| No. | 1 | signifies a | Brother of wealth and a Labourer. |
| " | 2 | " | Seaman. |
| " | 3 | " | Lawyer. |
| " | 4 | " | Physician. |
| " | 5 | " | Mechanic. |
| " | 6 | " | Merchant. |
| " | 7 | " | Sporting Man. |
| " | 8 | " | Planter or Farmer. |
| + | |||
| " | 9 | " | Felon. |
This last number is considered in a different light from any of the others. When a cross is placed over it, it signifies that the Brother bearing it has been a martyr in the great and noble cause of Equal Rights; or, in other words, that in performing his duty as a freeman, he has been seized and cast into prison by the tyrants of the world: and it shall be considered a deed worthy of censure, for any Brother to mistreat, or throw any obstacle in the way of another, who may be entitled to the cross over the figure 9, in the fourth line of Quality;—and all members, both officers and privates, are entitled to know the meaning of the mark over the figure 9; and if any Brother says he is entitled to said mark, all Brethren are, in a measure, bound to believe him—as it will be expected that no Brother will be base enough to attempt a deception of this kind; for the truth can always be ascertained by writing to the Worthy Grand of the District where he was sentenced—whose duty it shall be to answer the epistle correctly and promptly; and in case any Brother shall make a false statement in this respect—or in fact in any other—he shall be branded as dishonourable—shall be publicly exposed to all of the Brethren present—and his name sent, by the Grand Master, to all other Grand Masters of the several Districts, so that it may be marked on their several books as a Brother who cannot be depended upon under any circumstances.
Fifth: Haugh—a flash word, signifying Disease—embracing under it, imperfections, scars, marks, &c.—is described as follows:
| No. | 1 | signifies | Consumptive. |
| " | 2 | " | Rheumatical. |
| " | 3 | " | Gout. |
| " | 4 | " | Dropsical. |
| " | 5 | " | Hypochondriacal. |
| " | 6 | " | Scrofulous. |
| " | 7 | " | Stoppage in Speech, or Stuttering. |
| " | 8 | " | Pox-marked, or Hair-lipped. |
| " | 9 | " | Loss of an eye, tooth, or limb—a bald head, or any noted scar exposed. This number will require close inspection, in order to avoid being deceived; as the mechanical construction of wigs, glass eyes, false teeth, wooden legs, false whiskers, &c., has been brought to such perfection, that, without the very closest scrutiny, they will, many times, escape our observation, and pass as the real members created by the God of Nature. |
Sixth: Gaugh—a flash word, signifying Age and Manner of Speech—is described as follows:
| No. | 1 | denotes the | person | to be | 70. |
| " | 2 | " | " | from | 50 to 60. |
| " | 3 | " | " | " | 40 to 55. |
| " | 4 | " | " | " | 30 to 40. |
| " | 5 | " | " | " | 21 to 30. |
| No. | 6 | denotes the | person | to be | Very Gray. |
| " | 7 | " | " | Dappled. | |
| " | 8 | " | " | Quick Spoken. | |
| " | 9 | " | " | Slow and Indistinct. |
These private Qualities are not to be explained to any but Grand Masters; and when a Brother becomes familiar with these private dualities, he can correspond with other Masters, without any fear of detection, as all of the Qualities, though apparently simple, are impossible for any one to understand, unless he has the key; and he who shall dare to instruct another in this mystery, unless entitled to it by the law of our constitution, will find it would have been better for him had a mill-stone been tied about his neck, and he been cast in the bosom of the deepest sea.
[The table of "flash" words contained in article sixth, section second, are words used among the fraternity in general, and by the common members believed to be the only secret language of the order. In this they have been kept wholly ignorant, by the cunning of their leaders. We have but little doubt in our mind that there may have been a great many words added to the original vocabulary, since the adoption of the constitution, as we find among the gamblers, and other dishonest men, language entirely incomprehensible to all without a key. The gambler, though not anywise connected, stands in his profession ready to conciliate them in their works of death, under the horrible idea that Nature, as their God, has plainly sanctioned the profession. And the religion of Nature they aver to be the only true religion on earth.]
Art. 6. It shall be the duty of the Grand Master, upon the initiation of a member, to supply him with a list of flash words used by the Brethren of this society, and shall likewise inform them of the great importance, for the safety of the Brotherhood, that they commit the few words given them to memory,—which they will also find of great importance in conversation and correspondence—as, in the few words which are diffused in their respective places, no person, without a complete key, can explain or interpret their true meaning. The words adopted are but few, yet answer, with common language, to enable the Brothers to converse with ease without being understood by others concerning their business, or matters and things pertaining to the Brotherhood. It likewise enables a Brother, in common conversation, to designate another; or, in addressing thousands, he may be identified by, as it were, accidentally using any one word of his discourse in connection with the Brotherhood:—the latter, however, is never to be done, unless in extreme cases. The most essential service is in conveying the meaning, which, in all cases, must be done in its proper place.