Leavingthisdrawer，aswellascupboardNo。1open，MaelzelnowunlocksdoorNo。2，anddoorNo。3，whicharediscoveredtobefoldingdoors，openingintooneandthesamecompartment。Totherightofthiscompartment，however，thatistosaythespectators’
　　rightasmalldivision，sixincheswide，andfilledwithmachinery，ispartitionedoff。Themaincompartmentitselfinspeakingofthatportionoftheboxvisibleuponopeningdoors2and3，weshallalwayscallitthemaincompartmentislinedwithdarkclothandcontainsnomachinerywhateverbeyondtwopiecesofsteel，quadrant-shaped，andsituatedoneineachofthereartopcornersofthecompartment。Asmallprotuberanceabouteightinchessquare，andalsocoveredwithdarkcloth，liesonthefloorofthecompartmentneartherearcorneronthespectators’lefthand。LeavingdoorsNo。
　　2andNo。3openaswellasthedrawer，anddoorNo。I，theexhibiternowgoesroundtothebackofthemaincompartment，and，unlockinganotherdoorthere，displaysclearlyalltheinteriorofthemaincompartment，byintroducingacandlebehinditandwithinit。Thewholeboxbeingthusapparentlydisclosedtothescrutinyofthecompany，Maelzel，stillleavingthedoorsanddraweropen，rollstheAutomatonentirelyround，andexposesthebackoftheTurkbyliftingupthedrapery。Adooraboutteninchessquareisthrownopenintheloinsofthefigure，andasmalleronealsointheleftthigh。Theinteriorofthefigure，asseenthroughtheseapertures，appearstobecrowdedwithmachinery。Ingeneral，everyspectatorisnowthoroughlysatisfiedofhavingbeheldandcompletelyscrutinized，atoneandthesametime，everyindividualportionoftheAutomaton，andtheideaofanypersonbeingconcealedintheinterior，duringsocompleteanexhibitionofthatinterior，ifeverentertained，isimmediatelydismissedaspreposterousintheextreme。
　　M。Maelzel，havingrolledthemachinebackintoitsoriginalposition，nowinformsthecompanythattheAutomatonwillplayagameofchesswithanyonedisposedtoencounterhim。Thischallengebeingaccepted，asmalltableispreparedfortheantagonist，andplacedclosebytherope，butonthespectators’sideofit，andsosituatedasnottopreventthecompanyfromobtainingafullviewoftheAutomaton。Fromadrawerinthistableistakenasetofchess-men，andMaelzelarrangesthemgenerally，butnotalways，withhisownhands，onthechessboard，whichconsistsmerelyoftheusualnumberofsquarespainteduponthetable。Theantagonisthavingtakenhisseat，theexhibiterapproachesthedrawerofthebox，andtakestherefromthecushion，which，afterremovingthepipefromthehandoftheAutomaton，heplacesunderitsleftarmasasupport。ThentakingalsofromthedrawertheAutomaton’ssetofchess-men，hearrangesthemuponthechessboardbeforethefigure。HenowproceedstoclosethedoorsandtolockthemleavingthebunchofkeysindoorNo。1。Healsoclosesthedrawer，and，finally，windsupthemachine，byapplyingakeytoanapertureintheleftendthespectators’leftofthebox。ThegamenowcommencestheAutomatontakingthefirstmove。Thedurationofthecontestisusuallylimitedtohalfanhour，butifitbenotfinishedattheexpirationofthisperiod，andtheantagoniststillcontendthathecanbeattheAutomaton，M。Maelzelhasseldomanyobjectiontocontinueit。Nottowearythecompany，istheostensible，andnodoubttherealobjectofthelimitation。ItWitsofcoursebeunderstoodthatwhenamoveismadeathisowntable，bytheantagonist，thecorrespondingmoveismadeattheboxoftheAutomaton，byMaelzelhimself，whothenactsastherepresentativeoftheantagonist。Ontheotherhand，whentheTurkmoves，thecorrespondingmoveismadeatthetableoftheantagonist，alsobyM。Maelzel，whothenactsastherepresentativeoftheAutomaton。Inthismanneritisnecessarythattheexhibitershouldoftenpassfromonetabletotheother。Healsofrequentlygoesinrearofthefiguretoremovethechess-menwhichithastaken，andwhichitdeposits，whentaken，ontheboxtothelefttoitsownleftoftheboard。WhentheAutomatonhesitatesinrelationtoitsmove，theexhibiterisoccasionallyseentoplacehimselfverynearitsrightside，andtolayhishand，nowandthen，inacarelessmanneruponthebox。Hehasalsoapeculiarshufflewithhisfeet，calculatedtoinducesuspicionofcollusionwiththemachineinmindswhicharemorecunningthansagacious。Thesepeculiaritiesare，nodoubt，meremannerismsofM。Maelzel，or，ifheisawareofthematall，heputstheminpracticewithaviewofexcitinginthespectatorsafalseideaofthepuremechanismintheAutomaton。
