Chapter 85 (2/2)
”Sir, do you think that barbarian is bluffing us? How could the gaoshu tribe have so many iron weapons? More than 100 soldiers, two flying axes for one person, how much steel does that need? ” Lieutenant Ferguson is obviously still struggling with the terrifying figure stone bear just said.
If what the barbarian said is true, let alone the 20 or so of them, even if they are twice as many, they are not the opponents of these flying axes. There are woods all around here. The power of fireguns will be reduced to the lowest in the woods, but the barbarians can successfully approach their own team with the help of these trees, and then they will be chopped by flying axes all over the sky
Just thinking about it, Lieutenant Ferguson felt cold all over, so he would rather cheat himself that the soldiers of this tribe didn't have so many flying axes.
Major hank glanced at the young man and said, ”is it important to have a flying axe? Even if they don't have iron flying axes, they still have stone axes, bone spears, bows and arrows. Although these things are not as powerful as iron weapons, they can still hurt us badly. In this forest, they are the masters, and we have no advantage. ”
”What shall we do?” Asked Lieutenant Ferguson, somewhat anxious. As a junior officer, he valued the immediate safety more. His subordinates were in such a dangerous situation, which made Lieutenant Ferguson want to lead the team out of this damned forest immediately.
”Don't worry, my dear Patrick. The barbarian was warning us and intimidating us. Warning and intimidation are just a means. I think he would prefer to cooperate with us, otherwise he would not take out salt. Patrick, you can see the salt. It's so exquisite. If we can get the sole agency for the salt, we'll make a fortune! ”
”Sir, their monthly production capacity is only about 30000 pounds, which is too small. An adult needs an average of about 6 taels of salt a day (taels, British units, one taels of salt is 116 ounces, about 1.77 grams, and 6 taels of salt is about 10 grams). He needs about 0.7 pounds of salt a year, 30000 pounds, which is for more than 40000 people. ” Ferguson said.
”More than 40000? Don't forget how many people are there in our empire? There are nearly 10 million local people alone! What are more than 40000 people? And the population of the colonies controlled by our empire? So the market is very big. ”
”But these barbarians still produce too little salt.”
”Ha ha, quite a lot. I think this number is just right.” Major hank said with a smile.
”Why?” Second lieutenant Ferguson is still young, he naturally does not understand why the boss said so.
”Patrick, let me ask you, if the salt is brought back to China, who do you think can eat such good refined salt?”
When major hank asked, Lieutenant Ferguson guessed a little. He hesitated and said, ”do you mean for the nobles?”
”Bingo! My dear Patrick, do you think those mud legs in China can afford such good salt? Don't mention those mud legs. I'm afraid you and I can't afford such salt. ”
Although Ferguson is very reluctant to admit this, the fact is that it is so cruel. If such good salt really appears in the British mainland, it is absolutely not affordable for middle and low-level officers like them. This kind of salt can only be enjoyed by powerful aristocrats.