B315thand16th

//**The Caravel**//

The Caravel was a ship that was developed by Henry the Navigator and was used by the Portuguese explorers. Ships before the caravel were big and were based on manual energy in order to move across the ocean. One of the original ships before the the caravel was the carracks for they too were quite inefficient and big. Unlike the carracks, the caravels could go faster, maneuver well and sail upriver due to its use for wind power and light weight. It was the best sailing vessel during this time period, and was used frequently for trade, particularly the Spanish and Portuguese for the spice trade.These caravels would travel from around twenty to thirty miles per hour. With these caravels, a lot of trade and work were accomplished more diligently and easier, therefore causing an upgrade in the societies' technology and trade.

John M. Hobson (2004), The Eastern Origins of Western Civilisation, Cambridge UniversityPress, [|ISBN 0521547245].