“Guten morgen, captain. The first officer has allowed me this area for training.”
“If this works for you, Reiner, so be it. I have something here I want to give you.” Heinrich handed a sheathed sword to Reiner, which he took and looked over. He unsheathed the weapon, exhibiting its splendor. Holding the slender sword with the cupped hilt, a smile slowly spread across his face.
“Aaah, captain. This is a genuine Toledo rapier; the best blade made. Most are in the hands – or I should say – collections of royalty. How did you obtain such a magnificent weapon?”
“It came with the ship. As for the quality, you have me there. I’m not at all familiar with blades.”
Reiner searched the captain face to see if he was playing with him and decided the man was on the level. “I thought for a moment you were jack-legging me a bit, captain.”
“Nein, I am being quite honest. Tell me about the sword,” Heinrich asked in an inquisitive tone.
“It is technically called a rapier.” He pointed to each part while explaining details of the weapon. “You see the narrow blade ends in a sharp point with two cutting edges ending at the center for cut and thrusting technique. The shaft’s length makes it useful for thrusting and parrying opponent strikes, and the cupped hilt protects the hand. Not all rapiers have cutting edges. Most are only thrusting weapons.
“The superb craftsmen of Toledo, Spain, developed a method for forging together different metals. Recalling my father’s stories; I believe it was in the fifth century they developed swords that excelled all others. Even Damascus swords, renowned for their excellence, are not the quality of Toledo blades when comparing strength, flexibility, and wear. If memory serves me correctly, a Toledo blacksmith could only produce two or three blades per year. The rapiers came much later, in the fourteenth century, undergoing the same manufacturing process as the swords. No one, not even today, has been able to understand the reason for their unique qualities and reproduce the same results; craftsmen around the world unsuccessfully have tried to imitate the process of the Toledo sword. There is nothing better, especially in the hands of a fine swordsman.”
“Then you certainly deserve this sword … I mean rapier. Consider it a gift.”
“Vielen danke, captain. This is a most marvelous instrument,” Reiner smile widened with excitement. “I am indeed indebted to you.”
“The debt was paid by your handiwork with Ziegler. Tell me more about the weapon.”
“Well, the Carthaginian general, Hannibal, issued Toledo swords to his army that defeated the Roman legions, who later sought out the swords to provide to their centurions. The Muslims in Spain made their slender two-edged scimitars using a similar method.”
Heinrich was captivated by what Reiner was explaining. He kept quiet and listened to the knowledgeable sailor.
“Blades of excellent quality were also made in other areas. The Swedish and our countrymen at Solingen in the north Rhine-Westphalia region made remarkable swords by heating metals at specific temperatures. The Solingeners forged their swords by twisting different thicknesses of metal wires to form a thread-like configuration with embedded carbon to be able to combine hard and soft metals. In France, the swords made in the region of Nimes are well-known for their excellent qualities as well.”
Suddenly, without an explanation, Heinrich turned and took off in a run, calling out over his shoulder, “I must go and get something from the weapon’s room, Reiner. Stay here; I’ll be right back.”
Reiner was baffled by his captain’s behavior but was pleased he called him by his given name. If the captain related to him on a more personal level, the relationship bond between them had grown closer, and that meant for better communication. It was essential to him to have the captain’s ear and confidence in him in this new training capacity because there would be other requirements needed to mold the crew into effective fighters. The captain’s complete commitment to bring this endeavor to fruition was crucial. He knew the task was monumental to successfully train the men to be able to defend against the deadly elements of violent men.
He turned his attention back to the rapier; he ran his fingers along the long shaft and gently felt the sharp end. A beautiful cup hilt guarded the handle. He was captivated and delighted with this astounding gift. Not only was it elegant and a superb weapon, but it was also a priceless piece.
Within a short time, Heinrich returned, and in one hand he held a sheathed saber identified by the slight curvature and a sheathed dagger in the other.
“Here, Reiner. Take a look at these and tell me if they are also Toledo.” Reiner sheathed the rapier, laid it aside, and took the two items from Heinrich. He ran his fingers over the blades checking their strength and flexibility, also looking for physical flaws. With a masterful eye, he inspected the handle grips, the grain of the metal, and tested its tensile strength by putting pressure to the blade and observing its ability to spring back.
“Captain Drope, these are, to the best of my assessment, both Toledo blades. How did this ship come upon these marvelous weapons?”
“That is a mystery to me as well. I will tell you the story of how we came upon this vessel in due course. In the meantime, I would like you to be the recipient of all three weapons. I hope you can make good use of them when needed,” Heinrich said.
Reiner was completely dumbfounded. “I am deeply honored to have such a magnificent set of blades, captain,” Mannheim gratefully responded.
“If we are to have fighting men that can strike dread into an enemy, we must arm them accordingly. My mentor, Herr Weber, always had the best equipment he could get his hands on for the crew. I will do no less.”
“The ability to fight off men of the sword will take much training and experience, captain, not just quality blades.”
