now generally presumed, was due to an escroquerie, achieved by the means of carrier pigeons, as the same numbers were purchased or staked upon in different parts of the kingdom at the same time. The sum gained on this occasion was so enormous, that the contractors were obliged to enter into a composition with the royal winner. It is since that event that the quine has been abolished. The quaterne is now the highest prize.

The French government derive a considerable revenue from the Lottery, who, besides, look upon it as a powerful engine of domestic policy, by amusing the people, who, for a few sous, can purchace the hope of winning millions, and who thus dream away their existence in the pursait of a shadow.

FARO.

FARO, Pharo, Pharoah, or Pharaon, is very similar to Basset, a game formerly much in vogue.

RULES OF THE GAME.

The banker turns up the cards from a complete pack, deliberately, one by one, laying them alternately, first to his right for the bank, and then to his left hand for the punter, till the whole are dealt out.

The punter may, at his option, set any number of stakes, agreeable to the sum limited, upon one or more cards chosen out of his livret from the ace, to the king inclusive, either previous to dealing the cards, or after any quantity of coups are made, or he may masque his bets, or change his cards whenever he pleases, or finally decline punt

ing, except an event is unsettled when not above eight cards are undealt.

The banker wins when the card equal in points to that on which the stake is set turns up on his right hand, but loses when it is dealt to the left.

The punter loses half the stake when his card comes up twice in the same coup.

The last card neither wins nor loses.

The last card but one is called hocly, and used to form part of the banker's gain; but now is frequently given up, and generally so in the last deal.

When, by accident or design, the pack happens to contain more or less than fifty-two cards, or should the last coup be found deficient, owing to any misdeal, however arising, whether discovered at the end or during the game, the bank must then pay every stake depending at the period when the error is detected, and the same payment must also be made if the cards be thrown up.

The dealer should hold the cards close in his hand, and always be prepared to inform any punter how many remain.

The first card is never valid till the second is dealt.

No person but the dealer or croupier should ever meddle with the cards, unless to cut them. A paroli, &c., may be purchased by paying a sum equivalent to the stake.

METHOD OF PLAY.

THE tailleur and croupier sit opposite each other at a large oval table covered with a green cloth, on which is a line marked by coloured tape, or a wooden rim about an inch high, and eight inches from the edge of the table, for the purpose

of separating the cards punted on from the others. Money is placed either loose in a well, or done up in rouleaus. The tailleur is to deal, while the croupier pays and receives, guards against errors, and shuffles another pack of cards.

The game may be played by any number of persons, each punter being furnished with a livret, from which having chosen a card or cards, and placed the same on the table, just within the line, he puts the stake either thereon, or upon other cards placed face downwards at the head of those betted on. The stakes are answered by the banker, who usually limits the sums according to his capital; and at public tables has generally two or more croupiers. Then the dealer, having previously counted and shuffled the cards, and had them cut by a punter, should hold the pack tight in his hand, and show the bottom card as a caution to avoid punting on it near the conclusion of the game; and to prevent mistakes, a similar card, with the corners cut off, is usually laid in the middle of the table. He next says play, and proceeds to deal slowly, first to the right, and then to the left, mentioning every card as he goes on, and stopping between each two cards, while the croup settles the event.

When a punter gains, he may either take his money or paroli; should he win a second time he may play sept and le va; should he again prove successful, he can paroli for quinze and le va; afterwards for trente and le va; and, finally soixante and le va, which is the highest chance in the game. Should the punter not like to venture so boldly, he may make a paix or point: afterwards a double or treble paix, &c. or a single, double, or treble paix-paroli. When doublets are dealt, the punter may either pay or make a pli.

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A reckoning may be kept of the number of times each card is dealt, by properly placing a livret and bending the corners of similar cards, one way for the punter, another way for the dealer.

TERMS USED AT FARO.

BANKER; the person who keeps the table.
COCKING. See Paroli.

COUCHE OF ENJEU; the Stake. COUP; A Stroke or Pull. Any two cards dealt alternately to the right and left.

CROUPIER; Croup. An assistant to the dealer. DOUBLET. Is when the punter's card is turned up twice in the same coup, then the bank wins half the stake. A single paroli must be taken down; but should there be several, only one retires.

HOCLY; A certainty. Signifies the last card but one, the chance of which the banker claims, and may refuse to let any punter withdraw a card when eight or less remain to be dealt.

LIVRET; A Small Book. A suit of thirteen cards, with four others called FIGURES, viz. one, named the little figure, has a blue cross on each side, and represents ace, deuce, tray; another, yellow on both sides, styled the yellow figure, signifies, four, five, six; a third, with a black lozenge in the centre, named the black figure, stands for seven, eight, nine, ten; and a red card, called the great or red figure, for knave, queen, king; these figures are useful for those who punt on several cards at once.

L'UNE POUR L'AUTRE: One for the other. Means a drawn game, and is said when two of the punter's cards are dealt in the same coup.

MASQUE. Signifies turning a card, or placing another face downwards, during any number of

coups, on that upon which the punter has staked, and which he afterwards may display at pleasure.

OPPOSE; The Opposite Game. Is reversing the game, and having the cards on the right for the punter, and those on the left for the dealer.

PAIX; Peace. Equivalent to double or quits; is when the punter having won does not choose to paroli and risk his stake, but bends or makes a bridge of his card, signifying that he ventures his gains only. A double paix is, when the punter having won twice, bends two cards one over the other. Treble paix, thrice, &c. A paix may follow a sept, quinze, or trente, &c.

PAIX-PAROLI. Is when a punter having gained a paroli, wishes then to play double or quits, and save his original stake, which he signifies by doubling a card after making his first paroli; double-paix-paroli succeeds to winning a paixparoli: treble-paix-paroli follows double, &c.

PAROLI OF PAROLET; Double. Sometimes called Cocking, is when a punter, being fortunate, chooses to venture both his stake and gains, which he intimates by bending a corner of his card upwards.

PLI; Bending. Is used when a punter, having lost half his stake by a doublet, bends a card in the middle, and setting it up with the points and foot towards the dealer, signifies thereby a desire either of recovering the moiety, or of losing all.

PONT. A Bridge. The same as Paix.

PONTE or PUNT; A point. The punter or player.

QUINTZE & LE VA; Fifteen and it goes. Is when the punter having won a sept, &c., bends the third corner of the card, and ventures fifteen times his stake.

SEPT & LE VA; