Don’t raise unruly people in extreme cold weather

Chapter 98 Arriving at the North
  Although Purficott has completed preliminary theoretical research and preliminary related designs, whether it is cold-proof and heat-insulating building materials or a new steam engine developed based on heavy water, there is only so much she can do.

The laboratory on the ship can only conduct some basic experiments. Although she can use the Philosopher's Stone to conduct some more complex experiments, this will not only consume a lot of her energy and concentration, but also the experimental results obtained will be biased.

After all, when conducting experiments through the Philosopher's Stone, the results obtained are optimized and are not the experimental data under normal conditions that Purficott hoped to obtain.

If it was just for her own use, it wouldn't matter much. Anyway, she was already used to using the Philosopher's Stone as an assistant.

But if it is used for promotion and handed over to others for production and manufacturing, then the accuracy of the experimental data must be ensured. If there is a deviation, it will really cause a big problem.

What's more, even with the assistance of the Philosopher's Stone, given the crude conditions of the ship's laboratory, it is still a luxury to hope to do more.

After all, there is no forging furnace on the ship, so there is no way to perform metal processing, let alone manufacture large-sized mechanical parts.

Although alchemists can use alchemy to make the mechanical parts they need, they can only do it by hand. For things that really need industrial mass production, they also use casting furnaces.

Purficott is no exception. In her laboratory at Brandlis Manor, there is a forging furnace that she built herself, which can produce any small and medium-sized metal mechanical parts she needs.

As for large parts or things she occasionally doesn't want to make herself, she can order them from her alchemy workshop in Langton, or purchase them from other channels.

However, after she sold her alchemy workshop, she could only place orders from other channels.

But no matter what, these methods can meet her needs.

But on the ship, the laboratory with limited conditions really couldn't satisfy Purficott, or even make her need it.

Therefore, due to limited conditions, Purficott had to temporarily suspend his research work and devote his energy to the site selection and construction of the so-called "forward base".

At this time, the exploration team has gone all the way north to a position close to the polar circle. Although it is only early autumn, the temperature in this area is already a bit cold.

Especially at night, the sea breeze blowing over the sea is a torture to anyone outside.

This was different from the cold current that the White Jewel encountered when taking the northern route when it came to the New World. It was simply cold, because the temperature was too low and the water vapor in the air had condensed, so thick winter clothes could be used to resist the cold.

But now, because the temperature is not that low, I don't wear that much, and the sea breeze blowing is mixed with strong water vapor, but it has become a biting cold, which makes people unbearable in a short while.

The members of Purficott's guard were basically all from the Army, and since it was summer when they set off, most of them were issued summer and autumn supplies.

It's not that the military men who formed the Guard didn't take winter clothes into consideration, but because of the urgency of departure, they didn't bring them with the army. They originally planned to wait until they arrived in the New World and then send or requisition supplies for the colonial garrison on the spot.

However, because of the commotion caused by the assassination of Purficott in Novyshak City, the Guard's requisition of winter supplies from the local garrison was delayed.

And as they gradually penetrated deeper into the northern border, these army guards were really freezing. For this reason, Samantha, who was in charge of security, had to adjust the number of people who stood guard at night so that each person standing guard at night could be assigned a coat as much as possible.

These coats were also borrowed from the sailors on the ship, but the number was limited and only enough for some people.

On the contrary, the exploration team had prepared sufficient winter supplies when they set out, but although they distributed some winter clothes to the guards, they did not distribute too much.

After all, we are almost approaching the last exploration point. The people in the exploration team also have to work, and they also need winter clothes.

Samantha reported this matter to Purficott, and she ordered someone to send a telegram to the empire, asking someone to find a way to send some winter clothes, along with another telegram.

However, this telegram was an encrypted message. Even the telegraph operator on the ship did not know what was sent. He only knew that a bunch of strange numbers were sent.

After sending this telegram, Purficott did not let the White Gem stop. Instead, taking advantage of the fact that the weather was not particularly cold, he speeded up and reached the last exploration point.

A winding and narrow fjord, this is the last obstacle before they reach the last exploration point.

Fortunately, this place has been explored by the Imperial Exploration Company, and the water depth of the fjord is enough to allow the White Jewel to pass through.

"How long is this fjord?" Purficott stood on the bridge, holding a telescope and looking into the distance. The end of the fjord could not be seen at all.

"It is estimated to be tens of kilometers long, and no one has measured it." The exploration team leader beside her answered Purficott's question, and then added: "The last exploration team sent by the company was mainly for land exploration. , so I didn’t do more detailed measurements, I just measured the water depth here.”

"It doesn't matter, as long as it doesn't affect our next actions." Purficott would not be harsh on this kind of thing, she just asked everyone to do their job well.

Putting down the telescope in his hand, Purficott asked the exploration team leader: "Will the fjord freeze in winter? We have to stay here until next spring. If the fjord freezes in winter, the White Jewel and the accompanying warships will We can’t stay in the fjords for the winter.”

"I'm afraid it's difficult for us to answer this. The company's people came last time in the summer. They went back after surveying the terrain and mineral resources here." The exploration team leader showed a troubled expression. He really didn't know this information.

This place is close to the Arctic Circle, and even the local indigenous people rarely move around this area.

Although the empire has explored this area, it will not consider developing it in the next few decades.

After all, the New World is vast and sparsely populated, and the empire has not fully developed even the warm, humid, and pleasant coastal areas in the southern region. How could it go deep into the north?

"Really? Then it seems we have to think about how to get through this winter." Purficott felt eager to give it a try. Although she had made a lot of plans and calculations before, actually facing the cold winter still made her a little emotional.

(End of this chapter)