The Century of Inventions of the Marquis of Worcester / from the Original MS., with Historical and Explanatory Notes and a Biographical Memoir

by Marquis of Edward Somerset Worcester

No. XXXIV.

To write by a knotted silk string, so that every knot shall signify any letter, with comma, full-point, or interrogation; and as legible as with pen and ink upon white paper.

NOTE.

This very ingenious mode of secret writing is the most simple of any suggested by our author. A silk string of considerable length having been provided, it will be necessary to furnish the persons corresponding with a key or graduated gauge, by means of which the writing will be rendered intelligible. Having procured a duplicate or corresponding gauge it may then be commenced, 1/16 of an inch being allowed for the first letter, 1/4 for the second, 3/8 for the third, and so on, in equal proportions, through the whole alphabet. Should this arrangement be found to extend the line to an inconvenient length, it may be advisable to form a certain number of changes on three different lengths, as in No. LII.; though the former way is the least difficult.