the works of edgar allan poe-1-第30章
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Atlantic coast； by Kidd and his associates。 These rumors must have
had some foundation in fact。 And that the rumors have existed so long
and so continuous； could have resulted； it appeared to me； only from
the circumstance of the buried treasure still remaining entombed。 Had
Kidd concealed his plunder for a time； and afterwards reclaimed it；
the rumors would scarcely have reached us in their present unvarying
form。 You will observe that the stories told are all about
money…seekers； not about money…finders。 Had the pirate recovered his
money； there the affair would have dropped。 It seemed to me that some
accident … say the loss of a memorandum indicating its locality … had
deprived him of the means of recovering it； and that this accident
had become known to his followers； who otherwise might never have
heard that treasure had been concealed at all； and who； busying
themselves in vain； because unguided attempts； to regain it； had
given first birth； and then universal currency； to the reports which
are now so common。 Have you ever heard of any important treasure
being unearthed along the coast？〃
〃Never。〃
〃But that Kidd's accumulations were immense； is well known。 I
took it for granted； therefore； that the earth still held them； and
you will scarcely be surprised when I tell you that I felt a hope；
nearly amounting to certainty； that the parchment so strangely found；
involved a lost record of the place of deposit。〃
〃But how did you proceed？〃
〃I held the vellum again to the fire； after increasing the heat；
but nothing appeared。 I now thought it possible that the coating of
dirt might have something to do with the failure； so I carefully
rinsed the parchment by pouring warm water over it； and；
having done this； I placed it in a tin pan； with the skull downwards；
and put the pan upon a furnace of lighted charcoal。 In a few minutes；
the pan having become thoroughly heated； I removed the slip； and； to
my inexpressible joy； found it spotted； in several places； with what
appeared to be figures arranged in lines。 Again I placed it in the
pan； and suffered it to remain another minute。 Upon taking it off；
the whole was just as you see it now。〃 Here Legrand； having re…heated
the parchment； submitted it to my inspection。 The following
characters were rudely traced； in a red tint； between the
death's…head and the goat：
〃53噰？05））6*；4826）4？4？806*；48？？0））85；1…（；：*8…83（88）5*？
；46（；88*96*？；8）*？；485）；5*？：*？；4956*2（5*… 4）8？*；40692
85）；）6？）4；1（？；48081；8：8？；48？5；4）485？28806*81（？；48；
（88；4（？34；48）4？161；：188；？；〃
〃But；〃 said I； returning him the slip； 〃I am as much in the dark
as ever。 Were all the jewels of Golconda awaiting me upon my solution
of this enigma； I am quite sure that I should be unable to earn
them。〃
〃And yet；〃 said Legrand； 〃the solution is by no means so
difficult as you might be lead to imagine from the first hasty
inspection of the characters。 These characters； as any one might
readily guess； form a cipher … that is to say； they convey a meaning；
but then； from what is known of Kidd； I could not suppose him capable
of constructing any of the more abstruse cryptographs。 I made up my
mind； at once； that this was of a simple species … such； however； as
would appear； to the crude intellect of the sailor； absolutely
insoluble without the key。〃
〃And you really solved it？〃
〃Readily； I have solved others of an abstruseness ten thousand
times greater。 Circumstances； and a certain bias of mind； have led me
to take interest in such riddles； and it may well be doubted whether
human ingenuity can construct an enigma of the kind which human
ingenuity may not； by proper application； resolve。 In fact； having
once established connected and legible characters； I scarcely gave a
thought to the mere difficulty of developing their import。
〃In the present case … indeed in all cases of secret writing …
the first question regards the language of the cipher； for the
principles of solution； so far； especially； as the more simple
ciphers are concerned； depend upon； and are varied by； the genius of
the particular idiom。 In general； there is no alternative but
experiment （directed by probabilities） of every tongue known to him
who attempts the solution； until the true one be attained。 But； with
the cipher now before us； all difficulty was removed by the
signature。 The pun upon the word 'Kidd' is appreciable in no other
language than the English。 But for this consideration I should have
begun my attempts with the Spanish and French； as the tongues in
which a secret of this kind would most naturally have been written by
a pirate of the Spanish main。 As it was； I assumed the cryptograph to
be English。
〃You observe there are no divisions between the words。 Had there
been divisions； the task would have been comparatively easy。 In such
case I should have commenced with a collation and analysis of the
shorter words； and； had a word of a single letter occurred； as is
most likely； （a or I； for example；） I should have considered the
solution as assured。 But； there being no division； my first step was
to ascertain the predominant letters； as well as the least frequent。
Counting all； I constructed a table； thus：
Of the character 8 there are 33。
； 〃 26。
4 〃 19。
？） 〃 16。
* 〃 13。
5 〃 12。
6 〃 11。
？1 〃 8。
0 〃 6。
9 2 〃 5。
： 3 〃 4。
？ 〃 3。
？ 〃 2。
…。 〃 1。
〃Now； in English； the letter which most frequently occurs is e。
Afterwards； succession 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_ predominates so remarkably that an individual
sentence of any length is rarely seen； in which it is not the
prevailing character。
〃Here； then； we leave； in the very beginning； the groundwork for
something more than a mere guess。 The general use which may be made
of the table is obvious … but； in this particular cipher； we shall
only very partially require its aid。 As our predominant character is
8； we will commence by assuming it as the _e_ of the natural
alphabet。 To verify the supposition； let us observe if the 8 be seen
often in couples … for _e_ is doubled with great frequency in English
… in such words； for example； as 'meet；' '。fleet；' 'speed；' 'seen；'
been；' 'agree；' &c。 In the present instance we see it doubled no less
than five times； although the cryptograph is brief。
〃Let us assume 8； then； as _e_。 Now； of all _words_ in the
language； 'the' is most usual； let us see； therefore； whether there
are not repetitions of any three characters； in the same order of
collocation； the last of them being 8。 If we discover repetitions of
such letters； so arranged； they will most probably represent the word
'the。' Upon inspection； we find no less than seven such arrangements；
the characters being ；48。 We may； therefore； assume that ； represents
_t_； 4 represents _h_； and 8 represents _e_ … the last being now well
confirmed。 Thus a great step has been taken。
〃But； having established a single word； we are enabled to
establish a vastly important point； that is to say； several
commencements and terminations of other words。 Let us refer； for
example； to the last instance but one； in which the combination ；48
occurs … not far from the end of the cipher。 We know that the ；
immediately ensuing is the commencement of a word； and； of the six
characters succeeding this 'the；' we are cognizant of no less than
five。 Let us set these characters down； thus； by the letters we know
them to represent； leaving a space for the unknown …
