In November 1776, Charles, accompanied by Greenspan, the trade representative, Jekill and Phil, his guards, and lord Dupont's deputy, traveled to the French Colonies of Louisiana aboard a passenger ship converted from "William V."
Originally, Charles hadn't intended to use a steamboat. After all, though the ship was fast, it was very noisy, and riding it all the way was a form of suffering. However, as he prepared the luxurious carriage to depart for St. Louis, Charles suddenly thought of a problem. The carriage would be comfortable on the way there, but there might be big trouble on the way back.
At the speed of a carriage, even if they only visited St. Louis for a few days, it would likely be December by the time they returned. December in northern America was already a snowy season. In the desolate Ohio area, once it snowed, carriages would be absolutely unable to move, and being trapped would mean no recourse whatsoever, posing a direct threat to life.
To be on the safe side, Charles ultimately chose to take the steamboat. Even if his ears suffered, it was better than being trapped by heavy snow halfway. Except for days with strong winds and waves, the steam paddlewheel boat could completely ignore rain and snow on the Ohio River, which was navigable year-round, and proceed at full speed. The time saved and the increased safety were, by all means, superior to traveling by carriage.
Of course, just in case, lifeboats and lifebuoys made from pig bladders were prepared in advance.
"Woo..."
With a long blast from its newly installed whistle, "William V" slowly set off, leaving the dock and sailing downstream on the Ohio River.
Charles and his entourage stood on the second-story deck of the steamboat, smiling and waving to those who had come to see them off, feeling as if he were standing in the Steam Age, waving to people from the Middle Ages.
Smiling at the onlookers who watched him and his companions with envy, Charles understood that these people envied them for becoming the first in the world to travel long distances by steamboat.
In fact, steamboats had previously carried several groups of people to other towns, but those were short trips, lasting no more than a day. Except for a few who got seasick, everyone felt that the journey ended before they could fully enjoy it, which is why Charles' long journey was particularly envied.
This time, Charles had to traverse the entire Ohio River, plus a section of the mississippi River, to reach his destination. Moreover, the cabin had been specially modified at Charles' request, with beds, chairs, and even a small round table. Patrick, the mayor, who had taken the steamboat several times, was very envious of Charles' trip and repeatedly offered to go along to help. After being refused, he sighed for a long time.
Actually, there was another advantage to taking the steamboat. This journey, if done by land, would take at least half a month, and even longer during the rainy season. This time, Charles and his group sailed down the Ohio River. By conventional sailboat, it would take a maximum of five days to reach the mississippi River. Now, with the steam paddlewheel boat, the theoretical time required should be even shorter. This was more than just saving half the time.
Only when the figures on the shore were no longer visible did Charles reluctantly lower his continuously waving hand, muttering softly:
"Alas! This delicate girl, just because I wouldn't let her come on the ship, she didn't even come to see me off."
Charles had already refused countess Diana's request to accompany him on the visit. After the change to a steamboat this time, she brought it up again, wanting to join the visit, but was again refused, which led to the young girl not appearing for the send-off.
"Haha! sir, your relationship with countess Diana is so good, she must not want to see a parting scene and be sad," Greenspan and others advised from behind.
Charles was indeed a little sad, but unwilling to show it in front of his subordinates, he smiled at the people around him and said:
"Alright! Let's all go into the cabin to talk. This ship is moving so fast, the bow isn't just cold."
"Haha! Yes, it is. Fortunately, although this steamboat is quite noisy, it's very warm next to the boiler, and since our ship is a bit smaller, the cabin is much warmer too," Greenspan said with a smile, nodding.
He was also very excited that Charles had chosen him as his deputy for this trip. Since coming to America and becoming the old lord's indentured servant, it was his first time leaving Pittsburgh. Now that he had economic income and greatly increased social status, his gratitude to Charles was even stronger than that of Jonathan, the old steward. Charles also saw this point, which is why he confidently entrusted him with various important matters.
When Charles and Greenspan returned to the cabin together, they immediately felt much warmer.
Charles rubbed his hands, which were already a bit cold, and exhaled.
"It really is winter already. If only I had a cup of hot tea!"
"Giggle!" A crisp laugh rang out behind Charles.
"Diana!" Charles exclaimed without turning his head.
When he turned around, he indeed saw countess Diana holding a tray. At this moment, her face seemed to have a little coal ash on it, but she didn't care at all. Instead, she smiled and said to Charles:
"I knew you would be cold standing outside for so long, so I already brewed the tea and prepared it for you!"
As she spoke, she placed the tray on the small round table in the cabin and handed a cup to Charles.
Charles, with a stern face, did not take it, but instead turned and loudly ordered the stern:
"Quickly turn the ship around and return to Pittsburgh!"
The helmsman at the stern, on the elevated bridge, couldn't comprehend Charles' order and could only shout down, asking:
"Turn what?"
Charles rushed to the cabin door in a few strides, shouting exasperatedly up to the wheelhouse:
"Turn! Quickly turn for me! We're going back!"
There was a moment of silence from the wheelhouse; presumably, the helmsman was startled by Charles' order. After a long wait, he responded:
"Sir, the Ohio River current is quite strong here, and we're not familiar with the waterway. Turning the rudder might be dangerous. How about we wait until the next section with a slower current to turn?"
Charles was speechless. Indeed, turning a rudder on a river surface seemed quite rare.
