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Charles Babbage and deciphering codes (1864)

Charles Babbage and deciphering codes

In fact we omit a more technical part which describes the considerable effort that he had put in constructing dictionaries with particular properties to assist in deciphering:- In a conversation on that subject which I had with the late Mr Davies Gilbert, President of the Royal Society, each maintained that he possessed a cipher which was absolutely inscrutable. Dr Fitton fully agreed in my view of the subject; but even whilst I was explaining the law, an indistinct glimpse of defeating it presented itself vaguely to my imagination.

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