Re: Amerindian navigators

[Thomas Burglin <burglin@ubaclu.unibas.ch>]

Larry J. Elmore wrote:
> 
> Domingo Martinez <agdndmc@showme.missouri.edu> wrote in article
> <5r2khh$1erq$1@news.missouri.edu>...
> 
> <SNIP>
> 
> > 2. Do you know the difference between a "reed boat", as used in the
> Titicaca
> > Lake, and a "caballito de totora" ("reed pony" would be a nice
> translation),
> > as used in the Lambayeque coast?. "You see, Yuri," the caballito de
> totora is
> > mounted like a horse: it is no raft, or boat, or anything like that,
> being its
> > use closer to that of a Hawaiian surfing board before it reached LA
> ("There
> > you have it: contact between Hawaii and the Redondo Beach and the
> Andes!").  I
> > really doubt that Heyerdahl mentions "reed boats" in Lambayeque today,
> really.
> 
> If you've been following the newsgroup, I think the answer's pretty
> apparent. And of course Heyerdahl doesn't mention reed boats in that area
> today, except to mention the very small ones you just brought up. But if
> you read Heyerdahl, you'd know that already.
> 
> However, what does the fact that only small one-man reed boats are used
> today have to do with anything? Does that say _anything_ about hundreds of
> years ago? That'd be like claiming that since only small boats are made in
> the modern world out of wood (while all large vessels are steel), that that
> is evidence that large wooden vessels were never used. Of course, that's
> nonsense. And please, before the too-literal-minded jump down my throat,
> that is an example of analogy and sarcasm, not a statement of literal
> truth. If it wasn't for the fact that similar such examples have been so
> grossly misunderstood before, I wouldn't think such a warning necessary
> (nor would it be on some other newsgroups).
> 

Well, let's apply the same type of logic that you apply when you say,
South Americans went to the Easter Islands, and consequently must also
have gone to the rest of Polynesia.

If they had this nice big ocean going reed boats 100's of years ago,
wouldn't it be just logical that they remembered how to make them and
that they would have evaded the Spanish  (after loosing to them) 
to settle in Polynesia. Plain
logic just dictates that.



All this stuff doesn't lead anywhere.
Facts count, and so far good solid facts, like for the viking landings
in
North America just don't exist.
I picture of a "so-called birdman", which is taken out of context
and turned upside down in addition, is not proof whatsoever,
to someone with knowledge of iconography, one probably can demonstrate
easily that there is NO connection.

thomas burglin