Answer:
So they could go through to Asia. They didn't know how far the Americas were from Asia.
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Cosmic irony occurs when the gods or fate or some other force in the universe deceive the protagonist into thinking that he or she can escape his or her determined fate in life. The term represents the idea that a higher power such as fate, destiny, or a god controls and toys with our lives.
The ancient Greeks are the first who used the concept of cosmic irony in their plays.