304: Chapter 304 Building a Camp

Shimane Masao looked at the soldiers with great admiration.

He marveled in his heart; as expected of gods, they could even invent such useful tools!

The camp was being built in a place nestled against mountains and near water.

For the camp they chose, a water source was the primary requirement.

Just as the people building the camp needed water, so did those on the fleet.

During these days traveling from Great Qin to Japan, the freshwater stored in their fleet had been significantly consumed and needed timely replenishment.

The scale of the camp was constructed to accommodate five thousand people.

At the start of building the camp, Xu Ning had already considered the division of labor for the troops.

Which units would be responsible for the left defense, which for the right, as well as the vanguard and the rear guard protecting the supplies.

Under the orders of the officer in charge of camp construction, a large number of soldiers went to dig trenches around the perimeter of the camp.

Typically, the trenches were 10 meters wide and 3 to 4 meters deep.

The trenches were filled with wooden stakes, their outward-facing ends sharpened and charred black and hardened with fire.

cheval de frise arrays were set up outside the trenches, with abatis in front of them, and traps in front of the abatis.

Wooden fences were set up behind the trenches, buried three meters deep and no less than six meters high.

The soldiers responsible for felling trees transported the timber here.

Carpenters processed the wood using saws, planes, and axes.

They needed to set up watchtowers in front of the main gate, and a drawbridge and gate at the front.

Only after the drawbridge was lowered could their own people cross the trenches.

Inside the fences, stairs and platforms for climbing needed to be installed.

observation towers were set up on the outskirts of the camp, with searchlights placed on top.

The searchlights they used were the same type as the headlights currently used on steam trains.

Once the kerosene pressure lamp was lit and placed inside a reflective glass mirror, it was enough to illuminate the surroundings for hundreds of meters.

The purpose of the searchlights was primarily to prevent nighttime raids on the camp.

Xu Ning and his men were in an unfamiliar land and were considered an outside force; it was hard to guarantee they wouldn't face attacks from savages at night.

The camp would also deploy scouts and sentries around its perimeter, including both visible and hidden posts.

Within the camp, aside from the tents, the latrines were the most important.

In ancient military marches, defecation and urination were strictly regulated; doing so indiscriminately would result in a flogging.

The collected excrement and urine could then be used as agricultural fertilizer.

Xu Ning's naval force was meant to be stationed in Japan for the long term.

Food thus became a very important point.

It was the food shortage in Japan that caused both the wild beasts and the local people to be small in stature.

If Xu Ning's force of ten thousand men didn't grow their own food, it would be difficult to obtain provisions in Japan.

The journey from Great Qin to Japan was long, and it was by sea.

Once typhoon season arrived, ships were prone to capsizing.

If food supplies couldn't be transported, the ten thousand men Xu Ning brought would surely starve to death!

Or, to avoid starving, they would have to raid the locals for food, which would inevitably lead to violent conflicts with the savages of Japan.

To Zhao Fusu, population was a resource.

Whether it was putting them to work in the mines or selling them industrial goods, it would allow him to reap a continuous stream of profits.

Therefore, Zhao Fusu specifically instructed Xu Ning in a letter that upon arriving in Japan, he should not immediately seek out the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine.

First, start growing crops to resolve the troops' food supply issue.

Even if Xu Ning and his men couldn't grow a vast amount of food, it would be best if they could be self-sufficient; if not, it would at least ensure that no food crisis occurred for a month or two.