. ”

"Well, that's good." Isabel just smiled, and turned to the helmsman.

John turned his head to look at her with strange eyes, and blinked after him to stand beside her, "Captain, aren't you going to plunder it?" ”

Isabel, who was standing by the rudder, saw the large expanse of land gradually revealing through the gap in the sails directly in front of her, and only said calmly, "John, I think that this Portuguese merchant ship is probably on the same route as ours, and is also going to St. Antão Island to load live cargo. So, we'll make plans after we enter the port. ”

Isabel's instincts were correct, it was indeed a heavy cargo merchant ship that had set off from Portugal's own port to load slaves at the Cape Verdean slave market. However, her instincts don't mean that everyone else thinks so. On one of the armed merchant ships that followed, Captain Hawkins voiced his question to his maritime lieutenant, "There happens to be a Portuguese merchant ship on our starboard side, why doesn't Miss Isabel let her flag bearer fly the 'offensive' flag?" ”

The adjutant of maritime affairs walked to the right of the aft lookout and glanced at the Portuguese merchant ships that were constantly sailing on the sea. After a while, he thought about it and turned to look at his captain, "Captain, do you think that Portuguese merchant ship is loaded with slaves?" ”

Of course, Captain Hawkins couldn't know the inside of the Portuguese merchant ship, so he stroked his beard and frowned, "Regardless of whether the ship is loaded with slaves or not, we can still loot other goods." ”

The adjutant just nodded, "Captain, the fleet is about to arrive in Cape Verde, we can find out about the Portuguese first." ”