Li Fushou dispatched most of the war horses of the cavalry battalion and hundreds of large green mules of the transport team, so that he could meet the needs, except for North Africa, it is difficult to see such a large-scale cavalry in other parts of Africa.

Truth be told, extremely mobile cavalry units are rarely used in Africa.

Another costly alternative is to buy horses from the South African Boers, which are not as handsome as the Arabian horses, but are sufficient for riding and fighting, and the southern part of Mozambique borders the northern part of South Africa, which can be transported over long distances.

The only obstacle was Queensland's poor relations with the Dutch, and hostility to Queenslands in the Boer republics of the Transvaal and Orange in South Africa was the reason why Queensland struggled to develop in the region.

After Li Fushou reviewed the documents, he put these little things behind him.

Whether it is to establish a horse farm or breed good horses, there will naturally be a special person in charge, if this little thing can not be done well, Mo Rufeng, the commander of the African Expeditionary Force, is too vegetable.

Since the arrival of 12 95mm Miss Australia guns on the front line of Mozambique Island, the bombardment of the island has been launched every now and then, and the group has withdrawn after the battle, although the shore artillery will quickly return fire, the group still causes great psychological pressure on the Portuguese.

The effective firing range of the 95mm Miss Australia gun reached 12 kilometers, which greatly enhanced the depth of the artillery fire, and quickly withdrew after each short firing of shells, which made the Portuguese shore artillery counterattack all fail and dealt a great blow to its morale.

Coupled with the tight artillery fire on the beach and the near cut off of supplies, the Portuguese defenders on the island could no longer hold on, and sent a request for conditional surrender.

The Portuguese hoped for a dignified surrender under the supervision of France and Germany, to be able to preserve the private property of the nobility, to have their personal safety respected, to allow part of the Portuguese nobility to return to the European mainland, and to provide the necessary conditions for this.

The answer of the expeditionary force is to surrender or die, choose 1 out of 2.

On this issue, the attitude of the expeditionary force was extremely tough, and the root cause was that the newly established African governor was afraid of leaving hidden dangers, and after entering the time of peace, these white Portuguese were not easy to manage, and it was better to be ruthless from the beginning.

The attitude of the African Governor influenced the expeditionary force, which issued an ultimatum to surrender unconditionally within a limited time, otherwise the arrival of the train and artillery would be a devastating blow to the island and the jade would be burned.

At this point, the situation on the island of Mozambique was largely settled, and the last Portuguese surrender on the island was only between ten days.

The former colonial empire was completely in decline, and the Portuguese on the island could not wait for reinforcements from Lisbon, and the material consumption was exhausted, not only the epidemic but also the starvation of people, so they had to lay down their arms and surrender.

This is where the island's biggest flaw comes into view: Mozambique's 1.5 square kilometre area and the influx of more than 30,000 people leave little room for manoeuvre.

Once it is blockaded by the mainland, no matter how strong the fortress is, it will not be able to hold on.

Why did the Portuguese choose this small island to build the magnificent Castle of San Sebastian for more than 70 years?

It is important to know that in the Mozambique Sea Straits, there are many islands with better geographical locations and larger areas.

Located at the mouth of the Zambezi River, Hakamba covers an area of about 340 square kilometres and has a vast agricultural and pastoral plot and two small fishing villages that provide an abundance of food for the Portuguese to sustain in the long term.

The main islands of the First and Second Islands, which are not far away, are also not small, with an area of about forty or fifty square kilometers, which can also provide a lot of room for maneuver.

There is also the island of Inhaca, located opposite the Gulf of Maputo, which covers an area of about 52 square kilometers and is separated by a tidal channel 500 meters (1,600 feet) wide that separates the two headlands.

The island is about 12 kilometers long from north to south and 7 kilometers wide, with a population of about 1,000 people, and the highest point is Mount Inhaca in the northeast of the island, with an altitude of 104 meters.

The central part of the island is covered with large areas of arable land, with forests in the north, moss zones in the east, sand dunes on the western coast, and much of the northern and southern parts of Sako Bay covered by mangroves.

In 1864, the Portuguese built a lighthouse on the island of Inhaca, where in addition to a large area of agricultural land, the surrounding waters are rich in seafood such as moray eels, barracudas, trevally, groupers, scorpion fish, butterflyfish, puffer fish, parrot fish and seahorses, whale sharks, manta rays, humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins in the summer, and tens of thousands of sea turtles come to the island to lay eggs.

But the Portuguese chose not to choose, but only chose the small island of Mozambique to build the largest castle on the entire East African coast...... Sebastian Castle?

The reason is simple

This is the place where the Portuguese seafaring pioneer Vasco da Gama first landed, and there is a full-body bronze statue of Da Gama at the entrance of the Doge's Palace, which is enough to show that the high prestige of this great navigator in Portugal has become the spiritual totem of the era of great exploration of colonial expansion.

Vasco da Gama is known as a saint, which is of great significance in Catholic Portugal, and the island of Mozambique has been endowed with an extraordinary sacred significance, a source of pride and an iconic figure in its illustrious history.

