322 



LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



figure as large as life, clothed in a Turkish dress, sitting 

 behind a large square chest or box three feet and a half 

 long, two feet deep, and two and a half high. The machine 

 runs on casters, and is either seen on the floor when the 

 doors of the apartment are thrown open, or is wheeled 

 into the room previous to the commencement of the exhi- 

 bition. The Turkish chess-player sits on a chair fixed to 

 the square chest : his right arm rests on the table, and in 

 the left he holds a pipe, which is removed during the 

 game, as it is with this hand that he makes the moves. A 

 chess-board, eighteen inches square, and bearing the usual 

 number of pieces, is placed before the figure. The 



Fig. 61. 



Fig. 62. 



exhibitor then announces to the spectators his intention of 

 showing them the mechanism of the automaton. For this 

 purpose he unlocks the door A, Fig. 61, and exposes to 

 view a small cupboard lined with black or dark coloured 

 cloth, and containing cylinders, levers, wheels, pinions, 

 and different pieces of machinery, which have the appearance 

 of occupying the whole space. He next opens the door 

 B, Fig. 62, at the back of the same cupboard, and holding 

 a lighted candle at the opening, he still further displays 

 the enclosed machinery to the spectators, placed in front 

 of A, Fig. 61. When the candle is withdrawn, the door 



