Chapter 457: Planting Flags and Claiming Land
With the Dongwanlü government subdued, the Hechingen Consortium moved in next. After stationing over 300 armed troops in the Lanfang Republic, Archduke Ferdinand took the fleet eastward.
These 300 troops didn't remain in Dongwanlü but continued south to the Lanfang Republic city of Kundian.
Dongwanlü was built on the west bank of the Wanlü River, a tributary of the Kapuas River (Kunjian), while Kundian sat at the river's mouth—an excellent port and the largest city on Borneo, with a predominantly Chinese population.
Though the straight-line distance between Dongwanlü and Kundian was only 20–30 km, the two cities differed significantly. Dongwanlü was the capital because of its gold mines—the foundation of the Lanfang Kingdom (or Company). Kundian, with its superior transport, had become Borneo's top economic center. In Kundian, East African troops linked up with the Zanzibar Merchants Guild.
…
"Ahead is Balabac Island? Looks just as uninhabited as Sumatra. Find a landing spot," Archduke Ferdinand said while surveying Balabac through his telescope.
Technically, Balabac Island belonged to Spain's Philippine colony. It sat at the mouth of the Balabac Strait, with Borneo to the west and the Philippine archipelago to the east.
But East Africa didn't recognize these assumed colonial boundaries. As Ferdinand noted, Balabac was essentially uninhabited.
Even in the 21st century, Balabac had only about 15,000 residents. Its main products were shells and coconuts. In the 19th century, it was home to a handful of scattered native tribes—and little else.
The island had no economic value, nor did its strategic potential seem apparent—Borneo and the Philippines were themselves underdeveloped regions.
Balabac's value only emerged later, when the U.S. established a military base there to antagonize East Asia in the South China Sea. That, and Southeast Asia's eventual rise in global economic status, gave the region some weight—surpassing Africa's, at least.
Ferdinand had the fleet anchor at a suitable beach and, with ceremonial flair, planted the East African flag.
"From today forward, this land belongs to the Kingdom of East Africa!"
And so, East Africa claimed its first colonial holding in Southeast Asia. Technically, calling it a "colony" was a stretch—Balabac barely had any people. "Colonization" implies a population to colonize.
In the following days, Ferdinand and his sailors constructed a small military fort at the landing site and left behind 20–30 men along with supplies.
They had to leave provisions—Balabac had no economy and was entirely rainforest. The stationed men couldn't survive on coconuts alone.
East Africa's occupation of Balabac was humble and simple. There were many such unclaimed islands across the Pacific. In Ernst's previous life, Germany had planted flags on similar islands, gaining colonies like Nauru in the German Marshall Islands protectorate.
Ernst knew Nauru was rich in guano (phosphate), though East Africa's navy wasn't headed there—this first voyage was still a learning experience. Balabac was their training ground.
"Don't bite off more than you can chew." East Africa couldn't hope to draw colonial borders across the Pacific. Balabac, part of the Palawan Islands (and thus of the Philippines), was officially part of the Spanish East Indies.
But declarations meant little. Spain might not notice German settlers on Balabac for years. The island's population was so sparse that spotting Germans there would be like finding a needle in a haystack. And even if they were spotted, Spain probably wouldn't care—Balabac had nothing but rainforests.
Same with Nauru: it was discovered by the British, but Germany quietly claimed it in 1888. Back then, no one knew it had valuable guano. Without guano, Nauru would've stayed forgotten.
Balabac didn't even have guano. So why claim it? Besides naval training, it was meant as a strategic springboard. To the east was Mindanao, to the north Palawan, to the west Borneo, and to the northwest, the South China Sea—filled with East Asian-controlled islands.
"We've left you with enough supplies for three months. Once we reach Zhuhai, we'll notify home. Use ammunition sparingly. In case of encounters with wild tribes—be prepared."
Yes, there were true wild tribes. East Africa's Congo rainforest had similar inhabitants—different from regular indigenous peoples. Even the most primitive tribes had some social order. Wild tribes had none.
"If you explore the island's interior, go in groups. But unless absolutely necessary, avoid going deep. Rainforests often have swamps and dangerous wildlife. We don't know what's on Balabac, so better safe than sorry."
Before reboarding, Ferdinand gave the stationed troops detailed instructions. It was, indeed, a tough assignment.
Rainforests were nearly as brutal as Siberia's tundra. Fortunately, Balabac was small—otherwise, even basic transport would be a nightmare.
Rainforests differed from regular forests in that they were constantly waterlogged. This made them nearly undevelopable. With year-round rainfall, even controlled burning was useless.
Balabac's smaller size helped. Rain drained into the ocean more easily. But if this were something like Papua New Guinea, it would become a massive swamp.
Neighboring Borneo proved the point. Though its terrain was similar, its population and development were significantly higher.
…
After eight days, Archduke Ferdinand and the fleet finally arrived at the Far Eastern Empire's Zhuhai Port. For the first time, Ferdinand saw the largest surviving ancient civilization on Earth.
"Their agriculture is advanced. Urban populations rival those in Europe. Considering their size and numbers, this nation's potential is immense."
Ferdinand was impressed—but one thing made him uncomfortable: the Empire's strange hairstyles.
"Your Grace, no need to be surprised. The Far East has a long history, but Western understanding only extends to the Qing dynasty. Yet old paintings show that 200 years ago, they didn't have these hairstyles."
"Yes, I've seen Ernst's collection of Far Eastern art. But you only truly grasp it by being here. I'd read about their appearance, but experiencing it firsthand—it's indescribable."
To Ferdinand, the only word was strange—not insulting, just jarring. In East Africa, buzz cuts were fashionable. Besides skin tone, East Asia's immigrants in East Africa didn't look much different from Europeans—clean, sharp, energetic.
By contrast, the people of the Far Eastern Empire looked malnourished, sallow, and gaunt—less spirited even than East Africa's Black population.
And of course—they had every reason to be tired. Before the Germans arrived, African people lived leisurely off nature's bounty. They hunted, foraged, danced, and painted. They ate well, slept well, and had no worries. Naturally, they looked lively.
But once the Germans arrived—that changed quickly.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10