Chapter XXXVIII: Part V: Miscellaneous (4)

30. THE DANCING EGG.

Send for some eggs, and take care to place among them one which has been emptied of its contents, and to which is fastened a long hair, at the other end of which is tied a crooked pin. Borrow a small stick from one of the spectators, and as you go behind your table contrive to hook the bent pin into your coat, passing it over the stick. Then place the egg on an inverted hat, and ask for some music, and directly it begins to sound, a slight and imperceptible depression or elevation of the stick will cause the egg to twist and roll about upon it as if it had life. You must be careful to turn gently round now and then, so as apparently to vary the distance of the egg from the body.

31. BELL AND SHOT.

Get a wooden bell made, so thick that there is a considerable space between the outer and inner surfaces, especially on the upper part of the bell. A hollow must be cut in this, and the handle so made, that when it is at rest, it is forced upwards by a spring, and draws up the round piece of wood to which the clapper chain is attached, and closes the aperture, as shown in the engraving.

You have a cardboard measure, which is of precisely the same capacity as the cavity in the bell, and just wide enough to hold a farthing. Into this you privately put a farthing, and then fill up the measure with shot, heaping it a little, to compensate for the farthing. You make up a tale about a man going out shooting, and ringing the bell of the gunmaker’s shop. (You then ring your wooden bell.) How the man bought a measure full of shot for a farthing, (you pour the shot into the bell and back again two or three times,) but was so long haggling over three shots, that the gunmaker took away the shot, (here you again pour the shot into the bell, and by pressing on the handle, allow them all to run into the hollow,) and kept the farthing for his trouble. The man went out of the shop, but soon came in again, and rang furiously. (Here you again ring the bell, which is now apparently empty, and invert the measure on the table. The farthing not being held by the finger and thumb will now fall on the tablecloth.) Then finish the story with an account of the manner in which the man got back his farthing. When you have finished, invert the bell over the empty measure, and on pressing the handle, the shots will refill it. Do not touch, it until you have done another trick or two, and then, when you put the bell aside, ring it again, and remark that the purchaser was a silly fellow after all, for here are his shots in his measure.

32. THE BURNED HANDKERCHIEF RESTORED.

Get a tinman to make a double canister, such as is shown in the cut, with an opening at each end. This must so slide within a tin tube, that either end can be concealed within it alternately, as seen in the engraving, where the end A is shown, and B is concealed. In this position it looks like an ordinary canister. The interior is divided into two parts. Into B put a piece of cambric made to look like a handkerchief.

Borrow a cambric handkerchief, and say, “Now, ladies and gentlemen, I shall burn this handkerchief to ashes, place them in this canister” (so saying, you put it into A), “and when I have uttered a spell, it will be restored perfectly whole. Will the owner say what mark it has?” While the audience are looking towards the owner, you turn the canister over, and push up the canister until the shoulder of B is on a level with the top of the tube. When the mark has been declared, you open B, take out the cambric, and pretend to verify the mark. You then put it into a candle flame, and when it has burnt entirely to ashes, put the ashes into B, shut it up, and rapidly reverse it as you turn round to your audience, so that A is uppermost again. Then, utter any nonsense you like, open A and take out the handkerchief uninjured. It rather adds to the trick if you drop a little eau de cologne into A before commencing.

33. THE FIRE-EATER.

If the young conjuror is desirous of appearing in the character of a fire-eater, it is very easily managed. He must prepare a piece of thick string, by soaking it in a solution of nitre, and then drying it. He cuts off a piece about an inch in length, lights one end, and wraps it up in a piece of tow which he holds in his left hand. The trifling smoke will be concealed by a huge bundle of loose tow also carried in the left hand.

He takes a handful of tow in his right hand, puts it into his mouth, chews it up, and appears to swallow it. He then takes another handful, and with it the piece in which is the string. As he puts this into his mouth, he takes out the piece which he has already chewed. By taking breath through the nostrils, and breathing it out through the mouth, smoke begins to issue forth, and the whole interior of the mouth is soon lighted up with a glow. When the mouth is shut, and the tow pressed together, the fire goes out, except the piece of prepared string. More tow is then taken into the mouth, and treated in the same manner.

In this short account of conjuring, I have purposely avoided such tricks as require expensive apparatus. Such apparatus is either entirely beyond a boy’s reach, or at all events he ought not to be encouraged in the notion of spending much money on objects of no real use. A boy of any ingenuity will make the greater part of the apparatus himself, or at least he can do the painting and polishing of his machinery. I have mentioned no machinery that need cost more than two or three shillings at the outside, and not that, if a boy is acquainted with the use of tools.

TRICKS WITH CARDS.

In accordance with the previous rule, the principal stress is laid on card tricks that require no apparatus, and may be performed with ordinary cards.

