Why did the explorers go on long voyages?

The sailors, from the 15th century, sailed into the unknown for adventure. After the travelogue of Marco Polo, the son of a dealer in Venice, became known to trading and seafaring countries, a lot of sailors went out on expeditions on behalf of their kings. Others were supported by businessmen, who hoped to find faster routes to the valuable goods in faraway Asia. One looked for a sea route around the southern tip of Africa, Columbus sailed across the Atlantic, and James Cook sailed in the South Pacific. An attempt was made later to find a sea route, called the north-west passage, through the Arctic ocean connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans.