Why was Bottineau called the "Wizard of Mauritius"?
Before radio was invented, there was no way for a ship to communicate with land, so there was no way to know when a ship could reach port.
A man who lived on Mauritius discovered a way to predict the arrival of ships. No one has so far been able to figure out how he did it!
The man's name was Bottineau. Born in France, Bottineau moved to Mauritius in 1764. While there, he surprised everyone by correctly predicting the arrival of ships that were still three or four days from the island.
But he could not only predict the arrival of a ship. Equally surprising, he could also tell how many ships made up an approaching fleet.
The "Wizard of Mauritius," as he came to be called, presumed that he could read certain signs in the sky. He said that these signs appeared just above the horizon when the ships were at a certain distance. But he never told anyone exactly what kind of signs they were.
After 20 years in Mauritius, Bottineau returned to France and offered to reveal his secret to the French government. His offer was rejected.
The "Magician" died around 1802, and the secret of his art of prediction died with him.
.
Before radio was invented, there was no way for a ship to communicate with land, so there was no way to know when a ship could reach port.
A man who lived on Mauritius discovered a way to predict the arrival of ships. No one has so far been able to figure out how he did it!
The man's name was Bottineau. Born in France, Bottineau moved to Mauritius in 1764. While there, he surprised everyone by correctly predicting the arrival of ships that were still three or four days from the island.
But he could not only predict the arrival of a ship. Equally surprising, he could also tell how many ships made up an approaching fleet.
The "Wizard of Mauritius," as he came to be called, presumed that he could read certain signs in the sky. He said that these signs appeared just above the horizon when the ships were at a certain distance. But he never told anyone exactly what kind of signs they were.
After 20 years in Mauritius, Bottineau returned to France and offered to reveal his secret to the French government. His offer was rejected.
The "Magician" died around 1802, and the secret of his art of prediction died with him.
.