1. TO MAKE THE PASS.

This is a necessary beginning for card tricks. “Making the pass” is the technical term for shifting either the top or the bottom card to any place in the pack that you like. It is almost impossible to describe it, and I can only say that it will be learnt better in five minutes from a friend, than in as many hours from a book. As, however, a friend is not always to be found who can perform the pass, I will endeavour to describe it.

The cards are held in both hands, right hand underneath and left above, as in the engraving, where, as the _bottom_ card is to be raised to the top, the little finger is seen between that card and those above it. By a quick movement of the right hand, the bottom card is slipped away towards the left, and is placed upon the top card, under shadow of the left hand, which is raised for the moment to allow of its passage.

This movement must be assiduously practised before it is exhibited in public, as nothing looks more awkward than to see it clumsily performed, in which case two or three cards generally tumble on the floor.

2. TO TELL A CARD BY ITS BACK.

While shuffling the pack, cast a glance at the bottom card, make the pass, and bring it to the top. Continue to shuffle, and lay upon it by degrees as many cards as you like, say six. Then lay the pack on the table, face downwards, and divide it into seven heaps, beginning at the bottom, and leave the seventh heap larger than any of the others.

When you have done this, take one card from the top of the seventh heap, appear to calculate, and lay it, face upwards, on one of the other heaps. Do so with five more cards, thus leaving your slipped card at the top of the seventh heap. You then announce that by the aid of the six cards you will name the seventh. You name it accordingly, after carefully studying the other cards, and on asking a spectator to take it up, it will be seen that you are right.

If you place five cards above the slipped card, you will lay out six heaps, and if eight cards, there will of course be nine heaps.

3. THE CARD NAMED WITHOUT BEING SEEN.

As in the last trick, cast a glance at the bottom card, say the ace of spades. Lay out the pack in as many heaps as you like, noting where that one is laid which contains that bottom card. Ask any one to take up the top card of any heap, look at it, and replace it. You then gather up the heaps apparently by chance, but you take care to put the heap containing the bottom card upon the card which has been chosen. You then give any one the cards to cut, and on counting them over, the card that immediately follows the ace of spades is the card chosen.

If by any accident the two cards should be separated when cut, the upper card of the pack is the chosen one, and can be picked out with seeming care.

4. THE CARD TOLD BY THE OPERA GLASS.

Make out a table, such as is given on the next page, Fig. 1, and place it in an opera-glass, so that the figures will be visible when you look through it. For convenience, I have made mine as seen in Fig. 2, the numbers 1, 2, 3 in each series being understood. The best plan is to write the numbers, or cut them out of a book, and paste them on a circular piece of cardboard, which must then be soaked in oil, so as to make it semi-transparent. The light will then easily pierce through it, and the figures will be better visible than if it were opaque.

It will be seen that Fig. 2 contains as much matter as Fig. 1, and that two-thirds of the figures are saved by it.

+------------+--------------+-------------+
| 1. 131 | 10. 132 | 19. 133 |
| | | |
| 2. 231 | 11. 232 | 20. 233 |
| | | |
| 3. 331 | 18. 332 | 21. 333 |
+------------+--------------+-------------+
| 4. 121 | 13. 122 | 22. 123 |
| | | |
| 5. 221 | 14. 222 | 23. 223 |
| | | |
| 6. 321 | 15. 322 | 24. 323 |
+------------+--------------+-------------+
| 7. 111 | 16. 112 | 25. 113 |
| | | |
| 8. 211 | 17. 212 | 26. 213 |
| | | |
| 9. 311 | 18. 312 | 27. 313 |
+------------+--------------+-------------+

FIG. 1.

-------+-------
/ | \
/ | \
/ | \
/ 1. 31. | 10. 32. \
/ | \
/ 4. 21. | 13. 22. \
/ | \
/ 7. 11. | 16. 12. \
| | |
+---------------+--------------+
| |
\ 19. 33. /
\ /
\ 22. 23. /
\ /
\ 25. 13. /
\ /
\ /
\ /
---------------

FIG. 2.

These preliminaries being arranged, tell any one to take any twenty-seven cards out of a pack, and to think of any one of them. Deal them into three heaps, and ask him in which heap it is, and what number from the top he would like it to come after the third deal. Suppose he chooses it to be the twenty-sixth card, you take up your opera-glass, and look for the number 26. This you will find last but one, arranged thus,--26. 213. The meaning is, that if the chosen card is to be the twenty-sixth, the heap in which it was found must be for the first time placed second, the second time first, and the last time third. So you pick up the cards, taking care to keep that heap number two. You again deal them in three heaps, and this time you place the heap in which is the chosen card at the top, being number one. Deal them a third time, and on gathering up the heaps, place it at the bottom.

Then, on counting from the top, the chosen card will be found to be the twenty-sixth.

