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Rh of a more or less intelligent and eloquent man on all possible subjects.

Although the Colymbians are such sticklers for the teaching of transcendental geography, I could not observe that the science exercised the slightest influence on their actions or dealings with one another. I found among my acquaintances several who declared the unknown country, which formed the theme of the transcendental geographers, to have no existence; or, if it had, that no human being knew anything about it, or could tell what were the manners and customs of the inhabitants or the form of their government. And yet the mode of life and behaviour under all circumstances of these anti-transcendentalists differed in no appreciable manner from those of the transcendentalists.

I noticed, to be sure, that transcendental geography sometimes produced an effect on the phraseology of its more enthusiastic votaries. One could never be long in their company without hearing some reference to the unknown country, and they were in the habit of rebuking actions they did not approve of by saying, "that is not according to the manners of the unknown people," just as we sometimes say when a person makes a false reckoning, "That's not according to Cocker."

The chief visible effect produced on the Colymbians by their transcendental geography is the singular custom of its professors in always wearing, day and night, a very stiff collar of green-tinted shark's skin, which is certainly not becoming, and must be particularly inconvenient in the conditions of their life. But the wearers evidently attach a high value to this collar, and would not part with it on any account,