　　TheTurkplayswithhislefthand。Allthemovementsofthearmareatrightangles。Inthismanner，thehandwhichisglovedandbentinanaturalway，beingbroughtdirectlyabovethepiecetobemoved，descendsfinallyuponit，thefingersreceivingit，inmostcases，withoutdifficulty。Occasionally，however，whenthepieceisnotpreciselyinitspropersituation，theAutomatonfailsinhisattemptatseizingit。Whenthisoccurs，nosecondeffortismade，butthearmcontinuesitsmovementinthedirectionoriginallyintended，preciselyasifthepiecewereinthefingers。Havingthusdesignatedthespotwhitherthemoveshouldhavebeenmade，thearmreturnstoitscushion，andMaelzelperformstheevolutionwhichtheAutomatonpointedout。Ateverymovementofthefiguremachineryisheardinmotion。Duringtheprogressofthegame，thefigurenowandthenrollsitseyes，asifsurveyingtheboard，movesitshead，andpronouncestheword_echec_checkwhennecessary。{*3}Ifafalsemovebemadebyhisantagonist，herapsbrisklyontheboxwiththefingersofhisrighthand，shakeshisheadroughly，andreplacingthepiecefalselymoved，initsformersituation，assumesthenextmovehimself。Uponbeatingthegame，hewaveshisheadwithanairoftriumph，looksroundcomplacentlyuponthespectators，anddrawinghisleftarmfartherbackthanusual，suffershisfingersalonetorestuponthecushion。Ingeneral，theTurkisvictoriousonceortwicehehasbeenbeaten。Thegamebeingended，Maelzelwillagainifdesired，exhibitthemechanismofthebox，inthesamemannerasbefore。Themachineisthenrolledback，andacurtainhidesitfromtheviewofthecompany。
　　TherehavebeenmanyattemptsatsolvingthemysteryoftheAutomaton。Themostgeneralopinioninrelationtoit，anopiniontoonotunfrequentlyadoptedbymenwhoshouldhaveknownbetter，was，aswehavebeforesaid，thatnoimmediatehumanagencywasemployedinotherwords，thatthemachinewaspurelyamachineandnothingelse。
　　Many，howevermaintainedthattheexhibiterhimselfregulatedthemovementsofthefigurebymechanicalmeansoperatingthroughthefeetofthebox。Othersagain，spokeconfidentlyofamagnet。Ofthefirstoftheseopinionsweshallsaynothingatpresentmorethanwehavealreadysaid。Inrelationtotheseconditisonlynecessarytorepeatwhatwehavebeforestated，thatthemachineisrolledaboutoncastors，andwill，attherequestofaspectator，bemovedtoandfrotoanyportionoftheroom，evenduringtheprogressofagame。
　　Thesuppositionofthemagnetisalsountenableforifamagnetweretheagent，anyothermagnetinthepocketofaspectatorwoulddisarrangetheentiremechanism。Theexhibiter，however，willsufferthemostpowerfulloadstonetoremainevenupontheboxduringthewholeoftheexhibition。
　　Thefirstattemptatawrittenexplanationofthesecret，atleastthefirstattemptofwhichweourselveshaveanyknowledge，wasmadeinalargepamphletprintedatParisin1785。Theauthor’shypothesisamountedtothisthatadwarfactuatedthemachine。Thisdwarfhesupposedtoconcealhimselfduringtheopeningoftheboxbythrustinghislegsintotwohollowcylinders，whichwererepresentedtobebutwhicharenotamongthemachineryinthecupboardNo。I，whilehisbodywasoutoftheboxentirely，andcoveredbythedraperyoftheTurk。Whenthedoorswereshut，thedwarfwasenabledtobringhisbodywithintheboxthenoiseproducedbysomeportionofthemachineryallowinghimtodosounheard，andalsotoclosethedoorbywhichheentered。Theinterioroftheautomatonbeingthenexhibited，andnopersondiscovered，thespectators，saystheauthorofthispamphlet，aresatisfiedthatnooneiswithinanyportionofthemachine。Thiswholehypothesiswastooobviouslyabsurdtorequirecomment，orrefutation，andaccordinglywefindthatitattractedverylittleattention。
