WHITE. BLACK.
1. P. to K’s 4th. 1. P. to K’s 4th.
2. P. to K. B’s 4th 2. P. to Q’s 4th.
3. P. takes Q’s P. 3. P. to K’s 5th. (best.)
You may also play 3. K’s Kt. to B’s 3d., apparently without danger.
4. P. to Q’s 4th. 4. Q. takes Q’s P.
Your 4th move seems far stronger than the usually received play of B. to
Q. Kt.’s 5th. (ch.)
5. P. to Q. B’s 4th. 5. Q. to Q’s sq.
6. B. to Q. B’s 4th.
You have the better game.
THE CENTRE GAMBIT.
This opening, though passed over by many of the books, frequently gives
birth to many beautiful and critical positions, and unless properly
opposed, is very embarrassing.
GAME I.
WHITE. BLACK.
1. P. to K’s 4th. 1. P. to K’s 4th.
2. P. to Q’s 4th. 2. P. takes P.
3. B. to Q. B’s 4th. 3. K’s Kt. to B’s 3d.
You may also play here P. to K. B’s 4th, a move as yet, we believe,
unanalysed. (See Game II.) Black’s reply is the correct one, whereby he
reduces the game to a position similar to one in the K. Kt.’s defence to
the King’s Bishop’s game. (For B. to Q. Kt.’s 5th. (ch.) see Variation
A.)
4. P. to K’s 5th. 4. P. to Q’s 4th.
5. B. to Q. Kt.’s 3d. 5. Kt. to K’s 5th.
Retiring the Bishop thus is far better than taking the Kt. with K’s P.
(See the Giuoco Piano for a similar position.)
6. K’s Kt. to K’s 2d. 6. P. to Q. B’s 4th.
If you play 6. K’s Kt. to B’s 3d., Black will gain some advantage by B.
to Q. Kt.’s 5th. (ch.)
7. P. to K. B’s 3d. 7. Kt. to K. Kt.’s 4th.
8. Kt. to K. B’s 4th. 8. P. to Q. B’s 5th.
9. B. to Q. R’s 4th. (ch.) 9. Kt. to Q. B’s 3d.
10. B. takes Kt. (ch.) 10. P. takes B.
11. Q. takes P.
Even game.
These are the moves given by Jaenisch, who seems to consider the
position in Black’s favour.
_Variation A. on Black’s 3d Move._
WHITE. BLACK.
1. P. to K’s 4th. 1. P. to K’s 4th.
2. P. to Q’s 4th. 2. P. takes P.
3. B. to Q. B’s 4th. 3. B. to Q. Kt.’s 5th. (ch.)
4. P. to Q. B’s 3d. 4. P. takes P.
5. P. takes P. 5. Q. to K. B’s 3d.
6. P. takes B. 6. Q. takes Q’s R.
Perhaps your soundest move at this point is 6. Q. to Q. Kt.’s 3d, as
recommended in the German Handbook, although, by the mode of play in the
text, you get an attack that amply compensates for the loss of the
“exchange.”
7. Q. to Q. Kt.’s 3d. 7. Q. to K. B’s 3d.
8. Q’s Kt. to B’s 3d.
Afterwards playing Kt. to K’s 2d, with a fine position.
GAME II.
WHITE. BLACK.
1. P. to K’s 4th. 1. P. to K’s 4th.
2. P. to Q’s 4th. 2. P. takes P.
3. P. to K. B’s 4th. 3. B. to Q. B’s 4th.
This appears to be his best reply.
4. B. to Q. B’s 4th. 4. P. to Q’s 3d.
By your last move you threatened to take his K. B’s P. (checking) and if
he took your Bishop with King, to play Q. to K. R’s 5th. (ch.) &c. If
Black, instead of P. to Q’s 3d, play K’s Kt. to B’s 3d, you reply with
P. to K’s 5th; and upon his playing P. to Q’s 4th, you must gain some
advantage by capturing his Kt. with K’s P.--a mode of play not feasible
in a similar position in the Giuoco Piano.
5. K’s Kt. to B’s 3d. 5. Q’s Kt. to B’s 3d.
If he play B. to K. Kt.’s 5th, you reply with P. to K’s 5th, and should
he take P. with P. you get a winning position by B. takes K. B’s P.
(ch.)
6. Castles. 6. P. to Q’s 6th.
7. K. to R’s sq. 7. P. takes P. (dis. ch.)
8. Q. takes P.
And though minus a pawn, you have an ample equivalent in the attack. It
is highly probable that many moves, both of attack and defence, in this
somewhat novel variation may be improved upon. I only regret that I am
precluded, both by want of time and space, from going further into the
variations.
THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT.
GAME I.
WHITE. BLACK.
1. P. to Q’s 4th. 1. P. to Q’s 4th.
2. P. to Q. B’s 4th. 2. P. takes P.
It is considered more advisable to decline the gambit. (See Game II.) By
taking the Pawn, Black generally subjects himself to some slight
inferiority of position.
3. P. to K’s 3d. 3. P. to K’s 4th.
Your move of P. to K’s 3d, appears somewhat preferable to P. to K’s 4th,
as recommended by the “classical” writers on Chess, to which Black would
equally reply with P. to K’s 4th, with an even game. It is worth while
remarking, that if he attempt to sustain the gambit pawn by P. to Q.
Kt.’s 4th, you gain the advantage. (See Variation A.)
4. K’s B. takes P. 4. P. takes Q’s P.
5. P. takes P. 5. K’s Kt. to B’s 3d.
6. Q’s Kt. to B’s 3d. 6. B. to Q’s 3d.
7. K’s Kt. to B’s 3d. 7. Q’s Kt. to B’s 3d.
8. Castles. 8. Castles.
9. P. to K. R’s 3d. 9. P. to K. R’s 3d.
White has perhaps a slightly better position.