5. THE FOUR KINGS.

Take the four kings out of a pack of cards, and also two other court cards, which are not to be shown. Spread out the kings before the spectators, but conceal the two court cards between the third and fourth kings. Lay the cards face downwards on the table. Take off the bottom card, which is of course one of the kings; show it as if by accident, and place it on the top. Take the next card, (which is one of the court cards,) and place that in the middle of the pack. Take the third card, (_i. e._ the second court card,) and place that also near the middle of the pack. There will then be one king at the top and three at the bottom. Ask any one to cut the cards, and to examine them when he will find all four kings together in the middle of the pack.

It is better to use court cards to place between the third and fourth kings, because if the cards should slip aside, they would not be so readily distinguished as common cards.

AUDACITY.

Several tricks may be successfully played by sheer audacity. A whole party has been astonished by the performer holding a pack of cards over his head, and naming each. The fact was, that he was standing exactly opposite a large mirror, in which the cards were reflected, while the spectators, having their backs to the mirror, suspected nothing.

Here are one or two tricks that depend on audacity for success.

6. THE CARD FOUND AT THE SECOND GUESS.

Offer the cards to any one, and let him draw one. You then hold the cards behind your back, and tell him to place his card on the top. Pretend to make a great shuffling, but only turn that card with its back to the others, still keeping it at the top. Then hold up the cards with their faces towards the spectator, and ask him if the bottom card is his. While doing so, you inspect his card at your leisure. He of course denies it, and you begin shuffling again furiously. “Let me do that,” he will probably say; so, as you are perfectly acquainted with his card, you let him shuffle as much as he likes, and then, when you get the cards back again, shuffle until his card is at the bottom. Then pass them behind your back, make a ruffling noise with them, and show him his own card at the bottom.

7. THE CARD FOUND UNDER THE HAT.

Have a needle stuck just inside your sleeve. Hand the cards, &c. just as in the preceding trick, and tell the taker to put the card on the top. Take out the needle, and prick a hole nearly through the top _left_-hand corner. Replace the needle, shuffle the cards, or let any one shuffle them. Place the pack on the table, cover them with a hat, and the marked card will be known by a little raised knob on the _right_-hand top corner. Draw out card by card, saying whether it is that card or not, until you come to the marked one, which you throw on the table carelessly, and when you are about taking out another card, stop suddenly, and pretend to find, by some magic process, that it is the chosen card.

8. TO CALL THE CARDS OUT OF THE PACK.

Tell the spectators that you will call six cards out of the pack. Secure a card,--say the ace of spades,--in the palm of your hand. Throw the pack on the table, face downwards, spread out the cards, give one of the spectators your conjuring wand, and tell him, when you name a card, to touch one, which you will take up.

First name the ace of spades. He touches a card, which you take up without showing the face of it. This card may be, say the eight of diamonds. Put it into your left hand, and place it upon the ace of spades which is already there, so that the two look like one card. Then call for the eight of diamonds. Another card is touched, say the queen of clubs. This you put with the others, and, after pretending to calculate, call for the queen of clubs.

Proceed in this manner until six cards have been drawn. Then substitute the last card drawn (which is of course a wrong one) for the ace of spades, and conceal it in the palm of your hand. Then strew the others on the table, and while the eyes of the spectators are fixed upon them, get rid of the card in your left hand.

It is a good plan to ask some one to write down the names of the cards as they are called, and then to have the list called over, in order that every one may see that there has been no mistake.

9. HEADS AND TAILS.

While you are shuffling the cards, contrive to arrange quietly all their heads one way, or as many as possible, rejecting all the diamonds except the king, queen, knave, and seven, and passing them to the bottom. Put the pack upon the table, take off a number of the upper cards, and offer them for some one to choose a card from. While he is looking at it, turn the cards round, and offer them to him, in order that he may replace it. Shuffle the cards, and on looking them over, the chosen card will be standing with its head one way, while the others are reversed.

10. THE SURPRISE.

When you have discovered a card, the following plan will make a _striking_ termination to the trick. Get the card to the bottom of the pack, and tell one of the spectators to hold the cards by one corner as tightly as he can. Give them a sharp rap with your finger,--not with your hand,--and all the cards will be struck out of his hold, and fall on the floor, except the bottom card, which will remain between his finger and thumb. It has a rather more dashing effect, if you put the chosen card at the top, and strike them upwards, when the whole pack will fly about the room, like a flock of butterflies, only leaving the top card in the person’s grasp.

11. THE REVOLUTION.

Another neat way of finishing a trick is as follows. Get the card to the top of the pack; and taking care that all the cards are even, drop the pack on the floor, taking care just as you let go, to slip the top card a little off the rest of the pack. In falling, the resistance of the air will turn the card over, and it will rest with its face upwards on the top of the pack.

12. THE SLIPPED CARD.

Ascertain the bottom card of the pack; hold the cards in your left hand, with their faces downwards. Place your right hand upon them, and with your right fore-finger slide them slowly over each other, asking some one to stop any card he chooses, by putting his finger upon it. When he has done so, open the pack at that card, but while opening it, make the pass, and bring the bottom card under the one touched. Hold up the cards, and ask the chooser to be sure of his card; hand all the cards to him, and let him shuffle as much as he chooses. Afterwards discover the card in any manner that you prefer. The following is a good plan.

13. THE NAILED CARD.

Take a flat-headed nail, and file it down until its point is as sharp as a needle, and the head quite flat. The nail should be about half an inch long, or even shorter if anything. Pass the nail through the centre of any card,--say the ace of spades,--and conceal it in your left hand.

Take another pack of cards, get the ace of spades to the bottom, and perform the preceding trick. When the cards are returned, shuffle them about, and exchange the pierced card for the other. Put the pierced card at the bottom of the pack, and throw the cards violently against a door, when the nail will be driven in by the pressure of the other cards against its head, and the chosen card will be seen nailed to the door. The nail should be put through the face of card, so that when the others fall on the floor, it remains facing the spectators.

14. TO ASCERTAIN THE NUMBER OF POINTS ON THREE UNSEEN CARDS.

In this amusement the ace counts eleven, the court cards ten each, and the others according to the number of their spots.

Ask any one to choose any three cards, and lay them on the table, with their faces downwards. On each of these he must place as many as with the number of the card will make fifteen. He gives you the remaining cards, and when you have them in your hand, you count them over on the pretence of shuffling them, and by adding sixteen, you will have the number of points on the three cards.

For example, the spectator chooses a four, an eight, and a king. On the four he places eleven cards, on the eight seven, and on the king five. There will be then six cards left. Add to these six sixteen, and the result will be twenty-two, which is the number of points on the three cards, the king counting ten, added to the eight and the four.

15. TO TELL THE NUMBERS ON TWO UNSEEN CARDS.

As in the preceding trick, the ace counts eleven, and the court cards ten each. Let the person who chooses the two cards lay them on the table with their faces downward, and place on each as many as will make their number twenty-five.

Take the remaining cards and count them, when they will be found to be just as many as the points in the two cards. For example, take an ace and a queen, _i. e._ eleven and ten, and lay them on the table. On the ace you must put fourteen cards, and on the queen fifteen. There will be then fifteen cards in one heap and sixteen in the other: these added together make thirty-one cards: these subtracted from the number of cards in the pack, _i. e._ fifty-two, leave twenty-one, the joint number of the ace and the queen.

16. THE PAIRS RE-PAIRED.

Tell out twenty cards in pairs, and ask ten people to take a pair each, and remember them. Take up the pairs in their order, and lay them on the table in order, according to the accompanying table, which forms a memoria technica, and may be construed. Mutus gave a name to the Coci, (a people who have yet to be discovered.)

M U T U S [14]
1 2 3 2 4
D E D I T
5 6 5 7 3
N O M E N
8 9 1 6 8
C O C I S
10 9 10 7 4

[14] The figures represent the pairs, _i. e._ the 1 under M signifies
that M belongs to the _first_ pair.

Arranging these words in your mind on the table, take the first card of the first pair, lay it on M in Mutus, and the second on the M in Nomen. The next pair goes entirely in Mutus, being two U’s. The first card of the second pair goes on T in Mutus, and the second on T in Dedit; and so on until all the cards are laid in their places.

Ask each person in succession in which rows his cards are, and you can immediately point them out. For example, if he says the second and third row, you point out the second and fourth cards in those rows, because they both represent the letter E. If another says the first and last rows, you point out the last card in each, because the cards represent S in Mutus and S in Cocis. It will be seen that the whole table consists of ten letters, each repeated.

17. THE QUEEN DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS.

Select from a pack the aces, kings, queens, and knaves, together with four common cards of each suit. Lay down the four queens in a row, and say, “Here are four queens going to dig for diamonds. (_Lay a common diamond over each queen._) They each took a spade with them (_place a common spade on each diamond_) and dug until they were nearly tired. Their four kings, thinking that they might be attacked by robbers, sent four soldiers to keep guard. (_Lay an ace on each spade._) Evening came, and the queens had not returned, so the kings, fearing that they might have come to harm, became uneasy and set off themselves. (_Place a king on each ace._) They were only just in time, for as they came along, they met their queens being carried off by four villains (_lay a knave on each king_), who, although only armed with clubs (_place a common club on each knave_), had overpowered the guards and driven them off. But the four kings, being possessed of bold hearts (_lay a common heart over each king_), soon vanquished the villains, and bound them.” Gather up the cards, place the heaps upon each other and direct some one to cut them. Have them cut four or five times, and continue to do so until a common heart appears at the bottom. Then continue the tale, and say, “The party then returned home in the following order. First the queen (_lay down the top card_) with the diamonds which she had found (_lay down the second card, which will be a diamond_) in one hand, and her spade (_the third card will be a spade_) in the other, &c. &c.” You continue dealing out the cards in that manner, and it will be found that they will be in precisely the same order as when they were taken up.

