all wrong, vikings reached Queenlands only with no firmly evidence.
Columbus - Compass By the time Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic with two caravels and a carrack, navigators were old hands at using the Chinese compass to orient themselves. Early compasses were a lodestone (natural earth magnet) attached to a disc floating in liquid or balanced on a central pin.
The compass later came into common use in the west during the 14th century AD. This led to what is now known as the Age of Exploration where major European powers started further exploration of the World including North and South America. While the compass was just one of the devices that brought about this golden age of exploration it played an important part in bring it to pass. Even now modern navigation still relies on compasses and the more accurate maps they helped to develop.
How Does a Compass Work