　　In1789abookwaspublishedatDresdenbyM。I。F。Freyhereinwhichanotherendeavorwasmadetounravelthemystery。Mr。Freyhere’sbookwasaprettylargeone，andcopiouslyillustratedbycoloredengravings。Hissuppositionwasthat“awell-taughtboyverythinandtallofhisagesufficientlysothathecouldbeconcealedinadraweralmostimmediatelyunderthechess-board“playedthegameofchessandeffectedalltheevolutionsoftheAutomaton。Thisidea，althoughevenmoresillythanthatoftheParisianauthor，metwithabetterreception，andwasinsomemeasurebelievedtobethetruesolutionofthewonder，untiltheinventorputanendtothediscussionbysufferingacloseexaminationofthetopofthebox。
　　Thesebizarreattemptsatexplanationwerefollowedbyothersequallybizarre。Oflateyearshowever，ananonymouswriter，byacourseofreasoningexceedinglyunphilosophical，hascontrivedtoblunderuponaplausiblesolutionalthoughwecannotconsideritaltogetherthetrueone。HisEssaywasfirstpublishedinaBaltimoreweeklypaper，wasillustratedbycuts，andwasentitled“AnattempttoanalyzetheAutomatonChess-PlayerofM。Maelzel。”ThisEssaywesupposetohavebeentheoriginalofthe_pamphletto_whichSirDavidBrewsteralludesinhislettersonNaturalMagic，andwhichhehasnohesitationindeclaringathoroughandsatisfactoryexplanation。The_results_oftheanalysisareundoubtedly，inthemain，just；butwecanonlyaccountforBrewster’spronouncingtheEssayathoroughandsatisfactoryexplanation，bysupposinghimtohavebestoweduponitaverycursoryandinattentiveperusal。InthecompendiumoftheEssay，madeuseofintheLettersonNaturalMagic，itisquiteimpossibletoarriveatanydistinctconclusioninregardtotheadequacyorinadequacyoftheanalysis，onaccountofthegrossmisarrangementanddeficiencyofthelettersofreferenceemployed。Thesamefaultistobefoundinthe’`Attempt&c……”asweoriginallysawit。Thesolutionconsistsinaseriesofminuteexplanations，accompaniedbywood-cuts，thewholeoccupyingmanypagesinwhichtheobjectistoshowthe_possibility_of_soshiftingthepartitions_ofthebox，astoallowahumanbeing，concealedintheinterior，tomoveportionsofhisbodyfromonepartoftheboxtoanother，duringtheexhibitionofthemechanismthuseludingthescrutinyofthespectators。Therecanbenodoubt，aswehavebeforeobserved，andaswewillpresentlyendeavortoshow，thattheprinciple，orrathertheresult，ofthissolutionisthetrueone。Somepersonisconcealedintheboxduringthewholetimeofexhibitingtheinterior。Weobject，however，tothewholeverbosedescriptionofthe_manner_inwhichthepartitionsareshifted，toaccommodatethemovementsofthepersonconcealed。Weobjecttoitasameretheoryassumedinthefirstplace，andtowhichcircumstancesareafterwardsmadetoadaptthemselves。Itwasnot，andcouldnothavebeen，arrivedatbyanyinductivereasoning。Inwhateverwaytheshiftingismanaged，itisofcourseconcealedateverystepfromobservation。Toshowthatcertainmovementsmightpossiblybeeffectedinacertainway，isveryfarfromshowingthattheyareactuallysoeffected。Theremaybeaninfinityofothermethodsbywhichthesameresultsmaybeobtained。Theprobabilityoftheoneassumedprovingthecorrectoneisthenasunitytoinfinity。But，inreality，thisparticularpoint，theshiftingofthepartitions，isofnoconsequencewhatever。Itwasaltogetherunnecessarytodevotesevenoreightpagesforthepurposeofprovingwhatnooneinhissenseswoulddenyviz：thatthewonderfulmechanicalgeniusofBaronKempelencouldinventthenecessarymeansforshuttingadoororslippingasideapannel，withahumanagenttooathisserviceinactualcontactwiththepannelorthedoor，andthewholeoperationscarriedon，astheauthoroftheEssayhimselfshows，andasweshallattempttoshowmorefullyhereafter，entirelyoutofreachoftheobservationofthespectators。