HRS Galimanus - First Interstellar Cadet Instructional Training or Premières Spatiales Formation d’Aspirant (PSFA)
“While many of your issued texts during your schooling glossed over the history of ancient exploration, we shall take a more in depth look at such a subject. We will focus, first, on Gospatric Julien, the first man from the ancient Kingdom of Andalusia, and probably the European continent, to view Western lands across the Atlantic Ocean.
“Gospatric had set out from Seville in 1502 with five naval vessels, the Saint Jean-Marc, the Vengeance, the Saint Rita, the Burlando, and the Saint-Alix. Now, Gospatric had won the king’s favor when he claimed he could sail to the Indian subcontinent in three months. He sailed the fleet due West from Seville, first spotting a large island some two days sailing from Andalusia. This island became the colony of Maderea two years later.
“For seven months after sailing past Maderea, Gospatric and his fleet searched for Western lands. That Gospatric kept his men alive and under his control speaks to the man’s incredible leadership capabilities. Undoubtedly the men had to find small islands with fresh water available. In choppy seas, Gospatric and his fleet reached the Northern shores of the Federation of Southern America, at that time ruled by indigenous peoples formed into small tribes. Yet, despite what the history texts have said, Gospatric did not make any bold pronouncement about the glory of the hegemony or praise the Dominance of the Lion. The man didn’t even set foot on the shore. His men gathered enough water and were soon on their way south, hugging the coast so as to cartograph the land.
“In due course Gospatric Julien traded items on board his fleet of little value to the natives who rowed a canoe out to meet the ship. In return, the natives brought some sailors to more fresh water and fresh foodstuffs. Gospatric and his men left the indigenous people on friendly terms and returned to sail back to Spain. However, their navigator was suffering from some illness so the ship was off course by hundreds of miles. It was very good, therefore, Andalusia occupied the majority of North Africa for the fleet sailed into the port of Abda in mid-April 1504, a year and a half after setting sail from Seville.
The same 12 year old girl that was dismissed during d’Challry’s introduction again raised her hand. She then realized her mistake and quickly pressed the chime button on her tablet.
“Yes, Cadet Baudin?”
“Colonel, sir, why did the fleet take so long to get back?”
“From what we can glean from the historical records, the ships were sailing into the unknown and then having to sail back, whilst still exploring their surroundings. You must remember, they had no charts, only the idea of ‘Go West’ to direct them. They used nautical instruments such as the sextant to plot where they had traveled latitudinally, but there was no accurate way for the men to determine their longitude, or how far they had traveled West, from Andalusia. Thus, they chose a circuitous route back to the latitude of what the apprentice navigator believed was Seville. This new navigator had to be taken at his word for Julien wrote their main navigator for the fleet had finally succumbed to his illness and had been buried at sea.”
“I hope everyone is beginning to understand why we are talking about men dead one thousand years ago. This ship is the first of it’s kind. We are heading to where we believe there is land for colonization.” Most of the cadets nodded their heads in agreement.
d’Challry refocused his attention to his presentation notes...