18. THE TRIPLE DEAL.

Take any twenty-one cards, and ask some to choose one from them. Lay them out in three heaps, and ask the person who took the card in which heap it is. You may turn your back while he searches. Gather them up and put that heap between the other two. Do this twice more, and the chosen card will always be the eleventh from the top.

19. THE QUADRUPLE DEAL.

This is a variation of the preceding. Take twenty-four cards, and lay them in four heaps. Act as in No. 18, putting the heap in which is the chosen card second. The tenth card will be the one thought of.

TRICKS WITH CARDS, THAT REQUIRE APPARATUS.

One or two of these tricks must suffice, because, in general, the apparatus required for cards is exceedingly expensive. Those that are here given require but little apparatus, and any boy with the use of his hands can make it.

20. THE CARDS IN THE VASE.

Make a vase with five divisions, two of which hold an entire pack of cards, and the remaining three are only large enough just to admit one card each, as in the figure. A strong silk thread is fastened at A, passes over the three little compartments, through the bottom of the vase, and running over two pulleys, terminates in the weight at B.

Take three cards, say the ace of spades, the ten of diamonds, and the king of hearts, out of a pack of cards, and put one into each of the little divisions, pressing the thread down into the bottom of each division. If the cards are left, the weight will descend, and the string being tightened, will push the cards upwards. So a kind of trigger shelf is made, on which the weight rests. The remainder of the pack you put into division 2.

When you show the trick, you take another pack of cards exactly like that which is already in the vase, and handing it to three persons successively, compel them to choose the ace of spades, the ten of diamonds, and the king of hearts.[15] Let some one shuffle the cards, and when this is done, put the pack into division 1. Tell the spectators that when you have struck three times on the table, the cards will come out of the vase. At the third stroke, loosen the catch on which the weight stands, by means of a string that communicates with your table, and the three cards will rise slowly up. In order to show that the cards have really vanished from the pack, take the pack out of division 2 and let any one examine it.

[15] This may be done by making the pass.

If you prefer, you can draw the thread yourself, by having a kind of pedal under your table, to which the other end of the string is attached, instead of being fastened to the weight B. If you prefer the weight, you must have a small shelf for the weight to rest upon, when it has descended sufficiently low, or the cards will be forced entirely out by the thread. C is a representation of one of the divisions, showing the semi-circular cut that is made in them for the convenience of taking out the cards.

21. THE METAMORPHOSIS.

In this most excellent trick you choose from the pack the four eights and the two of diamonds; you put the four eights in the left hand and the two on the table; you take in the two, placing an eight on the table, and they are all two’s. You exchange the two for the eight, and they all become black cards; you again exchange the eight for the two, and they all turn red; and after again exchanging, you have, as before, the four eights and the two of diamonds.

The method of accomplishing this trick is as follows: Get three plain white cards, exactly like playing cards, and paint them as in the engraving. Mix them with an ordinary pack, and when you are searching for the four eights, with which you say you are going to perform a trick, take them from the pack, and with them an ordinary eight of clubs and a two of diamonds.

Show the cards as in Fig. 2, making the spectators observe that there are the four eights. Put the two of diamonds behind the eight of clubs, and lay the eight on the table. The two must be inserted before the eight is removed, or the mystery of the marking will be apparent. Close the cards, turn them over, and spread them out, when they will appear as in Fig. 3. Take in the eight and lay the two on the table; close the cards, and while shuffling them, turn card No. 2 the other way upwards. The cards will then all appear black, as in Fig. 4. Take in the two and remove the eight, turn them over, and spread them out, when they will appear all red, as in Fig 5. Finally, take in the eight, replacing the two on the table, reverse No. 2, and you will have the four eights and the two of diamonds just as they were at first. You must invent plenty of talk during your changes. If the spectators say that the cards are double, spread them out, and hold them up to the light, (for the light cannot penetrate through the places where the cards are placed over each other,) and if they are still sceptical, hand them the two of diamonds to look at, and in a moment or two hand them the eight of clubs, asking them whether they would like to examine a black card also. This will effectually disarm suspicion.

22. TO CHANGE A CARD IN A PERSON’S HAND.

Cut very neatly the spots from a three of spades. Lay the pierced card on an ace of diamonds, and rub pomatum on the ace of diamonds through the places which the spades occupied. Remove the pierced card, and sprinkle the ace of diamonds with jet powder, which adhering to the pomatum, will transform the card into a three of spades.

Place the transformed card at the bottom of the pack, and show a person what card it is. Make him declare it that every one may hear, then place it on the table, face downwards, and push it over the cloth to the spectator, which action will rub off all the jet powder. Tell him to place his hand on the card. Let a three of spades be at the top of the pack, and an ace of diamonds the second from the bottom. Show another person the ace of diamonds, and ask him to tell the name of the card openly. Put the pack down, face downwards, And in so doing, make the pass, and bring the three of spades to the bottom.

