At that time, merchants ships plying the South China Sea took the new invention to the Arabs, who in turn passed it on to European countries. It was with the use of the compass that the New World was eventually discovered.
阿拉伯人從中國商船學到了指南針的製造技術，並將它傳到歐洲，間接促使歐人發現新航路和新大陸。