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1
1036
Enquire within upon everything
ยท
Robert Kemp Philp
901
[Footnote
1:
Billiards
made
Easy.
With
the
scientific
Principles
of
the
Spot-stroke,
and
the
Side-stroke,
familiarly
explained:
By
Winning
Hazard.
Illustrated
by
practical
diagrams.
With
a
chapter
on
Bagatelle:
Houlston
and
Sons.]
2591.
Boss;
or
the
Fifteen
Puzzle.
Apparently
simple,
this
game
is
really
difficult
of
solution,
Fifteen
cubes
of
wood,
severally
marked
from
I
to
15,
are
placed
indifferently
in
a
box
made
to
hold
sixteen;
thus:
---------------------------
---------------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9
|
11
|
3
|
7
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|------+------+------+------|
|------+------+------+------|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
14
|
10
|
15
|
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|------+------+------+------|
|------+------+------+------|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
12
|
13
|
2
|
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|------+------+------+------|
|------+------+------+------|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
1
|
4
|
|
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
---------------------------
---------------------------
The
puzzle
consists
in
sliding
the
cubes
from
square
to
square,
without
lifting
them
or
removing
them
from
the
box,
until
they
are
placed
in
their
natural
order.
It
is
easy
enough
to
move
the
squares
up
to
12;
but
to
get
the
last
three
into
order
is
often
a
puzzle
indeed.
If
the
figures
fall
in
either
of
the
following
positions--13,
15,
14;
14,
13,
15;
or
15,
14,
13--the
problem
is
unsolvable;
it
follows,
therefore,
that
the
last
row
must
be
either
14,
15,
13;
or
15,
13,
14.
If
you
get
the
cubes
into
either
of
these
positions,
you
can
easily
bring
them
right;
but
if
you
cannot,
the
only
way
is
to
begin
the
game
all
over
again.
Several
other
ways
are
suggested.
Cavendish
(Mr.
H.
Jones)
thinks
he
solves
the
puzzle
by
turning
the
box
half
round;
but
as
this
is
only
possible
when
the
figures
are
on
circular
pieces
of
wood,
his
solution
merely
cuts
the
knot,
instead
of
unravelling
it.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over