Wild North America 1846

Chapter 64 Cruises of [-] Tons

American Pacific Cruise Lines is a shipping company specializing in passenger and cargo trade and transportation in the Pacific Ocean. It has offices in Weihai, Guangzhou, Manila in the Spanish colony of Luzon Islands, Hong Kong in the British colony, and Saigon in French Vietnam. It operates customer liners on a fixed-point basis. A great deal of wealth was made in the thriving Chinese labor trade.

After a brief greeting, Ben Johnson went straight to the point without hesitation, and said;
"My dear Lee, I am no stranger to you. I already know you as a legendary oriental adventurer from the telegrams from the headquarters of the South Carolina Steamship Company.

you may not know
As the southern slave states that are traditionally rich in cotton, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and other southern states are not interested in President Polk, who represents the interests of the Northern Federation, and there is a strong centrifugal force.

And I am one of them, for the secession of the United States and the independence of the southern states, which is good for all of us.

Since you can't eat at one table, why not separate them?
So, to some extent, we have a common enemy and a basis for strengthening cooperation.

The reason why you convey our goodwill so frankly is because you were born in an ancient oriental aristocrat, and you have shown enough charisma to move me deeply.

I can tell
These orientals are very respectful to you, although I don't understand what they are saying, but I can see many things from their eyes..."

After learning that the home port of the American Pacific Cruise Line was in South Carolina, Richard already knew that Mr. Ben-Johnson in front of him should be a southern slave owner, and he couldn't urinate in the same pot as those in the north.

That's all right, you can cooperate with confidence and boldness.

if history doesn't change

Fifteen years later, the unprecedentedly tragic Civil War broke out in the North and South of the United States. The mountains of corpses and seas of blood fought by the two sides became a deep wound in the short history of the United States, and it still leaves a heavy shadow more than 15 years later.

In today's turbulent times, the British sent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Li Cha, which made his ambition rapidly inflate, and he wanted more...

Since sooner or later there will be a battle with the US Federal Army, then the enemy of the enemy is a friend, there is nothing wrong with that.

Thought of here
The smile on Li Cha's face was warmer and his attitude was more sincere. After some chatting, the two parties were laughing and talking like old friends, getting along very well.

Richard called each other "Ben", while Ben-Johnson called "Lee", which seemed more intimate.

"No... Ben, the account can't be calculated like this. Although London did not pay the Pacific Cruise Line in cash, it gave a safety commitment for the Caribbean Sea to North America and the Caribbean Sea to the Philippines and the Pacific Ocean. For shipping companies, it is more precious than money.”

"We understand that, my dear Lee, those guys in London pay more lip service than you might think. The cost of buying and operating a ship, combined with the enormous risk of transoceanic shipping still costs cruise ships The company has to bear it, we must get a reasonable profit, this is our bottom line."

"As far as I know, the cost of transporting Chinese labor across the Pacific Ocean is only US$10, while each of your tickets costs more than US$50."

"God, this is a rumor. It doesn't take into account the cost of the shipping company and the huge risks it takes, as well as the operating expenses of our office in the mainland, and the loss of passengers who died due to accidents. If these passengers are only provided with the worst For food and living conditions, $10 is indeed enough, but this is the minimum standard.”

"Don't forget, Ben, we're talking about the big business of transporting tens of thousands of Chinese laborers across the ocean, and this will last for years or even longer. The credibility of the Federation is guaranteed by the London Government, and we also have ample financial resources Support this large-scale immigration action, so I must see enough sincerity in the price, this will be an unprecedented big business."

"I understand, I understand, dear Li, the operating breakeven line of the cruise transportation company is 30 US dollars per passenger, which guarantees a bed and necessary nutritious meals, and it cannot be lowered."

"Ben, have you ever thought about ordering a larger iron-hulled cruise ship that can carry 1000 people or more at a time, which will greatly reduce the cost per person, and the cruise company will also be able to make a reasonable profit."

"You mean the Great Western and the Great Britain?"

"That's right, buddy."

"During long-term transoceanic transportation, each passenger needs more room for movement. The two ships you mentioned can only carry no more than 600 people at a time, no more."

Speaking of here
Ben-Johnson shook his head, his expression changed suddenly and he said, "Wait a minute, let me think about it.

All this you said coincides with the conception of the British engineer Isambard Kindham Brunel, who believes that;

Larger ships can reduce operating costs and carry the same number of passengers or cargo, and larger ships are more economical.Because small boat transportation requires more ships and voyages, consumes more fuel, and invests more manpower.

It is said that he is designing a ship of more than [-] tons. As long as there is enough funding, all this will not be a problem, and the technical problems can be solved completely.

In Brunel's conception, such a huge ship can undertake the heavy responsibility of transoceanic transportation, transporting 4000 passengers at a time, and there is no need to refuel coal from the UK to and from Australia.

God!This may be a good practice opportunity. "

"Brunel?" Richard asked with some doubts, he did not know this British designer.

