Russian Nihilist Code
An adaptation of the last-mentioned system is shown in [Fig. 5], where the letters at the side and top are replaced by numerals. This method is very much in use amongst the Russian Nihilists, who would therefore write the sentence “Plot discovered” as follows: 41, 32, 35, 45; 14, 24, 44, 13, 35, 51, 15, 43, 15, 14.
This, again, can be very much complicated by multiplying each number by the position held by the letter in the word. Thus in the sentence just put into cipher, P is the first letter in the word “plot,” L is the second, O the third, T the fourth, whilst in the next word D is the first, I the second, &c. You therefore multiply the ciphers in the first word by 1, 2, 3, 4 respectively, and deal similarly with those of the second word. The sentence thus treated would appear—41, 64, 105, 180; 14, 48, 132, 52, 175, 306, 105, 344, 135, 140.
To read this the system must be reversed, and each number divided by its position in the word.
Fig. 6.—A musical cipher.
Play [cipher]
A useful form of musical cipher is shown in [Fig. 6], which explains itself. In using this system it is usual to separate the different words by dividing the notes into bars, as can be seen from a glance at [Fig. 7]. Here it will be noticed that only crotchets and minims are used for ciphers, whilst the other notes introduced have no significance, only serving the purpose of confusing whoever has sufficient curiosity to pry into the message. Therefore, discordant as the passage may sound to the wrong person, it probably makes very sweet music to whoever has ears and eyes to understand its meaning.
Fig. 7.—A musical appointment.
Play [message]
Before proceeding to more complicated ciphers, that known as the fractional may be mentioned. This is a very simple method, and easily learned. The letters of the alphabet are divided into groups of five as shown in [Fig. 8], each group being marked successively up to five, and each letter in the group treated in the same way. The numerator is used to designate the group to which the letter belongs, whilst the denominator shows the individual letter in that group.
| 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | b | c | d | e |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| f | g | h | i | j |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| k | l | m | n | o |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| p | q | r | s | t |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| u | v | w | x | y | z |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
Fig. 8.—The fractional cipher.
Adopting this method the word CIPHER therefore appears as in [Fig. 9]. As numerals above 5 do not appear in this cipher any more than does the figure 0, they can be added at will to complicate the appearance of the cryptogram, as shown in [Fig. 10], where the same word is shown with the addition of meaningless numerals.
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
Fig. 9.—The word
“cipher.”
| 10 | 29 | 43 | 28 | 10 | 47 |
| 38 | 40 | 16 | 39 | 56 | 39 |
Fig. 10.—Complicated
fractional cipher.