AUTOMATON CHESS-PLAYER. 271 



door B is then locked ; and the exhibitor pro- 

 ceeds to open the drawer G G, Fig. 66, in front 

 of the chest. Out of this drawer he takes a 

 small box of counters, a set of chess-men, and a 

 cushion for the support of the automaton's arm, 

 as if this was the sole object of the drawer. The 

 two front doors C C, of the large cupboard, Fig. 

 66, are then opened, and at the back-door D of 

 the same cupboard, Fig. 67, the exhibitor applies 

 a lighted candle, as before, for the purpose of 

 showing its interior, which is lined with dark 

 cloth like the other, and contains only a few 

 pieces of machinery. The chest is now wheeled 

 round, as in Fig. 67 : the garments of the figure 

 are lifted up, and the door E in the trunk, and 

 another door F in the thigh, are opened, the 

 doors B and D having been previously closed. 

 When this exhibition of the interior of the 

 machine is over, the chest is wheeled back into 

 its original position on the floor. The doors 

 A,C,C, in front, and the drawer G, G,"are closed 

 and locked, and the exhibitor, after occupying 

 himself for some time at the back of the chest, 

 as if he were adjusting the mechanism, removes 

 the pipe from the hand of the figure, and winds 

 up the machinery. 



The automaton is now ready to play, and when 

 an opponent has been found among the company, 

 the figure takes the first move. At every move 

 made by the automaton, the wheels of the ma- 

 chine are heard in action; the figure moves its 

 head, and seems to look over every part of the 

 chess-board. When it gives check to its oppo- 

 nent, it shakes its head thrice, and only twice 

 when it checks the queen. It likewise shakes 

 its head when a false move is made, replaces the 



