Somewhere in the Royal Palace, Ribeira, september 1652.
Jean IV exhales deeply, after a long immersion in his thoughts. He rises from his chair, pacing slowly by the flickering light of the hearth. After much deliberation, the king reaches his decision.
"This innovation cannot be ignored. This "rubber" specially treated to resist water can indeed reshape war and maritime endeavors, Portugal must claim its position at the forefront of this development. Yet, caution must temper ambition.
First, I shall summon the merchants who hold the fabrication secret. Their loyalty to the crown must be secured—perhaps through privileges, a royal charter, even a nobility title may be at the forefront if necessary. Let it be known that their industry flourishes not as a rival to the monarchy, but as its ally.
Second, this innovation must not remain in isolation. My ministers will ensure that its uses are studied beyond war—for commerce, agriculture, and all manner of advancements that might enrich our kingdom. What starts in secrecy must grow into prosperity for Portugal.
Lastly, our enemies must not gain access to this marvel, at least not quickly.
Spain watches us too closely, and I cannot allow such knowledge to slip across borders. Thus, our navy shall ensure the trade routes are guarded, and our spies shall monitor those who might seek to pry into this enterprise.
Yes, this rubber might very well be the anchor upon which our kingdom secures its legacy. Let the storm rage outside—I will ensure Portugal's future stands resilient against the tempests of war and time."
Jean IV stops, his gaze firm and resolved.
" Convoke the totality of the Royal Concil, and my son Pedro, at the consel chamber, by tommorow." said jean 4 to one of his assistants.
_________
10 october 1652.
Joao and crew were assembled at a certain meeting place, the eleven directors of " Horizon Brazil " were facing a crucial decision :
Buy a little villa each in Lisboa or one big villa for all, which could be use as the general quarter of the company, with servants and some, useful other entertainments before the ship " Rubber Dream" got finished, by january 1653.
" A crucial dilemma indeed... and when we take the ship to run wild on the ocean ?" Lauch Diogo
" Well, it's for that we would need people anyways to take care of whatever we buy " answered Pietro
" Ha and a warehouse near the port. " added Joao
" So guards too ? "
" Ha ! Yeah ! It it's the big mansion, then it will be the company that owns it ? " Said Luis
" Yeah, this is what i thought, but we can change that" answered Joao
" Hum... in that case, it wouldn't become the siege of the company, but that of our troop ? "
" Indeed"
" So .. I vote for the big one !"
" Same here, when we have enough we can buy later "
The vote continued, and the consensus oriented to a big mansion.
The same day, the troop dispatched in search of the mansion, while Luis and Joao stayed to discuss business.
" How are going the sale of tempest capes ? "
" Add 100k more and it will still sell even better than sugar !!" answered Luis " and you : those bags ? "
" I went to the guards at the armory, they told me, that they inform the crown, more like the crown received news that render rubber in the army quite valuable, maybe too much valuable, to the army, so I cannot sell it at the same price as the Capes. "
" Hey the capes I sell are worked over again by a tailor you know ..."
" I am not blind enough not to have see that, rubber alone isn't as exquisite as those, what was that fantasy of yours ? "
" Flowers !!! It s obvious !! "
" Well whatever you say ...."
" Anyway it's in accordance with our goals , i mean about the army prospect, we gain less, but it seems that it's usefull for army and navy all the same "
" Indeed, but there may come problems, but Joao the restorator, is known to be a pragmatic so ..."
" So you have hope for him personally, but not necessarily all those "work for " ? " Luis continued the sentence of Joao.
" Exactly "
_______
First negociation
" So anyway, you want to sell or not ?
" Oh course I want to sell ! But i am worried about the attendants "
Not like we wouldn't need them so where is the problem ?
" Ha!, said the noble, I would like to give them a gift before I depart for leaving my prestigious service ."
" Ha is ee now, said Luis, do you want us to give your generous contrbution to their wellfare ? "
" Ha I intended to give it personnaly, so that they would remember their noble Master "
" Well fair enough" said diogo ironically
" So 10 000 ? " asked Joao
" Yes 10 000 is enough "
"Ok then, let's go to the notary, and then we will sign the deed of transfer of property"
"Okay sehnor"
The small gang decided on a villa: with a stable for 4 horses, a garden and a playground, a manor house with 100 rooms including 70 rooms.
This small manor house, located 4 km from the port of Lisboa, was difficult to find, as much because houses like this are rarely for sale, and there are few of them.
This tertiary residence may even be the fourth residence of this noble profiteer, whose estate is in Porto, should have served, at least officially, to finance the army of Tres Montes, which guards the road to Porto.
Just as much about the warehouse that had to be built a little less than 2 km west of the port, in a traffic area that was still available.
Joao and the crew have finally established a plan of attack: they will start financing a plantation of these trees, whatever they may be, from the little they have managed to learn: these trees are full of this raw rubber, maybe two or three times a year, told them the botanist they decided to recruit for their first trip to Brazil.
