[2] To anxious souls who surmised a
new Guy Fawkes conspiracy Captain Smith showed how he had once conveyed
a message to the garrison of a beleaguered city in this way. Here was
the code. The first half of the alphabet was represented by single
lights, the second half by pairs. To secure attention three torches were
shown at equal distances from one another, until a single light flashed
in response to show that the signal was understood. For any letter from
A to L a single light was shown and hidden one or more times according
to the number of the letter from the beginning; thus, three flashes
meant C; four meant D, and so on. For a letter between M and Z the same
plan was followed using two torches. The end of a word was signified by
three lights. In this way Smith had spelled out the message, "On
Thursday night I will charge on the east; at the alarum, sally you." He
had, however, translated it into Latin, to make it short.
John Hudson found new interest in Latin.
When Captain Smith began to talk of joining a new colony to go to
Virginia the boy begged hard to be allowed to go. But just at this time
the Muscovy Company was sending Henry Hudson to look for a way round
through northern seas to the Spice Islands. The Dutch were already
trading in the Portuguese Indies.
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