The sea-going Junks

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I am planning on taking the expensive pepper using junks to sail through the vast Indian Ocean. Sea-going junks have several strong features which are so new to me. One is the rudder which allows me to steer the ship. Another feature is the internal bulkheads which protect the junk from flooding completely from one break in the planks. The third feature is the sails, which are rectangles of bamboo sticks and cloth. The bamboo sticks make the sails stronger and more durable. Junks are well-designed and sturdy; they can sail in very rough seas without sinking.If I make it through the brutally windy travels I will also buy and sell cotton cloth from India; silk and porcelain from China; metals, armor, weapons and perfume from Egypt and Persia from my last voyage; and maybe even slaves from the Mongol lands and East Africa if I pick them up on the way. The reason why spices are so expensive is because as well as being used to flavor foods, many spices are also used as medicine and fragrances.

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