They then went to ask for a letter of sesmaria (colonial concession, recognition of property) for a concession in the vicinity of Salvador do Bahia, which served as a base for counterattacks against the Portuguese.
Thus Joao offered to take two cannons, 500 muskets, 50000 musket projectiles and 400 cannons, as well as the necessary powder, which did not fail to obtain an authorization, in addition to the fact that gunpowder was worth more than sugar to the colonies, and with 2 tons of powder:
( Historical estimates:
For a musket shot, about 30 to 50 g of powder were needed. For 50,000 shots, this represents 1,500 to 2,500 kg of powder.
In general, it took about 1 to 2 kg of powder per cannon shot, depending on the size of the barrel and the load. For 200 shots, this represents 200 to 400 kg of powder.
From that it's understandable that training with one or two shots a month for a regular army was already quite impressive on the continent, even eachbattle had to be carefully thought over )
This would cost in:
Gunpowder: about 500 to 1,000 ducats.
Musket powder: 3,000 to 6,000 ducats.
For the time being, without taking into account the fact that so much powder at once would probably lead to an increase in the price,
Which, together with the equipment, especially for the cannons, would bring the cost of the 300 tons available for trade to about 20,000 cruzados, and all of this, as a contribution to the war effort against the Dutch.
Then, Joao re-reading the accounts and making a summary, thought again of hiring a full-time accountant, in short a director for the company.
Plus an operation with an administrator for rubber cultivation in Brazil, given that for 300 barrels of sugar in Salvador it costs 1000 to 2000 cruzados (or 0.2 to 0.4 cruzados per libras), for a resale ranging from 10 to 15000 in Lisboa.
In fact, the whole group of "directors" of the company is sleeping at the moment from Joao to Diogo, all of them, even Pietro this Italian origin, is in need of adventures.
And with these projects Joao made them dream of adventures: walking in the jungle, discovering these trees, establishing a land to lead them, maybe even they will find gold mines in these partially explored areas.
And above all, it is an essential stop to afford a fleet of ships with colonists, slaves, equipment and weapons to leap on the island of Santa Catarina. (The island on which there is a portion of the current city of Florianopolis)
The differential income between sugar and rubber is simple: to produce: 300 barrels, about 270t of rubber would cost about 150,000 cruzados, and would even bring in at reduced prices and without the luxury storm capes that Luis had made by couturiers, due to the limits of possible buyers, the modest sum of 500,000 to 4 million cruzados, in added value, after the costs deducted, in return for the cruzados of 300 barrels of sugar, which would vary between 500,000 and 2 million. (270 t of partially refined sugar), the difference in the potential of rubber, particularly for maritime trade and war, suggests that rubber will have a profitability better or equivalent to that of sugar in the long term.
A product to waterproof commercial barrels, and which would potentially improve the durability of barrels of all sizes, powder preservation, reduce the risks associated with rain and ocean air.
For the capes, it will probably only happen once in Portugal, especially in Lisboa, but more than enough to finance many, many projects.
Merchants seeking to waterproof their transport barrels are prepared to pay considerable sums to guarantee their cargoes against seawater. The same goes for wine and liquor merchants.
So it's with a few extra capes, but Luis insisted that the product must remain inaccessible in order to keep its price, and so there are few at the moment, there are 30 barrels of rubber left for different models of barrels to waterproof barrels especially powder and commercial barrels.
In equivalence: 30 barrels of 900 liters is approximately: 1200 waterproof barrels of product.
At the price of ?
According to some estimates, these rubber barrels, especially for powder barrels, will sell for three times the price, and the others double.
Thus, the 30 barrels of rubber brought with an average of 50, 60 cruzados for sale, for 10 cruzados of production costs.
For a capital gain of 40,000 cruzados. Less than military armaments, and capes, but still an interesting sum.
Of course, they still have to be manufactured, pre-orders have already entered.
The publicity of the naval and land battles made a certain impression among traders and the military.
The unsold coatings will be used for the transport of the powder. To Salvador de Bahia, a journey that should begin, with great impatience, around March 1653, maybe even February, would be to the best taste of the crew.
After moving into the new mansion, hiring 20 attendants to maintain the mansion, for average wages of 50 cruzados per year, including the men's major at a salary of 300 cruzados annually, four horses and 4 carriages, and an operating budget for meals and clothing of 5000 cruzados, the crew began to discover a world unknown to them: comfort and luxury.
Some allowed themselves an activity that they had almost never done before: rest.
Another part was active in the less ... "brothel" than before, in order to perhaps find a young woman to share a part of their life.
And others like Joao, Luis and Diogo still seeking to establish a fleet of conquest and trade, to establish a new colony spending most of their activities letting off steam, drinking, visiting these brothels, and also counting, writing, even Diogo began to learn to read and write, although Joao had already insisted for years, he began to realize that for such a fleet, there are a lot of things that Joao was doing without him even knowing that these things existed....
_______
November 12, 1652
After a visit to the armory, Joao found himself directed to the settlement management office.
