S2-E37 - A Cunning Count Contemplates Colonizing Formosa

Ever heard of Count Maurice Benyovszky? He's not well known
in Taiwan, but after this Polish-Slovakian-Hungarian
semi-nobleman had a chance encounter with this island in 1771, he
wrote a travel account that remained influential into the
twentieth century. And the best part? Most of what he wrote is
almost certainly fiction! His fanciful stories, however, included
a call for Europeans to colonize Formosa. Finally, a century
after his death, Benyovszky's tall tales would be part of the
inspiration and justification for Japan’s “joining the big kids’
table” with its moves to conquer Taiwan.