Estimated time: 30+ minutes

Mary had to travel from India to England when her parents died. Since air travel was not available at that time, she took a voyage on a ship. How long did it take her? Let's find out.

For this project, you will need:

• Paper
• Pencil
• Calculator

In the story, Mary travels from India to England. Using historical records, ships from that time could travel at speeds of about 10-15 miles per hour on the open sea. The distance between India and England is approximately 10,000 miles around the Cape of Good Hope.

Your task:

Use the worksheet below to help you.

Mary's Journey from India to England

1. Calculate the voyage time in hours at both 10 mph and 15 mph.
2. Find out how many days the journey would take (24 hours in a day).

Don't forget to add in stops at ports for supplies.

After you have made your estimate, read the first part of the article to find the answer to how long such a voyage would have taken. You don't need to read the entire article - you can stop when you get to the section about Three Rival Routes unless you are very interested.

Was your time guess close to what the article says?