Tap the hand of the person who is guarding the card, and then tell him to take up the card and show it to the spectators, when it will be seen to be the ace of diamonds. Simultaneously, you take up the pack, and show the three of spades at the bottom.

CRYPTOGRAPHY.

The meaning of the word “Cryptography” is, as is well known, “hidden or secret writings,” and was used in ancient times, when conspiracies were common, and murders an every-day occurrence, as the means of communicating from one person to another in such a manner that it could not be read by any one save those who were admitted into the secret of its construction.

A widespread conspiracy, or, as it would be more properly termed, rebellion, could not be carried on between persons at a distance from each other unless they resorted to cryptography; in fact, the means of correspondence was in those times of so slow and dangerous a nature, that without the utmost care and secrecy in the arrangement of the cipher it would certainly have been discovered, and then death would be the consequence.

In order to mature their designs in safety, and to throw off all suspicion, men were obliged to put their wits to work and invent some way of informing each other of everything that did transpire, so that no one else should be the wiser for it: thus was cryptography discovered; and wonderful cunning and ingenuity were displayed in its construction, as will be seen by the examples that are given.

It was also used in former times in transacting affairs of state, in communicating messages from one general to another in time of war, and in many other ways of a more innocent nature, too numerous to mention.

Now, at the present time, when all is peace and prosperity, and news is brought to our very doors by post and telegraph, cryptography is only interesting as a curious study, or to amuse ourselves in an idle hour by finding out its hidden mysteries.

The first and most common form of cryptograph we read of was by the transposition of letters, and is, as we may see, capable of great improvement; indeed, it is the basis on which most of the letter ciphers are formed at the present day.

We give the following as an example:--

For--a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z.
Use--d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z a b c.

The sentence, “We meet to-night,” in this cipher would become, “Zh phhw wr-qljkw.”

The next is formed on the principle of the above, but is rather more intricate: for instance, if we wanted to inform some one that, “All going on well, send supplies as soon as possible,” we should put it down in the following order:--

a g s p s o
l o e l o s
l n n i o s
g w d e n i
o e s s a b
i l u a s l
n l p s p e

You must read it down the first perpendicular column, then down the second, and so on. You must then form the letters in the horizontal columns into imaginary words, and place them down on paper as you would a common sentence, thus:--“Ag spso loelos lnn iosgwden ioes sab iluas lnlp spe.”

You must arrange with your correspondent beforehand that the width of the horizontal column should consist of six letters (or more, if you like); so by placing the letters six in a line, one under the other, without regard to words, the puzzle is easy to solve.

Another good cipher is by using the figures 1 and 2 differently arranged for every letter in the alphabet, as will be seen by the following key:--

a b c d e f g h i
11111 11112 11121 11122 11211 11212 11221 11222 12111

j k l m n o p q r
12112 12122 12211 12212 12221 12222 21111 21112 21121

s t u v w x y z
21122 21211 21212 21221 22222 22212 22221 22122

Now if we wanted to write the words “Come now,” we should do it in this way, knowing that there are five figures to every letter, and when a word is formed there is a comma:--

11121122221221211211, 122211222222222.

The next was a favourite of that unfortunate king, Charles I.:--

The next is rather good and somewhat difficult:--

Divide a piece of cardboard into twenty-six departments, and in each place a letter; then take another piece (small enough that the letters on the first piece can be seen), and fit it into the centre of the first, dividing this into the same number of departments; then put a piece of thread through the centre of both, so that you can turn the smallest card round, filling the spaces up with letters in any way you like. Thus:

In using the dial, turn it round until, say, the letter m in the middle card comes under the letter A in the outer circle; next take what you want to write, and find it letter by letter in the outer circle, putting down on paper what appears directly under it in the inner circle.

Now if you want to write “I shall come soon,” first write the letters A m, so as to enable your correspondent to fix his dial like your own, as the A is in the outer circle and the m under it in the inner--“Am d ufmyy rjxi ujjk.”

You may arrange your dial in any way you like, but must be sure to place what letter is under the A at the beginning of your cipher.

The next is something like the last:--

Now if you want to tell some one that “They are all coming over,” you must write it down and place the figures 5, 4, 3 over every letter in succession. Thus:--

5 4 3 5 4 3 5 4 3 5 4 3 5 4 3 5 4 3 5 4.
T h e y a r e a l l c o m i n g o v e r.

Then look for the letter T in the dial; the figure 5 being over it, you must look for the fifth letter from it, which is O: put it down, and go on to the next letter in the message, H; find H in the circle, and as 4 is over it, put down the fourth letter from it, D: for E, with the 3 over it, we must write down the third letter from E; and for the next letter, Y, 5 being over it, the fifth letter; and so on, always counting in the direction of the arrows. The cipher will run eventually: “Odbt woz wig ylhekb kszn.”