_Variation A. on Black’s 3d Move_.
WHITE. BLACK.
1. P. to Q’s 4th. 1. P. to Q’s 4th.
2. P. to Q. B’s 4th. 2. P. takes P.
3. P. to K’s 3d. 3. P. to Q. Kt.’s 4th.
4. P. to Q. R’s 4th. 4. B. to Q’s 2d.
If he play P. to Q. B’s 3d, you take Pawn with Pawn, and on his
retaking, win a piece by Q. to K. B’s 3d.
5. P. takes P. 5. B. takes P.
6. P. to Q. Kt.’s 3d. 6. Q. to Q’s 4th.
7. P. takes P. 7. B. takes P.
8. Q. to Q. R’s 4th. (ch.) winning a piece.
These moves are from Mr. Staunton’s Handbook.
GAME II.
WHITE. BLACK.
1. P. to Q’s 4th. 1. P. to Q’s 4th.
2. P. to Q. B’s 4th. 2. P. to K’s 3d.
This is now acknowledged to be his best method of declining the gambit.
3. Q’s Kt. to B’s 3d. 3. K’s Kt. to B’s 3d.
4. P. to K’s 3d. 4. P. to Q. B’s 4th.
Your 4th move is the one given by all “the books.” In the late match
between Messrs. Löwenthal and Harrwitz, the latter several times adopted
the move of 4. Q’s B. to K. B’s 4th, at this juncture, with advantage, a
sortie hitherto denounced by most of the modern writers on Chess.
5. K’s Kt. to B’s 3d. 5. Q’s Kt. to B’s 3d.
6. P. to Q. R’s 3d. 6. P. to Q. R’s 3d.
There is no advantage on either side.
We will now briefly examine those other methods of opening a game, which
either player may adopt in lieu of 1. P. to K’s 4th, or 1. P. to Q’s
4th.
The most important of these the second player has at his command to
reply to 1. P. to K’s 4th, are, 1. P. to Q. B’s 4th, and 1. P. to K’s
3d. It is true there are other moves, such as 1. P. to Q’s 4th; 1. P. to
K. Kt.’s 3d.; 1. P. to Q. Kt.’s 3d.; 1. P. to Q’s 3d.; but they are of
so rare occurrence in actual play, we shall hardly be justified in our
narrow limits for entering into an analysis of them.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
THE YOUNG CONJUROR
INCLUDING SLEIGHT OF HAND WITH OBJECTS OR CARDS, WITH AND WITHOUT
APPARATUS.
From the very early ages of the world the art of legerdemain, commonly
called conjuring, has been known and practised. In some of the old
heathen ceremonies the priests made use of skilful deceptions, in order
to impose upon the people; and in ancient Egypt, in Greece, and in Rome,
the worship of the gods was frequently associated with mere tricks,
which were used for the purpose of obtaining an influence by a pretence
of extraordinary and supernatural powers. Among the Eastern nations
juggling was a profession, and to this day the jugglers of Hindustan and
other Oriental nations are so skilful that they are able to deceive even
the most acute observers. In our own country, after the Norman Conquest,
the juggler (who was called jongleur, or joculator) was a minstrel as
well as a conjurer, a reader of the stars or astrologer, and at the same
time a jester, a merry-andrew, and a teller of droll stories. These
jongleurs travelled from place to place, and exhibited at fairs,
feasts, and merrymakings, as well as in the houses of noblemen, where
they diverted the company in the great halls. In the fourteenth century
they gave more attention to tricks and feats of skill, and became known
as tregetours. The performances of some of these gentry were so
marvellous, that the common people believed them to be the result of
witchcraft, and classed the tregetour with the warlock and the sorcerer.
Chaucer, who no doubt had frequently an opportunity of seeing the tricks
exhibited by the tregetours of his time, says, “There I sawe playenge
jogelours, magyciens, tragetours, phetonysses, charmeresses, old
witches, and sorceresses;” and the old poet goes on to say of them,
“Sometimes they will bring on the similitude of a grim lion, or make
flowers spring up as in a meadow; sometimes they cause a vine to
flourish, bearing white and red grapes, or show a castle built with
stone, and when they please they cause the whole to disappear:” and in
another part of his works he says:--
“There saw I Coll Tregetour
Upon a table of sycamour
Play an uncouthe thynge to tell;
I sawe hym cary a wyndemell
Under a walnot shale.”--_House of Fame_, book iii.
Our learned monarch James I. was perfectly convinced that these and
other inferior feats exhibited by the tregetours of his day could only
be performed by diabolical agency. The profession had already fallen
very low, and at the close of the reign of Queen Elizabeth the
performers were ranked by the moral writers of that time not only with
ruffians, blasphemers, thieves, and vagabonds, but also with Jews,
Turks, heretics, pagans, and sorcerers; and in more modern times, by way
of derision, the juggler was called a mocus-pocus, or hokus-pokus, a
term applicable to a pickpocket or a common cheat.
The following pages are not intended to make the young reader either a
cheat or a trickster; there is nothing perhaps so utterly contemptible
in every-day life as trickery and deceit, and we would caution our young
friends not to cultivate a love of deception, which is only allowable in
such feats of amusement, because it is in fact not deception at all,
when everybody expects to be puzzled, and is only left to find out the
mystery the best way he can.
With this sage advice we shall present a collection of amusing conjuring
tricks, premising that a considerable number of tricks usually embodied
in this division will be found in that part of our work relating to
Scientific Experiments and Amusements, as they more properly belong to
“Natural Magic,” and are to be referred to the various operations of
nature in the several departments of art, science, and philosophy.
