Chapter 478: Chapter 391: The Secret Weapon from New Zealand
A delegation of Maori, led by Fernand Dufresne, boarded the dock, then took sedan chairs carried by locals to head for Mangalore City.
Several days later.
To the north of Mangalore, here lies the vanguard camp of the Mysore Corps, stationed with over 5,000 Mysore soldiers, as well as 100 elite Tunisians brought by Lafayette — the Tunisian soldiers are unquestionably considered exceptional here — and less than 15 kiloters to their north is the defense line set up by Britain in southern Karnataka.
Following his usual inspection of the camp, Lafayette looked towards the British stronghold with so irritation.
After his recent repeated reconnaissance, he had basically confird that there were only 1,200 British Army soldiers and between 3,000 to 5,000 Maratha soldiers, allies of the British in India.
Based on previous engagents, his concentrated force of 12,000 here could breach northern Karnataka within a month if they committed fully to the offensive.
However, a letter from Paris last week had the Crown Prince demanding that he prepare fully for defense, forbidding any large-scale offensive, with only minor raids allowed on the British supply lines.
This made him feel like watching a beloved mistress throwing coquettish glances at him completely undressed, yet he was tied up, unable to move even slightly.
At this mont, his Tunisian-born staff officer ca up at a quick pace, saluted him with a tip of his hat, and said:
“General, those Pacific natives have arrived.”
Lafayette nodded, and together with over a dozen officers, he left the camp to welco the Maori — it seed the Crown Prince took a special interest in these natives, so he too had to receive them with due formality and respect.
In the northernmost small town of Mangalore, Lafayette and Fernand Dufresne exchanged courtesies, with polite remarks:
“I have heard of your uncle’s exploits; with rely a few hundred colonists, he secured for His Majesty the King a colony nearly the size of Britain.”
This Fernand was indeed the nephew of the leader of the New Zealand developnt team, Dufresne.
The Maori leader hurriedly said:
“If my uncle knew that such a great hero, who has struck hard against the British in the Far East, spoke so highly of him, he would surely drink joyously until he fell to the ground.”
Lafayette said this while glancing at the group of Maori behind Fernand, with their dark skin and strange hairstyles, inadvertently frowning slightly. The black lines tattooed on the natives’ faces made him unconsciously think of ferocious wild beasts.
“Ahem,” he cleared his throat to cover the inappropriate expression, and said to Fernand, “What exactly are they here to do? The Crown Prince’s letter told they possess excellent military skills, but honestly, I don’t think they will fit in well with my troops…”
Standing in the back row, Magnus suddenly waved his hand and interjected, “You’re the impressive General…”
He looked toward Fernand and asked in a whisper, “The word is ‘General,’ right?”
After receiving a confirming nod, he raised his voice to Lafayette, “Mr. Fernand often speaks of you onboard.
“Oh, yes, we are here to help you build ‘pa.’”
He gestured to the thirty-plus Maori warriors behind him, “We are all experts in constructing ‘pa’ from our tribe.”
Lafayette was clearly surprised that these natives could speak French, but he quickly picked up on the word the Maori had just ntioned:
“Pa? What is that?”
Fernand hastened to explain, “It’s a type of simple Maori fortress. Although they may seem rudintary, they are actually very effective defensively.”
Upon hearing this, Nikau animatedly gestured, “We need to choose a high ground first, level the top off, then chop so sturdy tree trunks to enclose the area. After that, build the central tower…”
When the captain of the engineering battalion behind Lafayette heard “use three circles of wooden fences to protect the tower,” he finally let out a disdainful laugh, then said to Lafayette:
“General, I think this primitive… well, let’s call it a fort, can’t provide any defense against the British. You know, the English aren’t using spears and bows, they have cannons, and not just any cannons, but heavy artillery. I believe, if we are to build defenses, then we should choose bastions.”
He was an old subordinate of Lafayette from France, a graduate of the Valois military engineering school, and was very familiar with the construction of bastions.
Lafayette nodded his head and looked towards Fernand:
“You see, as Major Gaston said, against the British, bastions are much more appropriate. Perhaps, your people could help him build.”
“Yes, General, bastions are very effective,” Fernand weighed his words before speaking, but in the end, his adventurous nature led him to be straightforward, “However, ‘pa’ is more suited to Mysore’s situation. That is the Crown Prince’s wish.”
“How is that possible?” Major Gaston said with contemptuous hand wave, “You must have misunderstood his Highness’s…”
Fernand’s gaze shifted over:
“Major, may I ask how long it would take you to build a bastion?”
“That depends on the size,” answered Gaston. “In an ergency, a temporary bastion at the front line can be built in 3 months.”
Fernand nodded, then gestured to the Maori behind him.
Magnus imdiately said, “With enough manpower, building a ‘pa’ takes one month.”
Fernand continued, “Major, apart from the speed of construction, building a ‘pa’ almost doesn’t require any investnt, not if you don’t have to pay the Indian laborers.”
Gaston hesitated. Sultan Tipu summoned serfs for labor; they didn’t just forgo any salary, they even had to supply their own food. And to construct a bastion, at the very least, would cost thirty to forty thousand livres—and that was for the most basic one. If one wanted it strong and durable, the cost could grow tenfold.
“As for defensive effectiveness,” Fernand looked towards the Major, “‘pa’ might not be as strong as a bastion, but it can significantly delay the British advance.
“Provided there are enough of them, this thing will beco the British’s nightmare!”
“But…”
Gaston wanted to say more but was interrupted by Lafayette:
“Alright, have the local officers in Mangalore City fully assist Mr. Dufresne. However, we still need to construct so bastions at key points.”
He had already received instructions from the French general staff to cooperate with the Maori to strengthen Mysore’s defenses.
Although he didn’t quite trust the natives’ “forts,” seeing Fernand’s insistence, it wouldn’t be good to forcibly stop him.
In the days that followed, both British and Mysore kept to their own, and under this dull silence, ti flew by quickly.
Half a month later.
When Lafayette saw the first “pa” completed in the northwest of Mangalore City, he couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise.
As an experienced officer, he realized at first glance—the thing was definitely useful!
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