The way to read this cipher is to put 543 down the same as before, and to count them on the circle in the opposite way to which the arrows are pointing.

The most famous and complex cipher perhaps ever written was by Lord Bacon. It was arranged in the following manner:--

aaaaa stands for a
aaaab „ b
aaaba „ c
aaabb „ d
aabaa „ e
aabab „ f
aabba „ g
aabbb „ h
abaaa „ i & j
abaab „ k
ababa „ l
ababb „ m
abbaa „ n
abbab „ o
abbba „ p
abbbb „ q
baaaa „ r
baaab „ s
baaba „ t
baabb „ u & v
babaa „ w
babab „ x
babba „ y
babbb „ z

Now, suppose you want to inform some one that “All is well;” first place down the letters separately according to the above alphabet--

aaaaa ababa ababa abaaa baaab babaa aabaa ababa ababa.

Then take a sentence five times the length in letters of “All is well,”--say it is, “We were sorry to have heard that you have been so unwell.”

Then fit this sentence to the cipher shown above, like this--

a a a a a a b a b a a b a b a a b a a a b a
W e w e r e _s_ o _r_ r y _t_ o _h_ a v _e_ h e a _r_ d
--- --- --- --- --- ---

a a b b a b a a a a b a a a b a b a a b a b a.
t h _a__t_ y _o_ u h a v _e_ b e e _n_ s _o_ u n _w_ e _l_ l.
------ --- --- --- --- --- ---

Marking with a dash every letter that comes under a B. Then put the sentence down on your paper, printing all marked letters in italics, and the others in the ordinary way, thus--

“We were _s_o_r_ry _t_o _h_av_e_ hea_r_d th_at_ y_o_u hav_e_ bee_n_ s_o_ un_w_e_l_l.”

The person who receives the cipher puts it down and writes an A under every letter except those in italics; these he puts a B under; he then divides the cipher obtained into periods of five letters, looks at his alphabet, and finds the meaning to be, “All is well.”

Here is a specimen of a music cryptograph:--

The next is good, but rather lengthy:--

a b c d e f g h
.:... :...: .::.. ...:. ....: .:.:: ..:.. :....

i j k l m n o p
::... ..::. .:.:. :.:.. ...:: ..:.: :::.. .:::.

q r s t u v w x
::::: ::.:: :.:.: ::..: :.::. ::::. .:::: :::.:

y z
:.::: .::.:

Here is the key of another:--

1 2 3 4 5
a b e d e--1
f g h i k--2
l m n o p--3
q r s t u--4
v w x y z--5

In picking out the letter you want, you must see under what number it stands, then see what number is at the end of the line, then put those two figures together, and they will represent the letter: thus, 15 represents V; 23, M; 43, O; and 55, Z.

The sentence, “We meet to-night,” would be--2551, 23515144, 4443, 3342223244.

The next is a very difficult and complex cryptograph to decipher.

Draw a table of four columns, like the figure below. In the first column place the six different arrangements of the figures 1, 2, 3, and number the other columns 1st, 2d, and 3d respectively:--

+-----+---------+---------+---------+
| | 1st. | 2d. | 3d. |
+-----+---------+---------+---------+
| 123 | t y c n | h r e m | e a o i |
| 132 | b e f s | y h i s | g t r t |
| 213 | e r e e | t m x w | a e n t |
| 231 | e r m c | k m a r | a h h y |
| 321 | l m r t | i c i h | l o e g |
+-----+---------+---------+---------+

You must agree with your correspondent how many letters wide each of the three columns shall be--we will say four. Then take your sentence--say it is, “They are coming by the first steamer next week from America; we hope they will come right.” You must then place every letter down separately, writing the figures in the first column in succession over them, thus--

1 2 3 1 3 2 2 1 3 2 3 1 3 1 2 3 2 1 1 2 3 1 3 2 2 1 3 2
T h e y a r e c o m i n g b y t h e f i r s t s t e a m

3 1 3 1 2 3 2 1 1 2 3 1 3 2 2 1 3 2 3 1 3 1 2 3 2 1 1 2 3 1
e r n e x t w e e k f r o m A m e r i c a w e h o p e t h e

3 2 2 1 3 2 3 1 3 1 2 3 2 1.
y w i l l c o m e r i g h t.

Over the first letter, “t,” stands “1,” therefore write “t” in the column marked first; over “h” is “2,” therefore write “h” in the second column; over “e” is “3,” then put “e” in the third column, and so on; but when four letters are written abreast you must begin a new line.

After doing the above, you must take the letters in each column separately (beginning with the first), and form them into imaginary words, putting a dot under the last letter of each column to show your correspondent that the column ends there; thus--

Tycnb efse ree ermc w pee lmr[t.] hrem yhistmx wk mar eot wi ci[h.]eaoi gtrtae ntfoei ah hyl oe[g.].