SLEIGHT OF HAND.
It is intended in the following pages to lay more stress upon those
tricks which require no apparatus than upon those for which special
apparatus or the assistance of a confederate is required. No one is
nearly so well pleased by a trick whose essence evidently lies in the
machinery, while every one feels pleasure at seeing a sleight of hand
trick neatly executed. The audience often despise all the numerous
boxes, bottles, variegated covers, and other gimcracks which are
generally seen on a conjuror’s table; and are seldom so pleased with any
performer as with one who does not even require a table, but presses
into his service articles borrowed from his audience. The spectators
should never be able to say, “Ah! the trick lies in the box: he dares
not show it to us!”
The following tricks have almost all been successfully performed, and
have caused some reputation in the magic art. Some of them are the
invention of one of the most eminent “conjurors” of modern times.
1. THE FLYING SHILLING.
This trick must be frequently practised before it is produced in public.
Borrow two coloured silk handkerchiefs from the company, and have
_three_ shillings in your hand, but only show _two_, keeping the other
one firmly fixed against the first joint of the second and third
fingers. You must also have a fine needle and thread stuck inside the
cuff of your coat. Then take one of the handkerchiefs, and put in _both_
shillings, but pretend that only _one_ is in the handkerchief; then put
the handkerchief into a hat, leaving one corner hanging out. Now hold up
the _third_ shilling (which the spectators imagine is the _second_), and
ask one of the company to lay the second handkerchief over it. You then
ask him to hold the shilling tight between his finger and thumb, while
you twist up the handkerchief. While doing so, with both hands concealed
under the handkerchief, you pass a few stitches under the shilling, and
replace the needle. This being done, spread one corner of the
handkerchief over the hand of the person who is still holding the
shilling, and, taking hold of another corner, tell him to drop the
shilling when you have counted three. At the word “three” he lets go the
shilling, and you whisk the handkerchief into the air, when the shilling
appears to have vanished, but is really held in the handkerchief. You
then tell the astonished individual to draw the other handkerchief out
of the hat by the corner that is hanging out. The two shillings are
heard to fall into the hat, and every one is persuaded that you have
conjured one of the shillings out of the person’s hand, and sent it into
the hat.
2. ANOTHER METHOD.
Perhaps the spectators may ask to see it again, or demand to mark the
shilling. In this case, vary it as follows. Ask some one (always choose
the most incredulous of the party) to mark a shilling of his own and
give it you. Take the same handkerchief and give him the shilling to
hold that is already enclosed in it, as in the last trick, dropping the
marked shilling into the palm of your hand. Twist it up as before, and
then leave it entirely in his hands. Direct him to place it on a table,
and cover it with a basin or saucer. Ask him to give you a cup or
tumbler, and hold it under the table, beneath the place where the saucer
is. Then tell him to knock three times on the saucer, and at the third
knock let the marked shilling fall into the tumbler. Hand him the
tumbler, and while he is examining the shilling to see if it is the same
one that he marked, take up the saucer, and shake out the handkerchief
that is lying under it, as in the last trick. You must then return the
handkerchief, and while you pretend to be searching for the marks, draw
out the thread that held the shilling and drop the coin into the palm of
your hand, taking care to rub between your finger and thumb the spot
where the threads had been, in order to eradicate the marks. This
variation seldom fails to confuse the company.
You must remember to keep talking the whole time, and always try to make
a joke, or otherwise to distract the attention of the audience, while
you are executing the necessary changes.
3. THE BEADS AND STRINGS.
[Illustration]
Ask some lady to lend you the beads off her bracelet, or have by you
five or six beads, which you may hand round for examination. Then get
some one to cut two pieces of thin string of equal length, and twist
them about your fingers, appearing to lay them side by side, but in
reality placing them as in the figure, and then, by twisting them
together with apparent carelessness, the manner in which they are
arranged will not be seen, particularly if you keep the point of
junction hidden either by a finger, or by throwing the shade of your
hand upon it.
When the beads are returned, thread them all, taking care to pass the
centre bead over the point of juncture. You then bring the ends of the
string 1 and 2 together and tie them so, doing the same with 3 and 4.
Now give the tied ends to two persons, directing them to hold them
tight. You need not fear that the beads will come off, even if they pull
hard. Then grasp the beads with both hands, directing the holders to
slacken the strings. You then, under cover of the left hand, which is
placed above the beads, slip the centre bead to one side, and draw out
the two loops which have been hidden in it. The beads will then easily
come off into your right hand. Tell the holders to pull hard, which they
will do, and the same moment remove your hands, showing the empty
strings and all the beads in your right hand. Then hand round the beads
and strings as before. Remember to rub out the marks in the strings
caused by the loops before you remove your hands.
4. TO GET A RING OUT OF A HANDKERCHIEF.
Bend a piece of gold wire into the form of a ring, having previously
sharpened both ends. You have a real ring made of the same piece of
wire, and concealing the false ring in the palm of your hand, offer the
real one to be inspected. When it is returned, borrow a handkerchief,
and, while taking it from the lender, slip the real ring into your left
hand, and take the false one at its point of junction. Throw the
handkerchief over the ring, and give it to some one to hold between his
finger and thumb. Let the handkerchief fall over it, and give a piece of
string to a second spectator, directing him to tie it round the
handkerchief, about two inches below the ring, so as to enclose it in a
bag, and tell him to do so as tightly as he can. While he is doing this,
take up your conjuring wand, a rod of some hard wood, about eighteen
inches long, and when the knot is tied, step forward, passing the rod
into your left hand, taking care to slip over it the real ring, which
has lain concealed there. Slip your left hand to the centre of the rod,
and direct each of the two persons to hold one end of it in his right
hand. Then tell the one who has the ring and handkerchief, to lay them
on your left hand, which you immediately cover with your right. Then
tell them to spread another handkerchief over your hands, and to say
after you any nonsense that you like to invent.