“I understand, Reiner. But let us provide the men with quality weapons that they can wield with confidence. I want you to check the weapon’s stores and make an assessment of what we need. There are not enough swords, daggers, and firearms onboard for every man so we will have to purchase them,” explained Heinrich. “Let us put the best weapons in the hands of our best fighters. You will have to make that determination.”
“I will look at what is available and make a list of what is needed.”
With that, the two men made their way to the armory near the stern.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MERCHANTS by CHOICE
Their shoulders hunched in exhaustion, Heinrich, Otto, and Klaus ambled up the gangplank at the end of the day, which had turned out to be a long one. They had met with numerous textile merchants. Their initial plan was to walk the city’s industrial complex; but the area was so immense, that by noon, they located a horse and carriage, leased it for two days, making it easier to search the busy city for wares.
Before setting sail, Otto and Heinrich had done homework on potential business endeavors. On their previous voyages to England, they had seen a booming economy taking shape. They observed fabrics imported from all over the world. They also had heard how the textile industry was entering a revolution; transitioning from small-scale, cottage-based to large-scale production – the Industrial Revolution in action. They also learned that America was producing high-quality cotton. This was an opportunity that interested Heinrich and Otto. They both believed they could capitalize on this growing market, speculating that cotton would replace other fibers, in particular, wool, which for centuries had been the mainstay fabric used for clothing in Europe.
New innovative machinery invented to speed the cotton harvest also contributed to increased production. Not only did the new equipment help the industry expand by leaps and bounds, but cotton was much stronger and more lightweight than wool, comfortable to wear, easy to sew, and was washable with less shrinkage. Most of all it was inexpensive if it came from America, thus lowering the shipping costs compared to Indian cotton from Asia.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century, before the next generation of harvesting machines
were invented, cotton fabric mainly was used by the lower class. Besides cotton, linen was also used to make everyday garments, while wool was used to make most outer garments because of its warmth. Prior to the eighteenth century, the majority of cotton was imported to Europe from India and silk, imported from the Far East, was used to make fashionable apparel that only the wealthy could afford.
With the initialization of American cotton production, the material began entering European markets. Sales of the low-cost material grew at a prolific rate. Consequently, cotton became fashionable and sales further increased. Its surging success began to impact the world’s textile markets at the end of the eighteenth century. However, wool was still inexpensive and abundant; thus, its use for clothing was extensive. Cotton would gradually be accepted, but displacing wool was not easily accomplished.
The wool industry was typically based in rural areas. This practice had not changed for generations. It was strictly a family affair, where women of all ages cleaned the fleece, detangled the material, and spun it into yarn. First, the raw wool was washed of debris and lanolin, next, the material was dyed, and then the wool was untangled by pulling it through a board of nails, giving it a thorough combing. Once all the flaws in the fibers were removed, a large wooden wheel – the spinning wheel – spun the yarn. Finally, the yarn was wound onto a reel or spindle. For the most part, unmarried daughters of the family did the spinning; hence the term spinster was coined for these single women.
From there the yarn was woven into fabric, which was generally done by men due to the physical effort needed to operate the loom. The large machines wove the wool fiber into cloth using interlacing threads.
Where wool was mostly a cottage industry due to the nature of its production, cotton had a cost and manufacturing advantage; it was easy to refine, even in bulk quantities. With the emergence of centralized cotton mills in England that processed the raw cotton into fabric, the wool cottage industry began to suffer.
During this period, the clothing industry in England and France tried to protect their wool trade by stemming the use of cotton. However, countries such as Holland, which had no restrictions on cotton imports, were notorious for smuggling raw cotton to manufacturers throughout Europe, including England and France. This caused the wheels of change to turn in favor of cotton.
It soon became a foregone conclusion that cotton was here to stay and would rapidly overtake the wool industry. Merchants with the means to do so invested heavily in large manufacturing centers and helped revolutionize the textile industry.
Thus, taking advantage of the potential growth of this market, Heinrich and Otto considered delivering raw cotton to European merchants.
* * *
Once back in the captain’s quarters, Heinrich and Otto sank into chairs. Klaus was sent to the galley to fetch them a few morsels of food. They were famished after a day of visiting multiple establishments and discussing business. The cabin was stifling hot. Even with the windows open, the cabin felt as if they were in a steam bath; very much like those Heinrich remembered partaking in Greece. The only difference was that the Greek bath was enjoyable as they relaxed and drank the local alcoholic concoctions as woman doted on them. Right now, all they wanted was to be off their feet. In fact, all day the heat and humidity had sapped their strength. Even Klaus, who usually was a chipper fellow on excursions, was having a tough time coping with the heat.
“Nothing like northern Germany, with the cooler winds, don’t you think?” Otto stated.
“It’s more like the Mediterranean here.” Heinrich responded. “They say the winters are cold and stormy. Hard to imagine it right now.”
“You recall the textile merchant near … what was it called? Fallbrook area wasn’t it?”
“Ja, I remember. What about him?”
“Very talkative fellow. I liked him. He was upfront with us and didn’t flinch when bargaining. He is the first one on my list to do business with. What do you think?”