The person receiving the message knows the width of the column (four letters), the arrangement of the figures 1, 2, 3, and the use of the dots, and reconstructs his table directly; he then puts the letters in order by a backward process to the one we have gone through, and reads the message.

The next is a cipher of a different kind:--

O P | A B | C D
.| . |.
-----+-----+-----
| |
M N .| Q R |. E F
| . |
-----+-----+-----
.| . |.
K L | I J | G H

\ S T /
\ /
\ . /
W X . >-< . U V
/ . \
/ \
/ Y Z \

The dots stand for the last letter in each square: thus O would be ___|, and P the same with a dot put in the middle, thus _._|. A |___| and B |_._|

The sentence, “ROUTLEDGE’S MAGAZINE FOR BOYS,” would be

+---+ | / \ / ---+ +--- | +--- +--- \ /
| . | | < \. / .| | |. | | \ /
+---+ ---+ \ \/ | +--- +--- | +--- \/ ,

---+ | | +--- | | /\ +---+ ---+ +---
| | | | | | /. \ | | .| |
---+ +---+ | +---+ / \ | | ---+ +--- ,

+--- | +---+
|. | | . |
+--- ---+ +---|,

| | | /\ \ /
| . | | / \ \ /
+---+ ---+ / \ \/ .

In finding out the meaning of a cryptograph, you must first settle in your mind to what class of cipher it belongs, whether it is written by means of letters, figures, or signs; having done so, you must go to work with patience, and try to find out, by means of perseverance and study, what each figure, sign, or letter represents; as even the above specimens of cryptography can be so altered and improved upon, yet continuing in their original form to some extent, that it would be impossible to give positive rules to enable any one to decipher any kind of cryptograph; in fact, it can only be done by those who have made it their study for years, and consequently have had great experience in the matter.

Most of the examples given will only enable one to decipher the most simple kinds, such as are generally found in magazines, &c.; for if that intricate cipher of Lord Bacon’s were put in a book for boys, it would be a waste of paper, as we will venture to say that not one in a thousand would be able to find it out.

* * * * *

There is another class of cryptographs which we have not yet noticed, and which are done by means of sympathetic inks, a list of which will consequently be interesting.

_Inks which appear when heated, and become invisible when cooled_:--

Solution of nitro-muriate of cobalt; when heated turns green.

Solution of acetate of cobalt, with a little nitre; rose-colour when warm.

_Inks which remain visible when heated, but do not disappear when cooled_:--

Onion-juice, yellow; equal parts of copper and sal-ammoniac in water, yellow; aquafortis, spirits of salt, oil of vitriol, and salt and water, yellow or brown.

_Inks which appear when exposed to light_:--

Diluted solution of nitrate of silver.

Diluted solution of terchloride of gold.

THE DEAF AND DUMB ALPHABET.

Amongst the many useful inventions which have been planned for the solace of individuals deprived of some portion of their senses, the art by which deaf and dumb persons are taught to express their own thoughts, and to comprehend those of others, is one of the most noble. The earliest attempt at a method of teaching the deaf and dumb was made in Spain, towards the end of the sixteenth century, by a Benedictine monk named Peter Pounce; and without doubt he must have formed his idea from observing the natural propensity of the dumb to supply the want of the organs of speech by making signs. After the essay of Peter Pounce many successful trials were made, and in 1692 John Conrad Amman, a Swiss physician, reduced the plans to a fixed method, or art, and published the scheme of it at Amstelod. The first asylum for the deaf and dumb in London was founded in the year 1792.

THE ALPHABET.

A is expressed by touching the top of the thumb of the left hand with the forefinger of the right.

B. Join the forefinger and thumb of each hand, and place the backs of the forefinger nails together.

C. Bend the fingers and thumb of the left hand, so as to form three parts of a circle.

D. Bend the fingers and thumb of the right hand into a semicircle, and then join them to the forefinger of the left, which keep in a straight line.

E. Touch the top of the forefinger of the left hand with the forefinger of the right.

F. Place the forefinger of the right hand across the backs of the first and second fingers of the left.

G. Clench both hands, and put one fist upon the other.

H. Pass the palm of the right hand across that of the left, sweeping it along to the tips of the fingers, as if brushing something off.

I. Touch the top of the second finger of the left hand with the forefinger of the right.

J. Clench the hands together, as directed for the letter G.

K. Form a semicircle with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, and join it to the forefinger of the left, which must be kept straight out; both forefingers must meet at the second joints.

L. Place the forefinger of the right hand across the centre of the palm of the left, so that the top of the finger may be exactly in the middle of the palm.

M. Place three fingers of the right hand flat upon the palm of the left.

N. Place two fingers of the right hand flat upon the palm of the left.

O. Touch the top of the third finger of the left hand with the forefinger of the right.