While they are so doing, unbend the false ring, and draw it through the
handkerchief by one of its points, carefully rubbing between the thumb
and finger the place where it came through. Hang the empty handkerchief
over the ring which is on the rod, and take away your hands, which you
exhibit empty, as you have stuck the false ring inside your cuff. Take
away the upper handkerchief, and let a third person come to examine,
when he will find the ring gone out of the handkerchief, and hung upon
the rod.
5. TO TIE A KNOT IN A HANDKERCHIEF WHICH CANNOT BE DRAWN TIGHT.
[Illustration]
Cast an ordinary knot on a handkerchief, and give the end out of your
right hand to some spectator, and tell him to pull hard and sharp when
you count three. Just as he pulls, slip your left thumb under the
handkerchief, as drawn in the cut, and it will be pulled out quite
straight without any knot at all. You must let go the end that hangs
over the left hand, and grasp the handkerchief between the thumb and
forefinger.
6. THE THREE CUPS.
[Illustration]
This is an admirable delusion, but requires very careful management, and
should be practised repeatedly before it is exhibited publicly. You get
three tin cups, of the shape shown in the cut. They should have two or
three ridges running round them at the mouth, in order to give a better
hold. Four balls should now be made of cork, and carefully blackened.
One of the balls is held concealed between the roots of the third and
fourth fingers, while the other three are handed round for examination,
together with the cups. When they are returned, the young conjuror
begins by placing each ball under a cup, or, if he chooses, asks one of
the spectators to do so for him. While this is being done, he slips the
fourth ball to the tips of the second and third fingers. He then lifts
up cup No. 1, replacing it on the table a few inches from its first
position, and at the same time slips the fourth ball under it. He takes
up ball No. 1, and pretends to throw it away, but in reality he slips it
into the place which the fourth ball had occupied. He does the same with
the three cups, and then commences a sham search after the lost balls,
in which he accidentally (!) knocks over one of the cups, and, to his
pretended astonishment, finds a ball under it. He then knocks over both
the other cups, and finds in them the two missing balls.
He again places the balls under the cups, taking care to slip the fourth
ball under cup No. 3. He then takes up cup No. 1 and pretends to throw
the ball into No. 3, but hides it as before. As there are already two
balls in No. 3, the spectators imagine that he really has thrown the
ball into it. He replaces cup No. 3 over both balls, and slips among
them ball No. 1. He then takes up cup No. 2, and goes through the same
process, and on knocking over cup No. 3, all three balls are found
together under it, and while the spectators are being astonished, ball
No. 2 can be quickly got rid of.
A rather startling termination to this trick can be managed by taking up
one of the cups with its mouth upwards, holding the finger and thumb
close to its mouth. Then by throwing another cup into it, letting go the
first and catching the second, you appear to have thrown the second cup
through the first.
7. TO TIE A HANDKERCHIEF ROUND YOUR LEG, AND GET IT OFF WITHOUT UNTYING
THE KNOT.
Hold the handkerchief by both ends, lay the centre of the handkerchief
on your knee, and pass the two ends below, appearing to cross them, but
in reality hitching them within each other, as represented in the
engraving, which shows the manner in which this is managed. Draw this
loop tight, and bring back the ends to the same side on which they were
originally, and tie them above. If the loop is properly made, it will
stand a good pull. Then, after showing the spectators how firmly it is
tied, put your hand under the knot, and by giving it a sharp pull, it
will come off.
[Illustration]
The engraving represents the manner in which the loop is made, but it
must be made considerably smaller than it is shown, or it will be seen.
In fact, it ought not to be a loop at all, as it should be almost
concealed under the fold of the handkerchief. Do not show this in public
until you can tie it with rapidity and precision.
8. THE MAGIC BOND.
[Illustration]
Take a piece of string, and tie the two ends together with a weaver’s
knot, as that holds the best, and arrange it over the fingers as
represented in the engraving. Having done so, let the long loop hang
loose, lift both loops off the thumb, draw them forward until the string
is quite tight, and then put them behind the hand, by passing them
between the second and third fingers. Then pull the part of the string
that is across the roots of the fingers, and the whole affair will come
off.
9. THE OLD MAN AND HIS CHAIR.
[Illustration: _Fig. 1_]
Take the same piece of string as in the last trick, hold your left hand
with the palm uppermost, and hang the string over the palm. Spread all
the fingers, and with the right hand bring forward the loop that hangs
behind, by passing it over the second and third fingers. Loose the loop,
take hold of the part of the string that crosses the hand, and pull it
forwards. When tight, pass it to the back of the hand, the reversal of
the movement that brought it forwards. Loose the loop, insert the
fore-finger and little finger of the right hand under the string that
encircles the left fore-finger and little-finger, and pass the two loops
to the back of the hand, as shown in the cut, Fig. 1. Tuck both loops
under the cross-string at the back, and your preliminaries are
completed. Then begin your story: “There was once upon a time an old
man, who stole a pound of candles. Here they are.” You then hold your
left hand as at the commencement, hook the right fore-finger under the
cross-piece at the back, and draw it downward until it is long enough to
be passed over the second and third fingers to the front. Pass it over,
and draw it slowly upwards, when the similitude of a pound of candles
hanging by their string will be seen. (See Fig. 2.) “The old man, being
tired, hung up his candles,” you then hang the long loop over your
thumb, “and sat down in his high-backed chair, which you see here.” You
then hitch the right fore-finger and middle finger under the two loops
that will be found hanging behind the left hand, bring them to the
front, raise them perpendicularly, and the chair will be seen as in Fig.
