The time has come to issue a warning: this entire series of caches will be archived between May 1st and October 31st, 2022.
A Cipher Series
Alberti is the first in a series created for those interested in some degree in cryptology. It is recommended that one do these in alphabetical order, the entire series being Alberti (GC3TAT5), Babbage (GC3V0GV), Colossus (GC3VAFW), Doyle (GC3WTWC), Enigma (GC3X6T8), Flowers (GC41DHR), Gifford (GC6B6HE), Hammer (GC6BR6X), Information (GC6CAXY), Jabberwocky (GC6CY2J), Koblitz (GC6DFP0), Lewis (GC6DMYB), Michie (GC6E4GP), Newman (GC6ENZC), Oded (GC6FNDV), Painvin (GC6G245) and Quits (GC6GN8R). Some can be done independent of the others but, in general, information given and skills acquired in one cache will not be repeated in subsequent caches.
Introduction to the Series
The Oxford Canadian Dictionary defines these terms as follows:
- cipher: a secret or disguised system of writing;
- cryptology: the art of writing or solving codes and ciphers; [note that "cypher" is an alternate spelling];
- cryptogram: a text written in code or cipher;
- plain text (or plaintext): a text not in cipher or code (a term used frequently when referring to both a coded message (cipher) and the message itself (plain text).
For those who are interested - obviously not all geocachers - we are creating a series of caches involving the use of ciphers. Each cache will be named after a person/process/place relating somehow to cryptology but we hasten to add that there is not necessarily any connection between the name of the cache and the type of cipher used therein. We will start with relatively easy ciphers and progress - alphabetically by the name of the cache - to more difficult ones. We are providing only new information for each cache on the assumption that people are working in alphabetical order and will retain what they learned in previous caches.
There are two short stories which serve admirably to introduce the art of cryptography: "The Gold Bug" by Edgar Allen Poe and "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In addition, we found the reading of The Code Book by Simon Singh (1999) to be both highly informative and very enjoyable - not to mention "beyond us" in places! There is no doubt that the computer will be of assistance as well.
The Specifics of "Alberti"
Leon Battista Alberti was a C15th native of Florence and a master of many arts, particularly architecture, but became interested in cryptography in his mature years. He introduced a type of "substitution cipher" which utilized two or more cipher alphabets. He also invented the first "cryptographic machine." Your own research will reveal more details if you are interested.
We are all familiar with the "alphabet shift" employed in providing the hints on cache pages. But there are 24 other shifts that could be used; this puzzle uses one of them. One common way of starting to solve a cipher in the English language is to postulate that the letter appearing most frequently represents the letter "e" and work from there. Whether this works in this cryptogram or not, we are not saying! Generally, however, the longer the message the more likely it is that this approach will help.
Assume N 44° and W 078°; you are looking for the minutes only. Have fun!
The cache is a medium-sized, camouflaged peanut butter container containing a log and the small variety of tradeables and tethered about knee-high. Please provide your own writing instrument.
Is the terrain rating really 3.5? You'll have to decide - better to err on the high side here. We have stated that it is not winter friendly . . . but of course it will depend on the winter! Some will undoubtedly report that it is just as bad in a different way in the summer!
AND BE CAREFUL! There is a drop-off from the trail - not high but abrupt - at the beginning of the bushwack to the cache so watch where and how you step!
The Cryptogram
Rhnk zhte bl mh ybgw ghkma hgx xbzam ihbgm hgx sxkh lxoxg tgw pxlm ybox yhnk ihbgm lxoxg yhnk lbq.
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.