| a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h |
| . : . . . | : . . . : | . : : . . | . . . : . | . . . . : | . : . : : | . . : . . | : . . . . |
| i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p |
| : : . . . | . . : : . | . : . : . | : . : . . | . . . : : | . . : . : | : : : . . | . : : : . |
| q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x |
| : : : : : | : : . : : | : . : . : | : : . . : | : . : : . | : : : : . | . : : : : | : : : . : |
| y | z | ||||||
| : . : : : | . : : . : | ||||||
Here is the key of another:—
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| a | b | e | d | e—1 |
| f | g | h | i | k—2 |
| l | m | n | o | p—3 |
| q | r | s | t | u—4 |
| v | w | x | y | z—5 |
In picking out the letter you want, you must see under what number it stands, then see what number is at the end of the line, then put those two figures together, and they will represent the letter: thus, 15 represents V; 23, M; 43, O; and 55, Z.
The sentence, “We meet to-night,” would be—2551, 23515144, 4443, 3342223244.
The next is a very difficult and complex cryptograph to decipher.
Draw a table of four columns, like the figure below. In the first column place the six different arrangements of the figures 1, 2, 3, and number the other columns 1st, 2d, and 3d respectively:—
| 1st. | 2d. | 3d. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 123 | t | y | c | n | h | r | e | m | e | a | o | i |
| 132 | b | e | f | s | y | h | i | s | g | t | r | t |
| 213 | e | r | e | e | t | m | x | w | a | e | n | t |
| 231 | e | r | m | c | k | m | a | r | a | h | h | y |
| 321 | l | m | r | t | i | c | i | h | l | o | e | g |
You must agree with your correspondent how many letters wide each of the three columns shall be—we will say four. Then take your sentence—say it is, “They are coming by the first steamer next week from America; we hope they will come right.” You must then place every letter down separately, writing the figures in the first column in succession over them, thus—
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| T | h | e | y | a | r | e | c | o | m | i | n | g | b | y | t | h | e | f | i | r | s | t | s | t | e | a | m | ||
| 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| e | r | n | e | x | t | w | e | e | k | f | r | o | m | A | m | e | r | i | c | a | w | e | h | o | p | e | t | h | e |
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1. | ||||||||||||||||
| y | w | i | l | l | c | o | m | e | r | i | g | h | t. | ||||||||||||||||