3. The thumb must be raised perpendicularly, and brought as much as
possible into the centre of the hand, or the chair will be all aside.
[Illustration: _Fig. 2_]
[Illustration: _Fig. 3_
1. Right fore-finger.
2. Right middle-finger.]
[Illustration: 1. Fore-finger of left hand.
2. Little finger of left hand.
3. Fore-finger of right hand.
4. Middle finger of right hand.
_Fig. 4_]
[Illustration: _Fig. 5_
1. Right middle-finger.
2. Right fore-finger.]
[Illustration: 1. Right fore-finger.
2. Left hand.
_Fig. 6_]
“When the old man was rested, it began to become dark, and he took a
pair of scissors to cut down a candle for himself. Here are the
scissors.” While you are saying this, you slip the loop off the thumb,
and you get Fig. 4. Move the blades and handles of the scissors, as if
cutting something with them. “Just as he had lighted it, in came a
policeman, and produced his staff, with the Queen’s crown at the top.”
Now let go the little finger of the left hand, and the loop will run up
the string towards the right hand, producing Fig. 5. “The old man in
vain tried to resist, for the policeman called a comrade to his
assistance, and they tied a cord round the old man’s arms in a tight
knot, like this,”--slip the right middle-finger out of its loop, and you
will obtain Fig. 6,--“and carried him off to prison.”
10. TO TIE A KNOT ON THE LEFT WRIST, WITHOUT LETTING THE RIGHT HAND
APPROACH IT.
[Illustration: _Fig. 1_]
[Illustration: _Fig. 2_]
Take a piece of thick pliant string by each end, and with a quick jerk
of the right hand cast a loop on it as in Fig. 1. The jerk must be given
upwards and towards the left hand, and its impetus will cause the loop
to run up the string until it falls over the left wrist, as in Fig. 2.
The moment that the forward jerk is given the right hand should be drawn
back, so that the loop is drawn tight directly it has settled on the
wrist. Both ends should be let fall when the knot is firm. This is a
very nice little sleight of hand to practice in the intervals between
more showy tricks, and, although rather difficult to learn, is soon
acquired.
11. THE HANDCUFFS.
[Illustration]
Let two persons, A and B, have their hands tied together with string, so
that the strings cross, as represented in the engraving. The object is,
to free themselves from each other without untying the knot. It is
executed in the following manner.
Let B gather up the string that joins his hands, pass the loop under the
string that binds either of A’s wrists, slip it over A’s hand, and both
will be free. By a reversal of the same process, the string may be
replaced.
12. TO PULL A STRING THROUGH YOUR BUTTON-HOLE.
Take a piece of string about two feet in length, and tie the ends
together. Pass it through a button-hole of your coat; hitch one thumb at
each end, hook the little fingers into the upper strings of the opposite
hand. Then draw the hands well outward, and the string will look very
complicated, as in the engraving.
[Illustration]
To get out the string, loose the hold of the right thumb and left little
finger, and separate the hands smartly, when the string will appear to
have been pulled out _through_ the substance of your coat.
It is an improvement of the trick, if, immediately on loosing the hold
of the right thumb, you change the string from the right little finger
on to the thumb.
13. THE CUT STRING RESTORED.
[Illustration: 1. The twisted string. 2. The manner of holding it.]
Tie together the ends of a piece of string, pass one hand through each
end, twist it once round, and put both ends into the left hand. Draw the
right hand rapidly along the double strings until you come to the place
where the strings have crossed each other, as seen in the engraving.
Conceal the junction with the thumb and finger of the right hand; hold
the strings in a similar manner with the left hand, and tell some one to
cut the string between them. You show that the string has been divided
into two pieces, and say that you will join them with your teeth. Put
all four ends into your mouth, and remove with your tongue the little
loop that has been cut off. When you take the string out of your mouth,
the spectators will not notice the absence of so small a portion of its
length, and will fancy that you really have joined them.
14. THE GORDIAN KNOT.
[Illustration: 1]
[Illustration: 2]
Take a silk handkerchief, and lay it on a table. Take each of the
corners, and lay them across each other in the middle of the
handkerchief, which will then be square, as in the cut, Fig. 1. Do the
same with the new corners, and go on until the handkerchief is reduced
to the size of your hand. Then with your left finger and thumb take hold
of the centre, taking care to grasp all the four corners that lie there,
and with the right finger and thumb take hold of the outer layer of
silk, and pull it towards you as far as it will come. Then turn it a
little on your left hand, and repeat the operation until it is all
screwed up into a tight ball, as is represented in the engraving, Fig.
2. No ends will be then perceptible, and a person who is unacquainted
with the mode will never be able to untie it. Of course you must prepare
it previously. When the person to whom you give it has failed to untie
it, you take the ball in your hand, and holding it behind your back, you
reverse the method by which it was tied, and when it is loose a good
shake will release it.
15. THE KNOT LOOSENED.
[Illustration]
This is a very amusing deception. You ask any one for a handkerchief,
and tie the ends firmly together in a double knot, allowing him to feel
it, or pull the ends as tight as he pleases. You then throw the centre
of the handkerchief over the knot, and ask the person to hold it tight
between his finger and thumb. You ask him if the knot is still there, to
which he will answer in the affirmative. You then take hold of any part
of the handkerchief, and direct the holder to drop the handkerchief at
the word “three.” You count, “one, two, three,” at which word he looses
his hold of the handkerchief, and there is no vestige left of the knot.