Although the crown encouraged investment in the colonies, it did not encourage direct expatriation either, so after paying the modest sum of 5000 cruzados the royal agent replied to a letter from sesmaria:
When Joao arrived, he read aloud to everyone the contents:
To His Excellency, Governor of Salvador de Bahia, On behalf of Francisco Almeida, representative of the Portuguese Crown in Lisbon.
I hereby come to convey to Your Excellency the distinguished greetings of the Crown and to solicit your benevolence towards the representatives of the company "Horizon Brazil" loyal subjects of His Majesty King John IV. The latter, a man of probity and wealth, proposes to establish a flourishing business on the lands of your governorate, with a view to contributing to the economic development and influence of the colony.
To this end, we ask for your appreciation and discretion for the allocation of a concession of 500 hectares, intended for the cultivation of rubber trees and other valuable productions. Sehnor Joao Carrasca, Managing Director of Horizon Brazil, undertakes, in return, to pay the required taxes and to ensure an exemplary management of these lands, in compliance with Her Majesty's laws.
We have confidence in your sagacity and your commitment to the interests of the Kingdom. While waiting for your kind reply, I send you my respectful greetings.
Signed, Francisco Almeida Official Representative of the Portuguese Crown in Lisbon
The crew found a second youth, although the first one is still relevant, and the Attendants learned quite quickly that part of the year will be devoted to them being paid to keep the manor clean, without any "masters"
In the end the company "Horizon Brazil" hired 1 administrator for the different compatibility, a foreman for a little labor for the warehouse, ordered a small sugar refinery still away from the city, so a small team of 20 people plus the 20 tenants of the manor, to which all, once the boat "rubber dream" had left opurraient to go and rest, and they began to recruit sailors for the expedition.
The pledges now taken into account by the new administrator, all the possessions being the property of the company "Horizon Brazil"
The crew, after hesitating for a few weeks to props what to emmeener, agreed that: a contribution of arms, even if they do not bring anything to the pheasant since it is a gift to the Dutch of the WIC from Brazil, would be preferable, the implementation of their sesmaria not worrying them more than that.
Thus Joao du, in his capacity as director of the company, contacted the royal representatives in order to negotiate the 10 tons of powder for transfer to the colonies
______
Joao stood in front of the representative of the crown.
The man, dressed in a silk doublet, appeared puzzled as he examined the details of the right to purchase that was presented to him. 10 tons of gunpowder—a quantity that seemed, at first glance, extravagant.
"10 tons? Sehnor Carrasca is an exceptional request. Few men, even in the army, dare to demand such a quantity. And yet, you are coming here with this proposal, claiming that it will serve the war in Brazil. Have enough to support this... effrontery?"
Joao took a deep breath.
"Sir, it's not brazen. It is a thoughtful and essential approach. This area is more than just a simple colony, it is a frontier, a fortress that we must make our enemies respect, it is a strategic line of defense against the Dutch ambitions of the WIC. Without this powder, we risk losing much more than a region: it is an open door to the whole of Brazil."
The representative smiled, tinged with palpable skepticism. Joao continued with intensity: "These 10 tons will make it possible to equip 500 muskets, to ensure 50,000 projectiles, to reinforce two cannons ready to deliver 400 shots, and above all, to prepare a garrison capable of repelling any future incursion attempt. Believe me, sir, the Dutch will not give up easily."
A silence weighed on the room. The representative of the crown crossed his arms, staring at Joao with a piercing gaze. "And if we let you buy this powder..." how to put it, the king's representative seemed to be looking for words, or a surplus, which he could not find."
Joao bowed his head, his tone becoming almost solemn. "Sehnor, I'm not asking for a gift. I act as a buyer. This right to purchase is based on the resources we have already mobilized. The garrison is ready. The men are trained. But without this powder, this whole device would remain useless in the face of the Dutch guns and cannons. This is not just a transaction, it is an investment in the security of our empire."
Probably what the representative was looking for, he resumed after weighing Joao's words.
Finally, he nodded. "Very good, Sehnor Carrasca. You will have your right to purchase. But keep in mind that the crown expects results. »
"Recife will be recovered I am sure of it". Joao replied confidently.
_________
February 20, 1653,
The quays of Lisbon come alive under the first rays of the sun. The barrels, filled with muskets, powder, and provisions, roll on the new and sparkling planks of the deck under the cries of the dockers and the creaking of the wagons. Sailors, their faces tanned by the wind and salt, sing at the top of their lungs robust and lively tunes, rhythming their gestures as they hoist the goods from the warehouse to the galleon.
The sound of sails flapping in the wind mingles with the whistling of ropes being stretched and adjusted, preparing the ship for its long voyage.
In the distance, the horizon is punctuated by a few clouds that seem to dance in the immensity of the sky, presaging a calm crossing, or perhaps, a storm to come.
Passers-by, curious or nostalgic, observe the scene.
Some say goodbye to friends or relatives, while others, themselves about to leave, climb the wooden walkway leading to the ship's deck.
There, the 11 directors inspected the crew, while issuing curt orders, their eyes fixed on the waters of the Tagus, ready to take the ship to Salvador do Bahia.