Chapter 4478 Chapter 4480 [The Wizard of Oz]
"Governor, I found this from a pirate ship. I think you will like it." Xiang Nan gave Wetherby a pair of Chinese porcelain vases.
"Oh, it's so beautiful. I really like it." Weatherby took one look and nodded with great satisfaction.
This pair of porcelain bottles is not only beautiful, but also very expensive. In the eighteenth century, Chinese goods were very competitive in Europe. For example, tea, silk, porcelain, etc. are all very popular commodities in the upper class.
King Louis XIV of France built a Chinese palace in Versailles, decorated with tiles, porcelain and silk; King Frederick of Sweden also built a Chinese-style palace in order to celebrate the queen's birthday, in which porcelain, porcelain and other materials were shipped from China. Lacquerware, palace lanterns, calligraphy and painting, the four treasures of the study, ivory products, etc.
"In addition, these silks are given to Elizabeth. The clothes made from them are light and comfortable." Xiang Nan said with a smile, and presented ten pieces of silk of various colors and patterns.
"Haha, James, you really understand her thoughts." Seeing this, Weatherby smiled even more happily.
Silk was also a highly sought-after commodity, with ten bolts worth over a hundred pounds, equivalent to one-fifth of his annual salary. For Wetherby, it was a windfall.
"Wow, these silks are so beautiful." Elizabeth was also very happy when she saw these colorful silks. "Dad, the clothes made from them must be very beautiful."
"Of course." Wetherby smiled and nodded.
"The clothes are beautiful, but it depends on who wears them." Xiang Nan smiled, "Only when it is worn on Elizabeth can it best show its beauty, so that the silk that came from afar will not be wasted."
Hearing him praise her so much, Elizabeth's face turned red, and Weatherby Swann was naturally even more happy.
…
"James, have you gone out to fight pirates recently?" Elizabeth then asked curiously, "Why did you fight them, and what bad things did they do? Did the process go smoothly?"
"This group of pirates came from St. Louis. They robbed two merchant ships, the Iris and the Wave Treader, in Port Royal. They looted the ship's belongings and killed and wounded more than twenty people.
This incident had a very bad impact on Port Royal, and many merchant ships were afraid to do business here. So a crackdown had to be carried out. Fortunately, the process went smoothly, they were all captured, and part of the stolen property was recovered. Xiang Nan smiled.
"Well done, James," Weatherby said with a smile.
"That's awesome." Elizabeth also said with admiration, "I really hope that one day, I can go to sea with you to catch pirates. I think it will be very fun."
"How is that possible? You are a lady, not a navy." Wetherby waved his hand.
"I never underestimate anyone's ability. I think women have the same strength, courage and wisdom as men." Xiang Nan said with a smile, "As far as I know, among the nine pirate kings, the Pacific Pirate King Qing Madam, she is a woman who has dozens of pirate ships under her command, roaming the East China Sea. "
"Wow, she is so amazing." Elizabeth praised.
"Yes, most of the mermaids at the bottom of the sea are beauties. They are also very powerful. I don't know how many sailors have died at their hands." Xiang Nan smiled again.
"James, are there really mermaids?" Elizabeth asked curiously, "What do they look like?"
"I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but I have heard people say that they are very beautiful, and each one looks like an angel." Xiang Nan said with a smile, "But they are very evil at heart. They will use their singing to seduce passing ships.
"What happens next?" Elizabeth asked. "Then the mermaid will drag them to the depths of the sea and eat them alive until only their bones are left." Xiang Nan said coldly.
"Ah!" Elizabeth was immediately frightened.
"Hahaha, these are just legends. No one has actually seen a mermaid." Xiang Nan waved his hand and smiled.
"Is it really not there? Oh, I wish there was such a thing." Elizabeth said disappointedly.
"Okay, as compensation for scaring you just now, I'll give you a storybook." Xiang Nan said with a smile, "I wrote it myself, and you can't buy it outside."
"A book you wrote? Is it true? Let me take a look." Elizabeth quickly took it and saw "The Adventures of Oz" written on the cover.
…
"The Adventures of Oz", also known as "The Wizard of Oz", tells the story of a little girl Dorothy and her puppy Toto who are accidentally swept into a mysterious world by a tornado.
In order to find a way back, they had to go to Oz to seek help from the wizard there. On the way they met the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Lion.
They also wanted to seek help from the wizard, so they set out on the road together. After many adventures, they all realized their wishes.
This story was originally written by Frank Baum. After it was released, it immediately caused a sensation and was warmly welcomed by readers.
So much so that Frank originally wanted to write some serious literary works, but in the end he had to give up his dream of serious literature and wrote thirteen more sequels due to the pleadings from his children.
However, the influence and popularity of the subsequent works are far less than the first one. What Xiang Nan gave to Elizabeth now was this first one.
Xiang Nan gave her this book because Elizabeth has grown up.
She was twelve years old when she first came to Port Royal, and now she was fourteen, already a half-grown girl.
For a girl of this age, it is no longer appropriate to give her toys. You must give her some more mature, profound, and meaningful gifts, such as books, clothes, cosmetics, etc.
So the gifts Xiang Nan gave today were silk and books.
"This is my first time writing. I don't know if it's good or not. I'm looking forward to your evaluation." Xiang Nan smiled.
"I will definitely take a good look at it." Elizabeth nodded immediately.
Although she was the governor's daughter, she didn't have much to read in Port Royal.
On the one hand, the publishing industry in the eighteenth century was originally underdeveloped, and information and transportation were not convenient. Even if many books are published, you may not be able to know them, let alone buy them.
On the one hand, this is the Caribbean, which has always been regarded as a barbaric land by Europeans. People who come here live only three years on average.
In Maupassant's short story "My Uncle Jules", after Jules squandered his own money and misappropriated part of his brother's money, his angry brother was sent to America and was sent to Cangzhou, Lingnan, Ningxia and other places like ancient times. The ancient pagoda is the same.
Naturally, there wouldn't be many books in such a wild place. The books Elizabeth brought back from England were already dog-eared, and she was very eager to read new books.