The method of managing this trick is as follows:--Take the handkerchief
and tie the ends in a simple knot, keeping _one end tight_, and the
other end loose. We will call the tight end A, and the loose one B. Keep
A _always_ in the right hand, and on the stretch horizontally, and the
handkerchief will look as in the cut. Do this when you tie it the second
time, and draw B tight, which will then form a double tie round A, but
will not hold it firm. When you throw the handkerchief over the knot,
you draw out A with the finger and thumb of the left hand, and the knot
will apparently remain firm, although in reality it is nothing but a
double twist of silk, which of course falls loose when the handkerchief
is dropped.
16. TO PUT NUTS INTO YOUR EAR.
Take three nuts in the left hand, show them, and take out one of them
between your right finger and thumb, and another between the first and
third finger. This latter is not seen by the company. You then put one
of them in your mouth and retain it there, unknown to the spectators,
while you exhibit the second as the one that you put into your mouth.
This second one you carry to your ear, as if you meant to insert it
there, and on replacing it in your left hand, only two nuts will be left
instead of three, the third of which appears to have gone into your ear.
17. TO CRACK WALNUTS IN YOUR ELBOW.
Conceal a very strong walnut in your right hand, and take two other
walnuts out of the dish. Place one of them on the joint of your arm, and
say that you are going to break it by the power of your muscles. You
will now have one walnut in your arm and two in your right hand. Close
your left arm, and strike it an apparently violent blow with the right
hand, at the same time clenching the right hand violently, which will
smash the second walnut in it, and the spectators hearing the crash will
be sure to fancy that it is caused by the demolition of the walnut in
your arm. Then open you arm very gently (for fear of dropping any of the
fragments, you must say), and, when pretending to take out the walnut
which you had placed there, you substitute for it the broken one from
your right hand.
18. TO TAKE FEATHERS OUT OF AN EMPTY HANDKERCHIEF.
Procure at the military clothier’s four or five large plumes, such as
are worn by officers. Take off your coat, and lay the plumes along your
arms, the stem being toward your hand. Now put on your coat again, and
the feathers will lie quite smoothly and unsuspected. Borrow a
handkerchief from one of the spectators, and wave it about to show that
it is empty. Throw it over your left hand, and with the right draw out
one of the plumes from up the coat-sleeve, at the same time giving it a
flourish in the air, which will loosen all the fibres of the feather,
and make it appear much too large to have been concealed about the
person. Wave the handkerchief again, and repeat the operation until all
the plumes are gone. You can carry enough plumes under the sleeve to
cover a table with, and if you prepare a board or an ornamental vase
full of holes, you can place the plumes upright as you take them out.
TRICKS REQUIRING SPECIAL APPARATUS.
None of the following tricks are wholly managed by the apparatus, as
such performances are unworthy of notice. Therefore, every trick
mentioned in the following pages must be carefully practised in private
before it is produced in public. The apparatus, of course, cannot be
inspected by the audience, and for that reason it is better to mix them
with those tricks which have been already mentioned, in order that
suspicious persons may be quieted by an occasional permission to inspect
the objects used in the performances.
The young conjuror should always vary the mode of performance in the
non-essentials, and should study combinations of one trick with another,
by which means he will produce more astonishing results than if he
restricted himself to the methods mentioned in this work. He should also
invariably make a little speech, acknowledging that he is only deceiving
the eye and not the mind, and should therefore request the company not
to ask any questions, or to demand inspection of any of his apparatus.
19. THE DIE TRICK.
Get a wooden die about two inches and a half square (1), and a hollow
tin die exactly the size of the wooden one, but without one of the sides
(2). Then paint them both exactly alike, as in the engraving. It will be
better to let an _accidental_ flaw appear on the same side of each. Then
get a tin cover (4) that exactly fits the dies. Now for the trick
itself.
[Illustration]
Borrow two hats, and while you turn your back upon the audience as you
go to your table, slip into one of them the false die. Place both hats
on the table, and send round the real die and cover for inspection. When
they are returned, say, “Now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my intention
to place these hats one above another, thus.” You then place the two
hats as in No. 3, the hollow die being in the bottom hat. “I shall then
cover the die thus,” which you do, “and after I have knocked on the
cover, I shall take it off, and you will find that the die is not under
the cover, as it is now,” taking it off, “but inside the hat, like
this.” You then put the real die into the hat. “You do not believe me,
ladies and gentlemen, but I will soon convince you.” You then take out
the false die, and replacing the upper hat, put the die on the upper hat
(of course, with the open side downward) and place the cover over it.
Pick up your conjuring wand, give it a few flourishes, and bring it down
on the cover. Grasp the cover tightly near the bottom, when both cover
and false die will come up together; put the end of your wand into them,
and give them a good rattle. Then knock off the upper hat with a blow of
the wand, and push the lower one off the table, so that the die tumbles
out of it. Always use plenty of gesture about your tricks.
20. THE PENETRATIVE PENCE.
Get a brazier to cut out all the interior of five pence, only leaving
the rims. He must then bore out nearly all the interior of a sixth
penny, merely leaving a shell of copper at the top. A long rivet must
then be let into the rim as shown in Fig. 1, No. 2, and a hole must be
drilled in each of the five rings, as in No. 3. The rivet is to be
passed through the holes in the rings, and fastened below, so that all
the rings can play easily upon it. Fig. 1, No. 1, is a section of the
entire apparatus, the dotted lines representing the rivet. They can then
be placed as shown in Fig. 2, No. 1, and no one will imagine that they
are only shams, as you can rattle them or move them about upon each
other. A leathern cover, Fig. 2, No. 2, is then made, which passes
easily over the heap of pence, but being pliable, is capable of picking
up the hollow pence with it, when it is held firmly. To the under
surface of the table you fasten a little shelf, Fig. 2, No. 3, which
moves on a hinge, and is let fall by placing the foot on the pedal, Fig.
