th ▁– ▁ 1 4 th - century ▁written ▁sources ▁in ▁I cel and , ▁some ▁centuries ▁after ▁the ▁carbon - dated , ▁early - 1 1 th - century ▁Nor se ▁settlement ▁of ▁L ' An se ▁aux ▁M ead ows ▁in ▁northern most ▁New found land ▁had ▁been ▁briefly ▁established . ▁ ▁In ▁China ▁between ▁ 1 0 4 0 ▁and ▁ 1 1 1 7 , ▁the ▁magnetic ▁comp ass ▁was ▁being ▁developed ▁and ▁applied ▁to ▁navigation . ▁ ▁This ▁let ▁master s ▁continue ▁sail ing ▁a ▁course ▁when ▁the ▁weather ▁limited ▁visibility ▁of ▁the ▁sky . ▁ ▁The ▁true ▁mar iner ' s ▁comp ass ▁using ▁a ▁pivot ing ▁need le ▁in ▁a ▁dry ▁box ▁was ▁invent ed ▁in ▁Europe ▁no ▁later ▁than ▁ 1 3 0 0 . ▁ ▁N aut ical ▁charts ▁called ▁port olan ▁charts ▁began ▁to ▁appear ▁in ▁Italy ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁ ▁However , ▁their ▁use ▁did ▁not ▁seem ▁to ▁spread ▁quickly : ▁there ▁are ▁no ▁reports ▁of ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁a ▁na ut ical ▁chart ▁on ▁an ▁English ▁vessel ▁until ▁ 1 4 8 9 . ▁ ▁Age ▁of ▁expl oration ▁ ▁The ▁commercial ▁activities ▁of ▁Portugal ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 5 th ▁century ▁marked ▁an ▁epo ch ▁of ▁distinct ▁progress ▁in ▁practical ▁navigation ▁for ▁Europe ans . ▁ ▁These ▁expl oration ▁and ▁trade ▁exped itions ▁sent ▁out ▁by ▁Inf ante ▁Henri que ▁( l ater ▁called ▁" Hen ry ▁the ▁N avigator ")