Page:Cyclopedia of Puzzles by Samuel Loyd.pdf/37

Here is the patch quilt which the scholars presented last Christmas to their teacher in puzzleland. You will find the names of all of the boys hidden among the letters.Just spell from one letter to any adjoining one on the square or bias as the ladies say. Beginning with J you can spell JAMES-shown, but how many scholars do you think there were in all?

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SECRET CYPHER.

Here is a specimen of the code used by Washington during the Revolution, with which some may by familiar. It appears to pertain to a complicated system wherein the words are numbered and not spelled out. In the translation the 11, 15, and 26 words are of, and yet they appear in the cypher as 420, 248 and 570. It was a letter written by Governor Morris to Gen. Nathaniel Greene, at the very time that Wash- ngton has been accused of win- ning American Independence by questionable strategy. It was public ly asserted that Clinton was to be attacked in New York, which pre- vented assistance from being sent to Cornwallis in Virginia. The letter It may be seen, is dated just before the grand coup:

Phila, 11 Sept., 1781.

Dr General: The enclosed Cypher is that referred to in my Letter as well as in that from the Superinten- dent of Finance, It is the Cypher also of which the Commander-in- Chief has one Duplicate, and conse- quently when you shall have receiv- ed it you will be able to correspond with him, for which Purpose you will let him know that you have it. In order to explaine more fully the Use take the following sentence: "Sir Henry Clinton threatens an attack tack on Philadelphia by way of Diversion in favor of Lord Cornwallis: has a little intimidated some few Ladies of my Acquaintance."

This being put into Cypher will stand thus:

13, 53, 64, 530, 555, 140, 290, 319,
225.
613, 430, 248, 530, 24, 248, 225,
23. 613.
239, 500, 137, 436, 556, 85, 570,
114, 563, 500.
319, 491, 570, 34, 556, 438, 376.
118, 346, 290, 341, 524, 405, 16
615, 341, 225, 225, 290, 319, 605
263, 331, 581, 63, 539, 423, 406.
85, 550, 180, 23, 537, 319, 225.
650, 184.

I am very truly yours,

Gouv. Moris.

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A Rebus

My first beneath my second's seen,
And moves at pleasure there;
My whole's an arch of beauteous
mien,
Set up without a pier.

Cipher Answer.—5, 25, 5, 2, 18, 15, 23.

A Cipher Dispatch Puzzle.

Of course there are a thousand and one different kinds of secret cipher codes for sending written or telegraphic messages. Some are dif- ficult, while others yield readily to systematic or experimental analysis. The one most generally employed is the mixing up or transposition of the letters, which may be easily guessed, however, by finding from an ordinary column of reading matter the average frequency of the occurring of the dif- ferent letters. To test your ability in deciphering that well known method, we give the following puzzle and ask for the answer.

Qdt kj jkssbjd teft gelwqdj rj bid terwn wrgedw tefi dagdi teedi eba likge sbbwdw rj dqqdi tefi gefwqdj?

It will be found to involve an arithmetical proposition, which you may answer if you have deciphered it correctly.

To those who have never considered the subject, it might appear that each letter is of equal importance in the formation of words, but the relative proportions required in the English language are these, a, 85; b, 16; c. 30; d. 44; c. k, 8:1, 40; m, 30 m, 80; 0, 80; p. 120, I. 25, g. 17: h, 64, i, 80, j. 4: 17; q. 5; 1, 62; s, 80; 1, 90: u. 34; v, 12, w, 20; x, 4; v. 20: z. 2. It is this knowledge of how frequently one letter is used compared with others that enables cryptogram readers to unravel so many mysteries.

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A Rebus.

My first's the heart of honest trade,
When 'tis judiciously displayed;
But when 'tis of its head bereft
It then becomes a public theft.

Cipher Answer.—19, 16, 5, 3, 21,

12, 1, 20, 9, 15, 14

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