2, No. 4, which draws the catch.
[Illustration: _Fig. 1_
_Fig. 2_]
To perform the trick, place six real pence on the little shelf, and have
the sham pence on the table. Take them up and rattle them, and put them
down as in Fig. 2, No. 1. Keep a sixpence in the palm of your hand, pick
up the sham pence, and as you put them down, slip the sixpence under
them, as you do the ball in trick 6. Take the cover, and put it over the
sham pence, make a short speech, and knock the cover with your wand, at
the same time pressing the pedal with your foot, which will cause all
the six real pence to tumble down with a great crash. Take up the cover
and false pence together, put the end of your wand into them and hold
them up triumphantly, showing the spectators that the six pence have
been replaced by a silver sixpence. While you are picking up the pence,
slip the sham ones out of the cover into your left hand, and take some
opportunity of letting the empty cover roll towards the audience, one of
whom you ask to pick it up and bring it you. This manœuvre generally
disarms all suspicion, for the picker-up is sure to examine it very
closely.
I have only given mere outlines of this really excellent trick, which
may be varied in a hundred ways, and is capable of combination with
other tricks to a large extent. It will add to its complicity, if a set
of six half-pence is also made like the pence. For the pedal may be
substituted a lever running immediately under the surface of the table,
if the performer prefers to have a short cloth on it. There should be
always two cloths on the table,--the lower one thick and soft, to
prevent jingling of objects, and the upper one white, as it displays
everything better than a coloured one. The ingenuity of the young
conjuror will easily find methods of varying this trick.
[Illustration]
21. THE DOLL TRICK.
Get a comical looking doll, and cut off his head diagonally, taking care
to do it very neatly. Drive a peg into the neck, and bore a hole in the
body, into which the peg fits, as in the cut. Paint his body and head
carefully, and if you put a gold chain or two round his neck, it will
conceal the line of junction. Make also a coat of silk, and sew a pocket
inside the edge of the skirt.
Take up the doll, and say, “Now, ladies and gentlemen, here is a very
learned man. Observe the development of his forehead, the sagacity of
his nose, the eloquence of his lips, the dignity of his spectacles, and
the philosophy of his pigtail. He is professor of astronomy at
Timbuctoo, and here is his gown of office. See how handsome he looks in
it. He is going to Amsterdam to see the eclipse of the last new comet.
He has the honour to wish you all farewell before starting on his
journey. Now, professor, we are waiting to see you go. Oh! you want
funds, do you? I beg your pardon; here is a shilling for you.” So
saying, you take your right hand from under the gown, taking with it the
body, and put the body into your pocket, while you jingle some silver.
The head is now supported by your left hand. Pretend to give him some
money, and then say, “What! you won’t go unless you have more! Get
along!” Hit the head a hard rap with your right hand, which drives it
into the pocket, which you hold open for it with your left thumb and
little finger. “Oh dear! the doctor is dead, and cannot be found.”
Saying this, you grasp the gown by the place where the head is, and
shake it about to show that it is empty. If you like, you can make
another oration and hold a dialogue, making the doctor resuscitate
himself, which is of course done by taking the head out of the pocket
with the left hand, and working it about by the peg.
22. THE FLYING COINS.
Take two sovereigns, or rather brass imitations, and grind them down
until they are reduced to half their thickness. Do the same with two
shillings, and fasten them accurately together, so that you will have
two coins, each having one silver face, and one brass face. Take one of
them in each hand, showing the silver side of one and the brass side of
another, and offer to change them without moving your arms. Shut your
hands, and the coins will turn over. Then, on opening them again, they
will appear to have changed from one hand into the other.
23. THE VANISHED GROAT.
Put a little wax on the nail of the middle finger of the right hand, and
take a fourpenny piece into the palm of the same hand. Close the hand,
pressing the wax on the coin. Then rapidly open it, and the silver piece
will adhere to the wax, and be quite concealed behind the finger when
you hold your hand up.
24. THE RESTORED DOCUMENT.
Make a memorandum book, and line the cover with paper which has been
previously rubbed with a mixture of lamp-black and oil. The paper must
be loosely affixed, so that it can be raised up, and a leaf from the
memorandum book placed under it. You must also make a flat box, having a
double opening.
You now take a leaf out of the memorandum book, and ask some one to
write a sentence, at the same time offering him the book to write upon.
The pencil with which you furnish him is very hard, and he is forced to
press upon the paper in order to mark. In so doing, the black is
transferred by the pressure of the pencil from the blackened paper to
the white leaf that has been placed under it, and of course makes an
exact copy of the writing. You then give the man his document, put the
memorandum book in your pocket, and go out of the room to fetch your
box, which you have _forgotten_. While you are out of the room, you take
out the leaf from under the black paper, and put it into one side of the
flat box, and shut down the cover that hides it. You bring in the box,
apologising for your absence, and give the box, open at the _other_
side, into the writer’s hands. Tell him to burn his writing in a candle,
and to place the ashes in the box. He does so, and closing the box,
returns it to you. You then flourish about a little with the box, wave
it in the air, bring it down with a bang on the table, strike it with
your wand, and then, opening it as at first, you produce the duplicate
leaf, which the writer acknowledges to be his own hand-writing. If the
lamp-black should have come off and smeared the paper, you can account
for it by observing that it is very difficult to get rid of all traces
of the burning.
