116 



ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LOCK. 



It is a curious thing to fee wooden locks upon iron doors, par- 

 ticularly in Afia, and on their caravanfaries and other great 

 buildings, as well as on houfe doors. The key goes into the 

 back part of the bolt, and is compofed of a fquare Hick with 

 five or fix iron or wooden pins about half an inch long, to- 

 wards the end of it, placed at irrregular diftances, and an- 

 fwering to holes in the upper part of the bolt, which is pierced 

 with a fquare hole to receive the key. The key being put in 

 as far as it will go, is then lifted up, and the pins entering 

 correfponding holes raife other pins, which had dropt into 

 thefe holes from the part of the lock immediately above, and 

 which have heads to prevent them falling lower than is ne- 

 ceflary. The bolt being thus freed from the upper pins, is 

 drawn back by means of the key, the key is then lowered, 

 and may be drawn out of the bolt : to lock it again the bolt 

 is only pushed in, and the upper pins fall into the holes of 

 their own weight. This idea might be improved on, but the 

 Turks never think of improving." 



dbfervatlons. 



Simpleft ftruc- 

 ture of this lock 

 is a kind of 

 latch. 



The prefent 

 lock. 



Probable im- 

 provement. 



This lock can- 

 oot be picked ; 



THE fimplicity and other advantages of this lock or bolt, 

 are too obvious to require much remark; for which reafon I 

 fliall confine my prefent obfervations to its degree of fecurity 

 or inviolability. I think we may contemplate it in three feve- 

 ral flages of perfection or improvement. 1. If it be con- 

 ftru6led with one pin of confiderable fize to fall into the bolt, 

 and the finger be fuppofed to be introduced for the purpofe of 

 raifing it and fetting the bolt at liberty, we fliall have a fatten- 

 ing of nearly the fame effed as (he common latch. 2. Or if, 

 inftead of one falling pin, there be many, and an inftrument 

 be ufed to lift them, we Q)ali have the bolt before us: and 

 this, as far as we are informed, is the prefent ftate of the 

 invention, though of fo long Handing. 3. Or thirdly, in cafe 

 the prefent bolt fhould, on examination, be found to admit of 

 being opened without extreme difficulty, it will become a 

 queftion whether the principles of its fi;ru6lure can be fo ap- 

 plied as to render it abfolutely fafe. This laft queftion requires 

 that we Ihould firfl examine the ancient bolt a Httle more 

 clofely. 



We may admit that the ancient lock, with many pins falling 

 independently of each other, cannot be picked or opened 

 without its key : and therefore we muft alk whether the key 



can 



