Under that Empire the art of map-making reached such perfection that the map covering only one district took up a whole city, and the map of the Empire took up a whole district.

After some time these maps without any measurements did not satisfy and the Cartography members constructed a map of the Empire that equalled the size of the Empire and coincided with this.

The following generations that were less dedicated to cartography realised that the vast map was useless and not without impiety they abandoned it and thus turned to the inclemency of the sun and winter.

In the Western deserts ragged ruins of the map remain, an area where animals and beggars live; in the whole country there is no other relic of geographical discipline.

Jorge Luis Borges, El hacedor