“I do agree he was extremely amiable. He reminded me a lot of Herr Becker with his friendly demeanor,” said Heinrich, “although not so much in his long-winded talk.”
“He seems to know his business. He certainly chattered our ears off about the booming cotton market in Europe. According to him, it is only the beginning. He did say he returned from a successful trip to London late last year and saw for himself how industrious the British have become in building huge plants for the manufacture of textiles.”
“He provided us a detail explanation of how the industry has so drastically changed over the last decade.”
“You are starting to sound like a peddler,” Heinrich said and chuckled.
“Ah, stop your retched teasing, man. Why do you take me as a slouch when it comes to business? Who do you think taught you so much? It wasn’t just those academic tutors that Herr Weber employed for you. I’ll take some credit for turning you into an educated man. At least you haven’t forgotten to act the part when we discuss business with the upper class, you pompous arse. You have not embarrassed me while discussing business matters with these merchants; at least not yet,” Otto threw back in a scalding tone, but indicating that he was being playful as he winked at Heinrich.
“Come now, Otto. Don’t be so cruel, my dear friend. I hope this is not a continuation of the spat we had last night.”
“No, it’s not. I am just making a point here. Let’s get serious for once.”
“Alright, stop your complaining. It’s been a long day and we’re both tired.”
Otto chose not to respond to the comment and went on. “Remember the man explained that the textile industry in England is now mechanized?”
“Ja, something about the manufacturing methods having transitioned – you like my educated wording there, Otto? How about that, huh, transitioned,” and Heinrich laughed in amusement, while Otto rolled his eyes at his friend’s stab at humor.
“Now hold on! You said you would be serious. We are talking business, Heinrich. So please act the part,” Otto pleaded.
“Alright, but don’t get too serious or else it’s not much fun talking with you about technical things. Anyway, I was agreeing with you. I found the news as remarkable as you did. Tell me again what the main changes were.”
“Well, let’s take cotton as an example. Similar to wool, cotton undergoes cleaning, dyeing, spinning, and weaving into cloth. Whereas before all the work was done at small local farms, with the emergence of these fabulous new contraptions, the work is now done at a factory, and much faster. In the late 1760s, the Englishman, Richard Arkwright invented the water frame loom, which improved the quality and speed of thread production. No longer were wool or linen fibers required to be mixed with the cotton to strengthen the fabric. It took spinning away from family-run businesses throughout England.”
“I’m sure that didn’t make the local peasants very happy,” commented Heinrich.
“Unfortunately, true. The workers had to relocate if they wanted to make a living. Many were hired at the factories.”
“That is a clear indicator that changes in economic practices produce pluses for some people and minuses for others.”
“Yes, but Heinrich, don’t you think we are lucky to be living in an age of creativity, where old physical-demanding production methods are being quickly replaced with new mechanized systems.”
“Ja, the new machines are amazing. But have you heard what these machines cost? They are not inexpensive, but once in production they make up the initial cost in a short time,” added Heinrich remembering what the talkative merchant explained to them that morning.
“Indeed. Some of the newer machines are reinventions, such as the power loom. Another English fellow originally invented it by the name of Edmund Cartwright in the 1780s, then was perfected by a couple of other inventors, who replaced the wood with metal, and -”
“Iron.”
“What?”
“The merchant this morning said they are made of iron,” Heinrich stated.
>
“Iron is a metal,” Otto stated. “… and these machines are steam-powered, generated by burning coal. But the fact is that a Scotsman by the name of Watt some twenty years ago made a steam engine that helped start the Industrial Revolution. It was the first time I have heard of shipbuilders devising ways to use steam for powering boats. A clever and imaginative American, John Fitch, made a successful run up the Delaware River in the late 1780s. We will pass that area on our way to Charleston, by the way.”
“I remember seeing it on one of the charts, close to the Chesapeake Bay,” Heinrich added.
“Ja, indeed. There’s another American by the name of Rumsey that contended with Fitch over the ownership of the design, but last decade, lost to him because he did not file a patent for the design. Imagine if someone invents an ocean-going steam-powered ship. I wonder how fast the Atlantic crossing would be.”
“Imagine a schooner such as this one powered by steam,” stated Heinrich. “Doesn’t that sound absurd? What about the sails?”
“I suppose that the sails can still be of use. I don’t know.”
“A schooner without sails would be an ugly sight. I have a difficult time envisioning such a ship,” lamented Heinrich.
The two men paused for a moment taking in the enormity of the changes that were erupting throughout the world. Numerous contraptions were being invented. This was shaping new horizons, changing the way people lived and worked. Heinrich was intrigued by these new machines, but the science behind them was beyond his understanding. On the other hand, Otto kept himself well-read and seemed a virtuoso at grasping complex technical details.
Klaus entered the room, causing both men to come out of their focused reverie.
“Captain, all the hot food has been eaten already. All I’ve been able to gather together is bread, cheese, and wine,” Klaus stated as he gave each man a plate and placed the bottle on the table. “Mind if I go back to the galley and help the others clean up?”
Winds of Fury Page 15