cryptograph。　It　now　only　remains　to　give　you　the　full　translation　of
  the　characters　upon　the　parchment；　as　unriddled。　Here　it　is：
  〃　'_A　good　glass　in　the　bishop's　hostel　in　the　devil's　seat
  forty…one　degrees　and　thirteen　minutes　northeast　and　by　north　main
  branch　seventh　limb　east　side　shoot　from　the　left　eye　of　the
  death's…head　a　bee　line　from　the　tree　through　the　shot　fifty　feet
  out_。'　〃
  〃But；〃　said　I；　〃the　enigma　seems　still　in　as　bad　a　condition　as
  ever。　How　is　it　possible　to　extort　a　meaning　from　all　this　jargon
  about　'devil's　seats；'　'death's　heads；'　and　'bishop's　hotels？'　〃
  〃I　confess；〃　replied　Legrand；　〃that　the　matter　still　wears　a
  serious　aspect；　when　regarded　with　a　casual　glance。　My　first　endeavor
  was　to　divide　the　sentence　into　the　natural　division　intended　by　the
  cryptographist。〃
  〃You　mean；　to　punctuate　it？〃
  〃Something　of　that　kind。〃
  〃But　how　was　it　possible　to　effect　this？〃
  〃I　reflected　that　it　had　been　a　point　with　the　writer　to　run　his
  words　together　without　division；　so　as　to　increase　the　difficulty　of
  solution。　Now；　a　not　over…acute　man；　in　pursuing　such　an　object　would
  be　nearly　certain　to　overdo　the　matter。　When；　in　the　course　of　his
  composition；　he　arrived　at　a　break　in　his　subject　which　would
  naturally　require　a　pause；　or　a　point；　he　would　be　exceedingly　apt　to
  run　his　characters；　at　this　place；　more　than　usually　close　together。
  If　you　will　observe　the　MS。；　in　the　present　instance；　you　will　easily
  detect　five　such　cases　of　unusual　crowding。　Acting　upon　this　hint；　I
  made　the　division　thus：　'A　good　glass　in　the　Bishop's　hostel　in　the
  Devil's　seat　…　forty…one　degrees　and　thirteen　minutes　…　northeast　and
  by　north　…　main　branch　seventh　limb　east　side　…　shoot　from　the　left
  eye　of　the　death's…head　…　a　bee…line　from　the　tree　through　the　shot
  fifty　feet　out。'　〃
  〃Even　this　division；〃　said　I；　〃leaves　me　still　in　the　dark。〃
  〃It　left　me　also　in　the　dark；〃　replied　Legrand；　〃for　a　few　days；
  during　which　I　made　diligent　inquiry；　in　the　neighborhood　of
  Sullivan's　Island；　for　any　building　which　went　by　the　name　of　the
  'Bishop's　Hotel；'　for；　of　course；　I　dropped　the　obsolete　word
  'hostel。'　Gaining　no　information　on　the　subject；　I　was　on　the　point
  of　extending　my　sphere　of　search；　and　proceeding　in　a　more　systematic
  manner；　when；　one　morning；　it　entered　into　my　head；　quite　suddenly；
  that　this　'Bishop's　Hostel'　might　have　some　reference　to　an　old
  family；　of　the　name　of　Bessop；　which；　time　out　of　mind；　had　held
  possession　of　an　ancient　manor…house；　about　four　miles　to　the
  northward　of　the　Island。　I　accordingly　went　over　to　the　plantation；
  and　re…instituted　my　inquiries　among　the　older　negroes　of　the　place。
  At　length　one　of　the　most　aged　of　the　women　said　that　she　had　heard
  of　such　a　place　as　Bessop's　Castle；　and　thought　that　she　could　guide
  me　to　it；　but　that　it　was　not　a　castle　nor　a　tavern；　but　a　high　rock。
  〃I　offered　to　pay　her　well　for　her　trouble；　and；　after　some
  demur；　she　consented　to　accompany　me　to　the　spot。　We　found　it　without
