| No w, in English, the letter which mo st frequently o ccurs is e. Afterward, the successio n runs thus: a o i d h n r s t u y c f g l m w b k p q x z. E predo minates so remarkably, that an individual sentence o f any length is rarely seen, in which it is no t the prevailing character.Here, then, we have, in the very beginning, the gro undwo rk fo r so mething mo re than a mere guess. The general use which may be made o f the table is o bvio us — but, in this particular cipher, we shall o nly very partially require its aid. As o ur predo minant character is 8, we will co mmence by assuming it as the e o f the natural alphabet. To verify the suppo sitio n, let us o bserve if the 8 be seen o ften in co uples — fo r e is do ubled with great frequency in English — in such wo rds, fo r example, as meet, fleet, speed, seen, been, agree, etc. In the present instance we see it do ubled no less than five times, altho ugh the crypto graph is brief.Let us assume 8, then, as e. No w, o f all wo rds in the language, 'the' is mo st usual; let us see, therefo re, whether there are no t repetitio ns o f any three characters, in the same o rder o f co llo catio n, the last o f them being 8. If we disco ver a repetitio n o f such letters, so arranged, they will mo st pro bably represent the wo rd 'the.' Upo n inspectio n, we find no less than seven such arrangements... |
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