I don't know what the point of Babbage's statement was; it makes little sense other than a quip, or - as 'immibis suggests upthread[0] - a case of Babbage not realizing he's being tested by someone worried he's a fraud.

I do usually know what the point of any comment quoting that Babbage's statement is, and in such cases, including this one, I almost always find it wanting.

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[0] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43893270