  much　difficulty；　when；　dismissing　her；　I　proceeded　to　examine　the
  place。　The　'castle'　consisted　of　an　irregular　assemblage　of　cliffs
  and　rocks　…　one　of　the　latter　being　quite　remarkable　for　its　height
  as　well　as　for　its　insulated　and　artificial　appearance　I　clambered　to
  its　apex；　and　then　felt　much　at　a　loss　as　to　what　should　be　next
  done。
  〃While　I　was　busied　in　reflection；　my　eyes　fell　upon　a　narrow
  ledge　in　the　eastern　face　of　the　rock；　perhaps　a　yard　below　the
  summit　upon　which　I　stood。　This　ledge　projected　about　eighteen
  inches；　and　was　not　more　than　a　foot　wide；　while　a　niche　in　the　cliff
  just　above　it；　gave　it　a　rude　resemblance　to　one　of　the　hollow…backed
  chairs　used　by　our　ancestors。　I　made　no　doubt　that　here　was　the
  'devil's　seat'　alluded　to　in　the　MS。；　and　now　I　seemed　to　grasp　the
  full　secret　of　the　riddle。
  〃The　'good　glass；'　I　knew；　could　have　reference　to　nothing　but　a
  telescope；　for　the　word　'glass'　is　rarely　employed　in　any　other　sense
  by　seamen。　Now　here；　I　at　once　saw；　was　a　telescope　to　be　used；　and　a
  definite　point　of　view；　admitting　no　variation；　from　which　to　use　it。
  Nor　did　I　hesitate　to　believe　that　the　phrases；　〃forty…one　degrees
  and　thirteen　minutes；'　and　'northeast　and　by　north；'　were　intended　as
  directions　for　the　levelling　of　the　glass。　Greatly　excited　by　these
  discoveries；　I　hurried　home；　procured　a　telescope；　and　returned　to
  the　rock。
  〃I　let　myself　down　to　the　ledge；　and　found　that　it　was　impossible
  to　retain　a　seat　upon　it　except　in　one　particular　position。　This　fact
  confirmed　my　preconceived　idea。　I　proceeded　to　use　the　glass。　Of
  course；　the　'forty…one　degrees　and　thirteen　minutes'　could　allude　to
  nothing　but　elevation　above　the　visible　horizon；　since　the　horizontal
  direction　was　clearly　indicated　by　the　words；　'northeast　and　by
  north。'　This　latter　direction　I　at　once　established　by　means　of　a
  pocket…compass；　then；　pointing　the　glass　as　nearly　at　an　angle　of
  forty…one　degrees　of　elevation　as　I　could　do　it　by　guess；　I　moved　it
  cautiously　up　or　down；　until　my　attention　was　arrested　by　a　circular
  rift　or　opening　in　the　foliage　of　a　large　tree　that　overtopped　its
  fellows　in　the　distance。　In　the　centre　of　this　rift　I　perceived　a
  white　spot；　but　could　not；　at　first；　distinguish　what　it　was。
  Adjusting　the　focus　of　the　telescope；　I　again　looked；　and　now　made　it
  out　to　be　a　human　skull。
  〃Upon　this　discovery　I　was　so　sanguine　as　to　consider　the　enigma
  solved；　for　the　phrase　'main　branch；　seventh　limb；　east　side；'　could
  refer　only　to　the　position　of　the　skull　upon　the　tree；　while　'shoot
  from　the　left　eye　of　the　death's　head'　admitted；　also；　of　but　one
  interpretation；　in　regard　to　a　search　for　buried　treasure。　I
  perceived　that　the　design　was　to　drop　a　bullet　from　the　left　eye　of
  the　skull；　and　that　a　bee…line；　or；　in　other　words；　a　straight　line；
  drawn　from　the　nearest　point　of　the　trunk　through　'the　shot；'　（or　the
  spot　where　the　bullet　fell；）　and　thence　extended　to　a　distance　of
