270 



LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



doors of the apartment are thrown open, or is 

 wheeled into the room previously to the com- 

 mencement of the exhibition. 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 exhibitor then 



Fig. 66. Fig. 67, 



announces to the spectators his intention of 

 showing them the mechanism of the automaton. 

 For this purpose he unlocks the door A, Fig. 66, 

 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. 67, at the back of the same 

 cupboard, and holding a lighted candle at the 

 opening, he still further displays the inclosed 

 machinery to the spectators, placed in front of 

 A, Fig. 66. When the candle is withdrawn, the 



