We here see that
| a | stands for | ————— c | |
| d | stands for | ————— m | |
| e | stands for | g, n and z | |
| f | stands for | ————— o | |
| i | stands for | e, i, s and w | |
| m | stands for | ————— k | |
| n | stands for | j and x | |
| o | stands for | l, n and p | |
| r | stands for | h, q, v and y | |
| s | stands for | ————— a | |
| t | stands for | f, r and t | |
| u | stands for | ————— b | |
| v | stands for | ————— d | |
| | | |
In this manner n stands for two letters, and e, o, and t for three each, while i and r represent each as many as four. Thirteen characters are made to perform the operations of the whole alphabet. The result of such a key-phrase upon the cipher, is to give it the appearance of a mere medley of the letters e, o, t, r and i—the latter character greatly predominating, through the accident of being employed for letters which, themselves, are inordinately prevalent in most languages—we mean e and i.
A letter thus written being intercepted, and the key-phrase unknown, the individual who should attempt to decipher it may be imagined guessing, or otherwise attempting to convince himself, that a certain character (i, for example,) represented the letter e. Looking throughout the cryptograph for confirmation of this idea, he would meet with nothing but a negation of it. He would see the character in situations where it could not possibly represent e. He might, for instance, be puzzled by four i’s forming of themselves a single word, without the intervention of any other character; in which case, of course, they could not be all e’s. It will be seen that the word wise might be thus constructed. We say this may be seen now, by us, in possession of the key-phrase; but the question will, no doubt, occur, how, without the key-phrase, and without cognizance of any single letter in the cipher, it would be possible for the interceptor of such a cryptograph to make any thing of such a word as iiii?