  fifty　feet；　would　indicate　a　definite　point　…　and　beneath　this　point
  I　thought　it　at　least　possible　that　a　deposit　of　value　lay
  concealed。〃
  〃All　this；〃　I　said；　〃is　exceedingly　clear；　and；　although
  ingenious；　still　simple　and　explicit。　When　you　left　the　Bishop's
  Hotel；　what　then？〃
  〃Why；　having　carefully　taken　the　bearings　of　the　tree；　I　turned
  homewards。　The　instant　that　I　left　'the　devil's　seat；'　however；　the
  circular　rift　vanished；　nor　could　I　get　a　glimpse　of　it　afterwards；
  turn　as　I　would。　What　seems　to　me　the　chief　ingenuity　in　this　whole
  business；　is　the　fact　（for　repeated　experiment　has　convinced　me　it　is
  a　fact）　that　the　circular　opening　in　question　is　visible　from　no
  other　attainable　point　of　view　than　that　afforded　by　the　narrow　ledge
  upon　the　face　of　the　rock。
  〃In　this　expedition　to　the　'Bishop's　Hotel'　I　had　been　attended
  by　Jupiter；　who　had；　no　doubt；　observed；　for　some　weeks　past；　the
  abstraction　of　my　demeanor；　and　took　especial　care　not　to　leave　me
  alone。　But；　on　the　next　day；　getting　up　very　early；　I　contrived　to
  give　him　the　slip；　and　went　into　the　hills　in　search　of　the　tree。
  After　much　toil　I　found　it。　When　I　came　home　at　night　my　valet
  proposed　to　give　me　a　flogging。　With　the　rest　of　the　adventure　I
  believe　you　are　as　well　acquainted　as　myself。〃
  〃I　suppose；〃　said　I；　〃you　missed　the　spot；　in　the　first　attempt
  at　digging；　through　Jupiter's　stupidity　in　letting　the　bug　fall
  through　the　right　instead　of　through　the　left　eye　of　the　skull。〃
  〃Precisely。　This　mistake　made　a　difference　of　about　two　inches
  and　a　half　in　the　'shot'　…　that　is　to　say；　in　the　position　of　the　peg
  nearest　the　tree；　and　had　the　treasure　been　beneath　the　'shot；'　the
  error　would　have　been　of　little　moment；　but　'the　shot；'　together　with
  the　nearest　point　of　the　tree；　were　merely　two　points　for　the
  establishment　of　a　line　of　direction；　of　course　the　error；　however
  trivial　in　the　beginning；　increased　as　we　proceeded　with　the　line；
  and　by　the　time　we　had　gone　fifty　feet；　threw　us　quite　off　the　scent。
  But　for　my　deep…seated　impressions　that　treasure　was　here　somewhere
  actually　buried；　we　might　have　had　all　our　labor　in　vain。〃
  〃But　your　grandiloquence；　and　your　conduct　in　swinging　the　beetle
  …　how　excessively　odd！　I　was　sure　you　were　mad。　And　why　did　you
  insist　upon　letting　fall　the　bug；　instead　of　a　bullet；　from　the
  skull？〃
  〃Why；　to　be　frank；　I　felt　somewhat　annoyed　by　your　evident
  suspicions　touching　my　sanity；　and　so　resolved　to　punish　you　quietly；
  in　my　own　way；　by　a　little　bit　of　sober　mystification。　For　this
  reason　I　swung　the　beetle；　and　for　this　reason　I　let　it　fall　it　from
  the　tree。　An　observation　of　yours　about　its　great　weight　suggested
  the　latter　idea。〃
  〃Yes；　I　perceive；　and　now　there　is　only　one　point　which　puzzles
  me。　What　are　we　to　make　of　the　skeletons　found　in　the　hole？〃
  〃That　is　a　question　I　am　no　more　able　to　answer　than　yourself。
  There　seems；　however；　only　one　plausible　way　of　accounting　for　them　…
  and　yet　it　is　dr