Every one knew how laborious the usual Method is of attaining to Arts and Sciences; whereas by his Contrivance, the most ignorant Person at a reasonable Charge, and with a little bodily Labour, may write Books in Philosophy, Poetry, Politicks, Law, Mathematicks and Theology, without the least Assistance from Genius or Study.

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Gulliver's Travels:
Voyage to Laputa

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Laputan Logic*
Fanciful. Preposterous. Absurd.
Sightings

Posted on Saturday 22 April 2006


Off my starboard bow, Bernardus has a great post about the first sightings of the coast of Terra Australis by European explorers. Inspired by the mysterious names Luca Antara, which was given to an island south-east of Java by the Portuguese (thought now to be Melville and Bathurst islands just off the north coast of Australia) he found an interesting quote by Captain James Cook who had questioned the Maoris of New Zealand about rumours of a large country off to their west which they called Ulimaroa.

Ulimaroa has since inspired the name of a mansion on St Kilda road in Melbourne (now home of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists), a steamship and even this divine form of insanity.