AUTOMATON CHESS-PLAYER. 



329 



drawer G G, his body being concealed by the screen I, 

 and his limbs by the drawer G G. 



The great cupboard C C is now opened, and there is so 

 little machinery in it that the eye instantly discovers that 

 no person is concealed in it. To make this more certain, 

 however, a door is opened at the back, and a lighted 

 candle held to it, to allow the spectators to explore every 

 corner and recess. 



Fig. 65. 



The front doors of the great and small cupboard being 

 left opened, the chest is wheeled round to show the trunk 

 of the figure, and the bunch of keys is allowed to remain 

 in the door D, as the apparent carelessness of such a pro- 

 ceeding will help to remove any suspicion which may 

 have been excited by the locking of the door B. 



When the drapery of the figure has been raised, and 

 the doors E and F in the trunk and thigh opened, the 

 chest is wheeled round again into its original position, 

 and the doors E and F closed. In the mean time the 

 player withdraws his legs from behind the drawer, as he 

 cannot so easily do this when the drawer G G is pushed in. 



In all these operations, the spectator flatters himself 

 that he has seen in succession every part of the chest, 

 while in reality some parts have been wholly concealed 

 from his view, and others but imperfectly shown, while at 