Ben Johnson is a veteran in the shipping industry and must know more than Richard, he explained; "Brunel is the famous designer who presided over the design and construction of the "Great West" and "Great Britain". The 1825-meter-long river tunnel that runs through the Thames in 396 is a landmark building jointly designed and built by him and his father Mark Isambad Brunel, both of whom are well-known British designers."

"Oh...so that's the case, then can you contact this famous designer and put the grand blueprint into practice?"

"Dear Lee, you mean..."

"I think this British designer is definitely willing to turn his grand vision into reality, and this is beneficial to both of us. It can not only greatly reduce the cost of transoceanic transportation, but also obtain reasonable profits." Richard looked affirmative Nodding his head, he picked up the coffee and took a sip, then continued after pondering for a while;
"Ben, no one's money comes from the wind. For such a large immigration plan, transportation costs must be taken into consideration.

in the near future
Your company can be mainly engaged in the transportation of immigrants from the Caribbean and South America. In this regard, the federation has already received policy support from London, and the operation is not a problem.

In the long term

After all, the number of Chinese laborers stranded in Central America and South America is limited, and it is impossible for all of them to immigrate to North America. First of all, those guano mines and plantation owners refused to agree.

If you want to continue this business for a long time, a large cruise ship suitable for trans-Pacific transportation is the best choice, what do you think? "

"I understand and agree with your point of view, but every large cruise ship is worth a lot of money, and the purchase cost is as high as 38 or even 40 pounds. Not any company can afford such a huge expenditure." -Although Johnson agreed with Richard's opinion, he still seemed worried.

Without it, the investment amount is too great.

The value of 1 ounce of gold is equivalent to a little more than 4 pounds. It costs about 9 to 9.5 ounces of gold to build such a large cruise ship with a capacity of more than [-] tons. This is a very astonishing figure.

Li Cha stared at the frowning Ben Johnson, and did not urge him. Instead, he took another sip of coffee leisurely, picked up a plum biscuit from the plate, and ate it with relish.

This is an arithmetic problem, and it is clear at a glance which is better.

A cruise ship of more than 40 tons is worth about 200 million U.S. dollars based on an investment of 3200 pounds (just a calculation), which is enough to build a 4-ton US Constitution-class sailing battleship with 120 layers of turrets and more than [-] ships. A large caliber gun.

Such a large ship can easily carry 4000 passengers on a trans-Pacific journey. For troop transport, it can carry 1 people and thousands of tons of cargo per voyage.

If the cost is measured by the number of 1 immigrants, according to the current quotation of the Pacific Cruise Line, it is necessary to pay US$30 for transportation.

However, the use of giant cruise ships for transoceanic transportation can reduce the transportation cost per passenger to less than 10 US dollars, about 7 to 8 US dollars.

Based on the calculation of 1 immigrants, only 8 US dollars are needed, which can save 22 US dollars compared with sailing cargo ships or medium-sized paddle ships.

Carrying 4-5 voyages a year can save millions of dollars, and get back the cost of shipbuilding in two years.

In the long run
If it takes another 10 or 15 years to build a similar cruise ship of over [-] tons, as the construction technology matures, it may only cost half the price.

Then why didn't Richard wait, and wanted to build a large ocean cruise ship with a capacity of more than [-] tons?
From this perspective, this is no longer an arithmetic problem, but has evolved into a strategic problem.

It is a strategic question whether to seize the window of strategic opportunity, rapidly expand the population base, allow the Chinese ethnic group to gain a firm foothold in North America and greatly expand their influence.

After more than ten years, the day lily was completely cool.

Li Cha could see that what troubled Ben Johnson was not a technical problem, but a huge risk of capital investment.

So he smiled slightly and said, "Ben, I know what you're worried about, but this is San Francisco. There is endless gold on the American river beaches, and funding is not a problem at all. If you feel embarrassed, why not set up a separate operation?" What about the company?"

"what do you mean……"

"The federation or myself can become a shareholder, and we can build docks and warehouses in the Bay Area that are large enough to accommodate giant ships, so as to reduce the risks and costs of the new company's operations. Running this company requires your rich experience, and you can go back and think about it. There is no rush to answer right now."

"Uh... are you going to hire me?"

"No, a more appropriate word should be cooperation, Ben, you can put some of the funds into the company, and be responsible for the specific operations, and everything will be operated in a market-oriented way. San Francisco will develop the textile and smelting industries in the future , When going to the Eastern Continent, the giant ship is full of cotton cloth and steel products, and when it returns, it is full of passengers, silk, tea and porcelain. This is a lucrative transoceanic trade, think about the profits?"

The last sentence deeply moved Ben Johnson.

Whatever position he holds on American North-South relations, whatever position he holds on the Mexican-American War?
basically

Ben Johnson is an out-and-out businessman whose value is based on profit. In order to double or even triple the huge profits, he can even take risks and do incredible things.

The wonderful prospect described by Li Cha quickly made Ben Johnson fall.

If all this can really be realized, even if it costs a lot of money to build a giant ship, the cost can be recovered in two or three voyages, and the rest will be huge profits.

You know, it's all in the millions of dollars!

Who can't be heartbroken?
(End of this chapter)