He turned away, feeling sullen,
only to see a triumphant face.
—
"Here! Have some tea to moisten your throat!" the young girl said sweetly.
Facing such a smiling face, Charles couldn't bring himself to be angry.
"Alas! You girl! It seems you've truly grown up. You have your own opinions now. You don't even listen to me anymore."
The young girl just pouted and didn't answer.
"Haha! sir, I think it's quite good for countess Diana to come along. Having a lady accompany us on a diplomatic visit is, in itself, a good gesture," Greenspan quickly spoke up for countess Diana, seeing a hint of softening in Charles' words.
The other few, due to their different statuses and positions, could only awkwardly drink their tea nearby, not daring to say anything.
"Hmph! On such a small boat, how inconvenient it is for her, a young girl, to live with so many of us!" Charles glared at Greenspan.
Countess Diana just tugged at her clothes, whispering, "I can live with you!"
Charles' response was also a glare.
However, the young girl continued to play the sympathy card:
"Anyway, leaving me alone in Pittsburgh is meaningless and lonely. It's better to follow you, even if it's a bit tough, it doesn't matter. I can also often make tea for you!"
With an inherently cute and innocent appearance, now feigning a pitiful look, her persuasive power naturally doubled.
Charles saw that the young girl was willing to sneak onto the ship. In fact, he no longer wanted to send her away, but he felt that if he didn't make a show of it, he would lose face, which is why he acted so agitated. Now, seeing the young girl's expression, he went with the flow and said:
"Alas, forget it. You must be well-behaved on the ship and not complain about the hardship of the journey!"
"Hmm!" countess Diana nodded heavily.
She once again offered the tea in her hand.
Charles then accepted it with a wry smile and took a shallow sip. Unfortunately, after all this back and forth, the tea was already almost cold. By the time it reached Greenspan and the others, who drank it immediately, it was already finished while still hot.
The rest of the journey was unbearable.
The first day was alright; even though everyone found the noise annoying and loud, the novelty was still there, preventing excessive irritation.
Upon reaching one of the downstream Colonies of the Ohio River as night approached, Charles decided to dock and rest at a settlement with over a hundred people.
That night, everyone's ears seemed to still echo with the roar of the steam engine, preventing the group from falling asleep. The next morning, everyone woke up with red eyes. After some joking among themselves, Charles ordered to continue the voyage.
Once the preheated steamboat set off again, those people truly realized how painful it was to ride such a noisy ship. The noise that hadn't been particularly bothersome the day before now felt like needles constantly pricking their ears.
The young girl, countess Diana, didn't complain, but seeing her pale face, Charles knew she must be suffering. The day before, he had been stern and unwilling to talk to her, but now, seeing her condition, he immediately began to show concern for her.
That day, besides constantly pointing out the scenery on both banks of the river and talking to countess Diana to distract her, Charles only said one thing to Greenspan and the others:
"Next time, this ship's cabin must be equipped with soundproofing!"
However, people have a tolerance for fatigue; once past a certain point, they either fall ill or become accustomed to it. The fatigue caused by noise was certainly not enough to make everyone sick, so by the latter half of the journey, everyone was already able to laugh and point at the scenery outside amidst the loud noise.
After more than four days of sailing, Charles and his group finally arrived at their destination, St. Louis, at noon on the fifth day.
When the steamboat arrived at the St. Louis dock, the entire dock was in an uproar.
A ship, without sails or oars, emitting thick smoke, was sailing itself towards the dock.
At first, some people thought the ship was on fire and urgently notified other vessels at the dock to move away. Fortunately, these people from the "European continent" were indeed extraordinary in their knowledge and experienced in dock incidents.
Many, after careful observation, realized it was not a burning ship, but a ship that could sail itself. Some who had seen steam engines even immediately recognized it as a ship powered by a steam engine. This immediately aroused the curiosity of these people, who rushed to the dock to watch.
The commotion on the dock quickly alerted the French army stationed there. They quickly lined up and came to the dock to prevent potential riots or attacks.
Charles and the others on "William V" had already changed into formal attire and stood on the second-story deck of the steamboat, smiling as they looked at the crowds of onlookers on the dock.
"Your Excellency, you have caused a sensation as soon as you arrived in St. Louis. I believe your visit will surely be successful," lord Dupont's deputy flattered him from the side.
"Thank you for your kind words. I believe a successful visit is what both sides hope to see most," Charles replied naturally.
Indeed, on their very first day in St. Louis, Charles and his group caused a sensation throughout the entire city of St. Louis. The dock was filled with discussions:
"Did you see that? That's the monster that eats fire to move forward."
"Yes! Yes! It's indeed ugly and terrifying." This was the voice of the ignorant.
"I never thought a steam engine could actually make a ship run. This is truly a miracle of civilization!"
"Where do you think this ship came from? The side of the ship says 'William V,' which means there are also I and II. What civilized city produced this, to be able to build such a ship!"
Charles didn't mind those people looking at his ship as if it were a monster. Instead, he had Greenspan and the translator, Moulton, coordinate to quickly promote Pittsburgh to the residents of St. Louis after disembarking, encouraging them to come to Pittsburgh for business, tourism, and residence.
Led by the envoy, Charles' group, except for Greenspan and others who stayed behind for promotion, all went to a tavern near the dock to rest. The envoy himself hurried to inform the governor: your invited guests have arrived several days early, practically flying here.