"
This is an excessively complex problem, for it is, in other words,
to find the best possible position at an infinity of varied distances,
and at an infinity of points on the arm. There were a thousand
futile attempts to answer the query on the part of the most
illustrious mathematicians; and when, at length, an undeniable
solution was discovered, men found that the wing of a bird had given
it with absolute precision ever since the first bird had traversed the
air.
"Oh my!" said the king.
"'We had scarcely lost sight of this empire when we found
ourselves close upon another, from whose shores there flew over our
heads a flock of fowls a mile in breadth, and two hundred and forty
miles long; so that, although they flew a mile during every minute, it
required no less than four hours for the whole flock to pass over
us- in which there were several millions of millions of fowl.'"*
* He observed a flock of pigeons passing betwixt Frankfort and the
Indian territory, one mile at least in breadth; it took up four
hours in passing, which, at the rate of one mile per minute, gives a
length of 240 miles; and, supposing three pigeons to each square yard,
gives 2,230,272,000 Pigeons.
Pages:
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37