Chapter 392: The Secret Weapon from New Zealand
A group of Maori warriors, led by Fernand Dufresne, disembarked at the port and were carried in local palanquins to the city of Mangalore.
A few days later.
To the north of Mangalore lay the forward camp of the Mysore army, where over 5,000 Mysore soldiers were stationed, along with 100 elite Tunisian soldiers brought by Lafayette—Tunisian soldiers were considered highly trained in this region. Just 15 kilometers north of them was the British defensive line in southern North Canara.
As usual, Lafayette inspected the camp and then looked out towards the British outpost with a sense of frustration.
His repeated reconnaissance missions had confirmed that there were only about 1,200 British soldiers and 3,000 to 5,000 Maratha soldiers, who were British allies in India.
Judging by previous engagements, Lafayette believed that if he concentrated his 12,000-strong army in a full-scale assault, he could break through North Canara within a month.
However, a letter from the Prince that arrived last week instructed him to prepare for defense and not launch a large-scale attack. He was only allowed to harass British supply lines.
This made Lafayette feel like he was watching his beloved mistress flirt with him while he was tied up, unable to respond.
At that moment, his Tunisian aide hurried over, saluting him by raising his hat.
"General, those Pacific Islanders have arrived."
Lafayette nodded and, with a group of officers, left the camp to meet the Maori warriors—since the Prince seemed to value these people highly, Lafayette felt compelled to treat them with respect.
In the northernmost part of Mangalore, Lafayette met Fernand Dufresne and exchanged pleasantries.
"I've heard of your uncle's exploits," Lafayette said politely. "He led just a few hundred settlers and secured a colony for the King, almost as large as Britain."
Fernand was the nephew of the leader of the New Zealand development team, Dufresne.
The Maori leader quickly replied, "If my uncle knew that a great hero like you, who has fought the British in the Far East, praised him so, he'd be overjoyed and drink until he passed out."
Lafayette then turned his attention to the group of Maori warriors standing behind Fernand. These men had dark skin and wore strange hairstyles. Lafayette couldn't help but frown slightly. The black lines tattooed on their faces reminded him of fierce beasts.
He cleared his throat to mask his reaction and asked Fernand, "What exactly are they here to do? The Prince mentioned in his letter that they have excellent military skills, but to be honest, I doubt they can integrate well into my army…"
Suddenly, Magnus, one of the Maori warriors standing in the back, raised his hand and interrupted, "Are you the great general…"
He turned to Fernand and whispered, "Is 'general' the right word?"
After getting confirmation, Magnus spoke up again in broken French, "Mr. Fernand talked about you a lot on the ship. Oh, and we are here to help you build 'pā.'"
He gestured to the thirty or so Maori warriors behind him. "We are all experts at building 'pā' in our tribe."
Lafayette was surprised that these islanders could speak French, but he quickly picked up on an unfamiliar word they had used.
"Pā? What is that?"
Fernand quickly explained, "It's a type of simple fortress used by the Maori. While they may look basic, they are quite effective for defense."
Nikau, another Maori warrior, enthusiastically began to explain with hand gestures, "We need to find a high ground first, level the top, then cut down some sturdy trees to build a wall around it. After that, we construct a tower in the middle…"
When the engineer commander standing behind Lafayette heard about using three layers of wooden palisades to protect a tower, he couldn't help but laugh and told Lafayette, "General, I think this primitive… fortress, if you can call it that, won't be much use against the British. You know, the British use cannons—heavy artillery. I believe that if we're going to build a defensive structure, it should be a bastion."
He was a professional engineer officer, trained at the Valois Military School in France, and was very familiar with constructing bastions.
Lafayette nodded and turned to Fernand.
"You see, as Major Gaston said, a bastion would be more appropriate for defending against the British. Perhaps your men could assist him with the construction?"
"Yes, General, bastions are effective," Fernand agreed cautiously but then decided to be straightforward, as was his adventurous nature. "However, 'pā' is more suitable for Mysore's situation. That's what the Prince wanted."
"That's impossible," Major Gaston scoffed. "You must have misunderstood His Highness…"
Fernand looked directly at the major.
"Major, how long does it take to build a bastion?"
"It depends on the size," Gaston replied. "In an emergency, a temporary bastion at the front lines could be completed in three months."
Fernand nodded, then signaled to the Maori warriors.
Magnus immediately spoke up, "With enough people, we can build a 'pā' in one month."
Fernand added, "Major, besides the speed of construction, building a 'pā' requires almost no expenses—assuming the Indian laborers aren't paid."
Gaston hesitated. Tipu Sultan had conscripted serfs for labor, and they received neither pay nor food. In contrast, constructing even a simple bastion would cost at least 30,000 to 40,000 livres, and making it sturdy and durable would increase the cost tenfold.
"As for its defensive effectiveness," Fernand continued, "while a 'pā' may not be as strong as a bastion, it can significantly slow down a British advance. If there are enough of them, these structures could become the British army's worst nightmare."
"But…"
Gaston tried to protest but was interrupted by Lafayette.
"Alright, have the local officials in Mangalore fully support Mr. Dufresne. But we'll also build some bastions at critical points."
Lafayette had already received instructions from the French General Staff to cooperate with the Maori in strengthening Mysore's defenses. Although he wasn't entirely convinced by the Maori fortresses, Fernand's insistence was enough for him not to dismiss the idea outright.
Over the following days, both the British and Mysore forces focused on their respective preparations. Time flew by in this tense and monotonous atmosphere.
Two weeks later.
When Lafayette first saw the newly completed "pā" in the northwest of Mangalore, he was taken aback. As a seasoned officer, he immediately recognized that this structure would indeed be useful!
(End of Chapter)
Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10