Regardless of its former glory, the reality is that more than 30,000 Portuguese people are crammed into this small island, and most of them are cowered in the Stone City, turning the largest castle of San Sebastian on the entire East African coast into a huge dump of filth, urine and feces, smelling and scarcity.

It couldn't be better to use it as a metaphor for cocooning, and that's the tragic reality.

The African Expeditionary Force ambitiously brought in 280 mm long-barreled cannons, two locomotives, and conscripted black laborers to build railway lines, preparing to give the Portuguese entrenched on the island of Mozambique a cruel move.

But while preparations were in full swing, the Portuguese were ready to raise their flag and surrender.

Commander Mo Rufeng's punch hit the air, saying that it was not uncomfortable was false;

Don't let me look down on you, why don't you hold on for a while longer?

My railway line has also been repaired, and the artillery has been transferred, and there are only two locomotives missing, and you say that you have surrendered...... We don't have any fun like that.

The Portuguese are also bitter, brother...... I really can't hold it!

Regardless of whether the Portuguese surrendered or not, a single-track railway along the south bank of the Zambezi River would still have to be built, which would not only allow for the transport of goods to important towns along the river, but would also pose a serious threat to enemy ships invading the area.

If it is organically combined with the defensive fortresses on the island, it will form a dual firepower coverage system that supports each other, one static and one moving, and the defense of the Zambezi River basin will be impregnable and impregnable.

It is with these considerations in mind that the railway line is still under construction and will be ready for use after the arrival of the two locomotives.

As the fighting on the island of Mozambique was coming to an end, the expeditionary force was able to readjust its forces, the artillery regiment was reorganized and stationed on the island of Mozambique, and the mobile forces of the second and fourth regiments were used to encircle and suppress the indigenous African armed forces and completely quell the unrest in the remote areas.

Needless to say, the outcome of the battle was won, and the biggest test for the troops was to rush on two legs and repeatedly clear the plateau and mountains, and it was inevitable that it would take a long time.

Finish your business

There was already a strong smell of barbecue outside the tent, and the gluttonous worm in Li Fushou's stomach was restless, he closed the document in his hand and threw it on the folding table, stood up, and walked outside.

"Hey, Brother Qishan, you just came over from the campfire, is this their roasted antelope or lion meat, why is it so fragrant? I couldn't hold back my saliva. ”

"Well, there are all of them, don't be anxious, some of them are what you eat."

"I heard that roast lion meat is a big tonic, is there such a statement?"

"Of course, it's a big supplement, you think about the lion is the king of the grassland, this thing is similar to a tiger, maybe it's still a relative, after eating, it will definitely replenish the body, and after the age of sixty or seventy, the ears will not be deaf and the eyes will not dazzle, and the body will be as light as a swallow."

"Good ...... Such a god, then I will have to eat a few more pieces of meat later. ”

"Brother, I advise you not to eat too much, this thing is very hot, beware of nosebleeds!"

"It's okay, it's a rare opportunity."

Hearing the conversation of the sentry on duty at the gate of the camp, Li Fushou walked out with a slight smile, and the soldier immediately stood up straight and raised his hands in salute.

"Remove the sentry post and go to the front to eat." He commanded casually.

"Yes."

At this time, on more than ten bonfires in the camp, large pieces of meat were roasted, a large pot of delicious fish soup was boiled, and the fiery bonfire illuminated the happy smiling face, which was a happy and contented smile.

The soldiers carefully roasted the game, the surface of the meat steak was roasted with oil, golden and translucent, exuding a rich meat fragrance, and the fragrance wafted after sprinkling salt and spices, seducing people's appetites.

There is a white bear skin on the rocks by the lake, Li Fushou sat down here, and his wife Gu Liuyan personally brought him a bowl of fish soup, he took it with a smile and said; "Thank you, ma'am, for coming...... Let's taste how delicious the fish in this lake are. ”

"I have one too."

Gu Liuyan responded, sat down beside him obediently, and his subordinates brought a large bowl of fish soup and barbecue, as well as caviar and baked dough, after the dough was roasted on the bonfire, the appearance was golden and the inside was soft, it could be eaten with fish soup or caviar, it was easy to carry with it, and it was the staple food of the expedition team.

Drinking the delicious fish soup, Li Fushou couldn't help but admire; "This soup is so delicious that you don't need to put extra seasoning, just some salt and pepper, and it has a long aftertaste! The fish is tender and delicious, and it's really good. ”

"If you like it, then eat more."

Gu Liuyan smiled, and the bonfire reflected on her beautiful face was extremely moving.

She knows that the fish soup in the master's hands is not so simple, the fish is the most delicate and delicious fish brain, the gills are tender, supplemented by a small amount of thornless fish belly meat carefully cooked by the chef, and the meat skewers are of course the most delicious part, with a bite of the outside charred and tender inside, and the fragrance is rich.

As for the soldiers and expedition members, they could only roast it by themselves, and the fish soup was also stewed in a large pot, which was far from being so particular.

Fortunately, the ingredients are very fresh, the quantity is sufficient, and the big guys are all happily eating and dancing.

Someone sang the "Toast Song" by the campfire, and the majestic and desolate song echoed in the wilderness by Lake Malawi, bringing a touch of the artistic conception of the Far East here, and the aftertaste is timeless.