25. THE MAGIC RINGS.
Get a blacksmith to make a number of rings, about six or seven inches in
diameter, as in the cut. A is made with a spring opening on one side, B
is a set of two rings forged permanently within each other, C is a set
of three rings formed in the same manner, and D D are two simple rings.
The rings should be about the thickness of a rather large blacklead
pencil.
[Illustration]
Lay the rings on one another, and they will all appear to be separate
and distinct; D D should be the uppermost rings, then B, then A, and
then C. Hand round D for inspection, and if any more are desired, hand
round the other D. When returned, you hang them over your left arm, or
grasp them in your hand, and tell the company that you are going to
weave all the rings together. You clash them together, and after going
through some complicated movements, bring out B, which the spectators
will think you have just fastened together. Hand them round. When they
are returned, mix them all up, and bring out C. Then take A in your
hand, and passing one of the outer rings of C through the opening, you
have four rings together. Then add D and you have five. Take off D and
substitute B, which will give you six. So you go on, weaving them into
all kinds of fantastic shapes. You must always conceal the joint in A
with your thumb, and contrive as often as you can to have one at least
of the rings D at liberty. This is a capital trick, and may be
diversified to any extent, especially if the number of rings is
increased.
26. THE FISH AND INK TRICK.
This is really a first-rate delusion. You bring before the spectators a
glass vase, full of ink. You dip a ladle into it, and pour out some of
the ink upon a plate, in order to convince the audience that the
substance in the vase is really ink. You then throw a handkerchief over
the vase and instantly withdraw it, when the vase is found to be filled
with pure water, in which a couple of gold fish are swimming.
This apparent impossibility is performed as follows. To the interior of
the vessel is fitted a black silk lining, which adheres closely to the
sides when pressed by the water, and which is withdrawn inside the
handkerchief during the performance of the trick. The ladle has a hollow
handle with an opening into the bowl. In the handle is a spoonful or so
of ink, which runs into the bowl when it is held downwards during the
act of dipping it into the vase.
27. THE CANNON BALLS.
The performer of this trick borrows a number of hats, and places them on
the table. He then returns each person his hat, and on turning it over,
a thirty-two pounder cannon ball rolls out.
The method of performing this delusion is as follows. Get a turner to
make a number of wooden balls, each the size of a thirty-two pounder
cannon ball, and let a hole be bored in each which will admit the
middle finger. The balls are arranged hole upwards on a shelf on your
table on the side opposite to the audience, so that the balls are nearly
level with the top of the table. When you take a hat off the table, you
slip your fore or middle finger into the ball just as you would into a
thimble, and by bending the finger, bring the ball into the hat.
[Illustration]
Any object may be brought into a hat in this manner, a great cabbage,
for instance, having a hole cut in the stalk.
28. THE SHILLING IN THE BALL OF COTTON.
Get a tinman to make a flat tin tube, which will just allow a shilling
to pass through it. Wind a quantity of worsted round it, so as to make
it into a ball.
These preliminaries having been accomplished, perform any trick that
will get a shilling out of sight, such as No. 1 or 2. Then tell the
spectators that you will bring the marked shilling into the middle of a
ball of worsted. Take down the ball from the place where it is lying,
drop the shilling into the tube, and withdraw the tube, leaving the
shilling in the ball. A good squeeze or two will hold it tight, and
obliterate every mark of the tube. Place the ball in a tumbler, take the
end of the worsted, and give it to some one to unwind. This being done,
the shilling will be found in the very centre of the ball, with the end
of the worsted wrapped tightly round it.
29. THE EGG AND BAG TRICK.
Get a chintz or cloth bag made double, and between the two bags make six
or seven pockets, each of which will hold an egg, and having an opening
into the bag. Fill the pockets with eggs, and you are ready for the
performance.
Hold the bag by the place where the eggs are, shake it, turn it inside
out and show that there is nothing in it. Then tell the spectators that
you are sure that there is a hen in the bag. Put your head near the
mouth of the bag, and make a clucking like a hen. You then say, “I knew
I was right, and she has laid an egg.” So saying, you put your hand into
the bag and take out one of the eggs, taking care to pretend to grope in
one of the corners for it.
This is repeated until all the eggs but one are gone. You then, after
taking out the last egg, say that some people think that the eggs are
not real, but you will convince them by ocular inspection. Saying this,
you break the egg in a saucer with your right hand, and while the people
are occupied with it, you drop the bag behind your table, or hang it on
a hook out of sight, and take up another exactly like it, into which you
have put a hen. “These are real eggs,” you then say, “and if any one
doubts their reality, they cannot doubt that this is a real hen.” You
then turn the bag upside down, and shake out the hen. If any one wishes
to inspect that bag, he can do so without being much wiser for it.
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.
[Illustration]
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.
[Illustration]
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.
[Illustration]
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.
[Illustration]
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.
[Illustration: _Fig. 1_]
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.
[Illustration: _Fig. 2_]
[Illustration: _Fig. 3_]
[Illustration: _Fig. 4_]
[Illustration: _Fig. 5_]
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.:--
[Illustration]
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:
[Illustration]
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:--
[Illustration]
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:--
[Illustration]
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.
[Illustration: PETER POUNCE, THE FIRST TEACHER OF THE DEAF AND DUMB,
INSTRUCTING A BOY.]
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.
[Illustration: A]
[Illustration: B]
[Illustration: C]
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.
[Illustration: D]
[Illustration: E]
[Illustration: F]
[Illustration: G]
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.
[Illustration: H]
[Illustration: I]
[Illustration: J]
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.