As we have said, most persons who ‘go in’ for public clairvoyance compile a code of their own, and hence, after giving what we consider the best under the circumstances, we shall mention those of two public performers, who have given to the world their systems, one through the pages of a leading American magazine (Scribner’s), the other written by Mr. Washington Irving Bishop, who published a book on Second Sight, containing a résumé of his own professional signals; and as both of these differ from the following, and from each other in most important respects, they will be treated separately, so that the reader may elect which system to pursue before entering upon the (at first toilsome, but afterwards pleasant) path of laws.
We will now proceed to give examples of an easy code for miscellaneous articles: following which we will have a system of grouping, a code for numbers, and an alphabet; and we shall conclude with the application of all these.
In the miscellaneous articles let us understand that ‘Tell’ indicates articles of attire; ‘What,’ those taken from the pockets; ‘Do,’ those carried in the hands; ‘Can’ and ‘Will,’ jewellery, and other articles of adornment; and ‘Anything,’ various articles not enumerated in the foregoing.
‘TELL.’—ARTICLES OF ATTIRE.
- Tell me what this is.—A coat.
- Tell me what this is, please.—A lady’s jacket.
- Tell me this now.—An overcoat.
- Tell me this now, please.—A shawl.
- Tell me now.—A mackintosh.
- Tell me now, please.—A waterproof cloak.
- Tell this.—A hat.
- Tell this, please.—A bonnet.
- Tell me this.—A glove.
- Tell me this, please.—A cuff.
- Etc., etc., etc.
‘WHAT.’—ARTICLES FROM THE POCKETS.
- What is this?—A pocket-book.
- What is this, please?—A needle-case.
- And what is this?—A letter-case.
- And what is this, please?—A card-case.
- What now?—An almanack.
- What now, please?—A diary.
- Now what?—A gentleman’s address card.
- Now what, please?—A lady’s ditto.
- Now what is this?—A railway ticket.
- Now what is this, please?—A return ditto.
- What is this now?—A season ditto.
- What is this now, please-?—A tramcar ditto.
- What have I now?—A co-operative store ditto.
- What have I now, please?—Court plaister.
- And now what?—A railway key.
- And now what, please?—A Chubb.
- What have I here?—A key.
- What have I here, please?—A bunch of keys.
- What name has this?—A cigarette.
- What name has this, please?—A cigarette-case.
- What name has it?—Cigarette paper.
- What name has it, please?—Cigarette-holder.
- What is this for?—A cigar.
- What is this for, please?—A cigar-case.
- What is this for, now?—Tobacco.
- What is this for now, please?—Tobacco-pouch.
- What here?—Bryant and May’s matches.
- What here, please?—Wax-vestas.
- What is here?—A pen-knife.
- What is here, please?—A clasp-knife.
- Etc., etc., etc.
‘DO.’—ARTICLES CARRIED.