The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1841-06-12
From 'The British Miscellany for April.
The AutOmatOn Chess-Player.

From THE British Miscellany for April.
The AutomatOn Chess-Player.
The art of constructing figures, which
by means of internal machinery, would
initiate the mechanical action of animals,
appears to have been carried to great
perfection by the ancients. Artificial
puppets, called Neurospaasti, which could
run round table, moving their heads,
and hands and eyes, were common both
among the Greeks and Romans. Arts
totle speaks Of some which initiated ma
tural movements with singular faithful
ness. Galen also and Xenophon allude |
to them. Plato mentions that D8dalus
made statues that could walk, and which
1t was necessary to tie that they might
not move. And Archimedes has the fame
of having constructed automatic of sur
prising excellence. The flying pigeon
Of Archytal, the fly of Regiomontanus,
Roger Beacon's speaking head, and the
famous Androides, made by Albcrtus
Magnus, which could speak and walk,
are familiar to our readers; but by far
the most marvellous automaton of which
we have any authentic account, is the
hute-player, constructed by NJ. Vaucan-
san, and exhibited at Paris in 1888. Ac-
cording TO M. D'Alembert, this figure
actually played upon the flute, that, is,
projected the air with its lips against the
embouchure, producing the different oc-
taves b. expanding and contracting their
opening, forcing more loss air, in the
manner of living performers, and regu-
latlng the tones by its fingers.
1t commanded three octaves, the full
lest scale Of the instrument, containing
several notes Of great difficulty to most
performers. 1t articulated the notes
with the lips. It's height was nearly s;x
feet, with a PEDESTAL, in which some f
the machinery was contained.
Stimulated, it is said, by the praises
lavishcd upon this remarkable machine,
by the Empress Marian Theresa, M. de
kempelin, Aulic Councillor TO the Roy
al Chamber Of the domains of the Empe-
ror in Hungary, gentleman who had
previously distinguished, himself in the
paths of science, being at Vienna at the
representation of some experiments be-
fore the Imperial Court, was induced to
promise his Royal Mistress that he would
speedily construct a piece of mechan-
ism more unaccountabIe than any she
had ever witnessed; and accordingly,
within a few months, the AUToMAToN
CHESS PLAYER was presented at court,
where its extraordinary powers excited
the liveliest establishment In a short
time all Europe rang with the praises of
this wondrous figure. The foreign jour,
nails wed with each other in the exagera,
ted reports gifts prodigious performan.
ces, and the reception salon of the inven.
tor was crowded daily by mathemati.
clans, mechanist and chess players. Up.
on entering the apartment where it was
exhibited, the Attenuation, attired in
gorgeous Oriental costume, was seen sea
ted behind a chess-board, which stood
upon chest about three feet in height
two feet wide, and four feet long. The
} Automaton, the chair upon which it sat
and the chest, were fixed together, and
being fixed upon casters, could be NOV
ed with facility to any part of the cham
Der. The exhibitor began by opeuine
certain doors contrived in the chest, two
in front, and two at the back, pulling out
at the same time, a long swallow drawer
: at the bottom Of the chest, containing {
set of chess linen, cushion, and some
! counters. Two lesser doors and greer
cloth screene in the body of the figure
J and It's lower parts were also opened
and the Turkish drapery which covered
: them was raised, so that the construc
: ton, both of theAutomaton and the chess
T internally, was fully displayed. In thu
] state the whole apparatus was moved
: round for the examination of the specta
: tors, and to Danish all suspicion from
2 the most sceptical mind that any lvini
+ objectwas concealed within, lighted ia
t per was introduced into that body of tn
: chest and figure, by which the interio
J. of each was rendered, in a great mea
: sure, transparent, and the most secre
e corner apparently made visible.
+ The same precaution to remove sus
Y picton was used at the determination, a
q before the commencement, ofthe gam