MDMD(1): Questions

[David Casseres]

>MDMD(1) Questions
>

>12.18/20 `Mr Dollond' `Mr Eldicot' `Sector by your Mr Bird' any idea
>who these are?  Also what is a Sector?

A sector is an instrument for celestial observation/navigation, 
predecessor of the sextant.  Mr. Bird is mentioned again later as a noted 
intrument-maker; I bet he's historical.

>39.25 `France is not at war with the sciences' is this a real or
>made-up quote? Any source

Pynchon makes so much of this that I will be very surprised if it doesn't 
turn out to be historickal.

>41.1 `I have not yet begun to fight' `There's something wrong with our
>damn'd ships today, Chatfield' real or made up? Sources?

I've heard the first one all my life; the second one is new to me.



Cheers,
David