| Neil_Oz |
Jan 8th, 2005 12:09 PM |
Melodie, the quahog may actually be a close relative of the wombat. I base this on the authority of a 19th century London con man who was selling land in Australia that he didn't own. He wrote rhapsodic promotional material of the joys of New South Wales, including a reference to flocks of wombats flittering across the setting sun.
Not surprisingly, con men were among Australia's first settlers. One group of entrepreneurs in the new convict settlement had a thriving business convincing their fellows to escape by walking overland to China, which they explained was just the other side of the Blue Mountains, then selling them suitable hand-drawn maps. They did well, safe in the knowledge that their customers would never be seen again.
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