In the Age of Exploration, many European explorers went on journeys around the world in search of land, gold, and spices. They sailed the oceans to explore the unknown. But life on the seas was no picnic. People on these voyages faced terrible food, illness, and poor living conditions. Here is a description of what life might have been like for young sailors on these journeys.

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On a ship, young boys served as pages. On land, a page worked for a knight. At sea, he worked for a captain. Pages did all sorts of odd jobs. They carried messages, mopped the deck, helped pass out food, and cleaned up after meals.

 

Older boys might be asked to work the bilge pumps. Even the best ships sometimes sprang a leak. If a ship leaked too much, it might sink. To keep that from happening, sailors had to pump water out of the ship using a bilge pump. This was a terrible job. The bilge water was disgusting. It smelled bad and it made the sailors sick.