The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1805-04-05 00:00:00

S.' w

TO nu EDITOR OP THE BRITISH PRESS.

THOUGHTS ON SECRET WRITING.
NO. 1.
SIR—It would he a waste of time and paper to
prove the importance of secret writings considered
in a natural and political view. If our statesmen,
and other persons who are employed as their agents,
had no means of conveying secret intelligence, espe-
cially through the dominions of a foe nr a suspeCled
friend, how easily would their letters be intercepted,
and their objeCt defeated. Has not this, indeed,
been the case, even although endeavours were used
to conceal their design, 'by various artful contri-
vances in writing, /cc. ? And have we not, too re-
cently, seen, that for want of a more perfeCt mode
of concluding a secret correspondence, the most
weighty and pressing measures have been ultimately
frustrated? But, without further preamble, Sir, I
will explain the objed of my now addressing you.
I have invented a mode of secret writing, which,
from the best information I can obtain, appears to
be new and easy of application. It may be prac-
tised by ten thousand persons, without endangering
a discovery, for, it I were to teach this art to you, it
would not at all assist me in decyphering your writ-
ing, not would you be thereby enabled to read my
letters, if I intended to conceal their meaning. As
many different alphabets may be composed by my
plan, as would supply one for all the inhabitants of
the world; and these are twenty-five disimilar modes
of writing with each of these alphabets, while all the
twenty-five are to be decyphered by the same key,
or clue. A person who is skilled in the art of de-
cyphering, and who would explain any common
secret writing (or, perhaps, any which bas yet been
made public), would find that the ordinary rules of
&cyphering do not apply to the system I have in-
vented, because he could neither aseetain the num-
ber of letters in a word, nor the frequency with
which the sign of each letter is repeated in an epis-
tolary correspondence.
If you are willing to have a specimen of this kind
of writing, I will send it you alter the insertion of
my present letter in your Paper : it shall be written
in common alphabetical charafters ; and I promise
that I will give an easy specimen, rather than use
any effort to puzzle your inquisitive readers. If you
accept this offer, it will be affording a chance to in-
genious men to use their skill, in a matter which has
been treated rather neglethully and fastidiously by
' certain individuals in an important station; for, six
months ago, I made a proposal, which I do not
intend to, repeat, of disclosing my plan GRA.-
r ousev to any respeCtable and competent per-
, sun at the Secretary of State's Office. Your's,

SINGULAR FOX CHACE.
Last Tuesday morning the Officers of the Encl.-
ragham Regim.nt, quartered at Maidstone, acct,ni-
panied by several other sporting gentlemen in the
neighbourhood, turned out a Bag Fox, on Pennell-
den Heath, just at the time as Captain Tyrrell's
Rifle Corps, who were skirmishing, entered the
I-loath in extended older from the wood, adjoining
the Debaing-road. The fox, in approaching them,
soon altered iris course, frightened at the ire kept
up by the nfiemen ; and. alter passing several inclo-
sates. with the hinintis iti full cry, bounded a very
high garden wall and sevet al fences, making his way
into Dukes-court, Maidstone, Ike peer.frd aside tf
old mods; and there leaping on a water-cask, faci-
litated his second leap upon the roof of Mr. Alchin's
school; not sufficiently exalted here, Reynani, with
much adroitness, sprung epon the chimney (being
double) and sagaciously vievine his pursuers. which
were close at hand, descended into the one that had
no fire below. In the mean time, the ardor of the
sportsmen was so great in the pursuit that it could
scarcely berestrained, even in his sooty progress ; but
Mr. John Russell, of Maidstone. a sportsman of
celebrity, roe,/ domarintiqt, entered the school, and
followed Reynard to his dernier retreat. He was ,
found sitting at the mouth of a funnel in the wash-
house chimney—that gentleman, disregarding the
sharpness of his teeth and claws, though in so awk-
ward a situation to he secured, soon dragged him
from his lurking place into a bag, but not without
himself and another person having their hands much
lacerated in the conflict. Reynard was a second
time turned out the same morning on the Debtling-
road below Pennenden Heath, and taking a southern
course, by Mrs. What:n:ol's. was killed, after a
very short run, near Pole Mill. A doubt having
arisen, whether it is agreeable to the exalt regulations
of the chace, that a fox, after such a buffeting.
should have been so immediately turned out again ?
several have drawn a conclusion that Reynard had
net a fair chance, in not being given a longer res-
pite; but this point is left for sportsmen to decide
upon.

Wednesday, at / latton-garden Office, James War-
ding, aims Lord Hauda, underwent an examination
on various charges ..f swindling. The prisoner is an
accomplice with C.., who stands committed for
trial for swindling prim:lice% to a very considerable
amount. He was charged first with defrauding Mr.
Dickenson, Umbrella Maker, High Holborn. He
called, it appeared. at Mr. ll.'s shop in Holborn,
and gave an order for a chaise umbrella, and seve-
ral smaller ones. He said, that Mr. Bonney, an At-
torney, had recommended him, and that he was also
on terms of intimacy with Sir F. Burdett. lie gave
an address to Guildford-street, and took an umbrella
away with him, value 30s. desiring that the order
might be speedily executed. The house where the
goods were ordered to be delivered, belonged to a
Gentleman of the liar, of the first professional cha-
rader. The prisoner also was charged with de-
frauding Mr. Lange, a furrier, to whom he gave
an order for a quantity of muff► and tippets. He de-
scribed himself as'a merchant, residing in the city.
He gave a reference to one of his counting-houses,
and took, at the same time. a tippet away with him
in his carriage. He called again a few days after.
and prevailed on Mr. Lange to advance a sum of
money on a fiditious bill. The third charge was for
defrauding Mr. Keenan, a tailor, in St. James's-
street, to whom he gave one of the fictitious bills
in payment for clothes, giving his address at llsbeta
son% coffee-house He also stands charged, on the
oath of Mr. 'cr,tr, a Folice•OGcer, upon suspicion
of having committed divers highway robberies.—
The pi ironer is a handsome yowl{ man, about 24
having much the uppearsoce of agenticiaso.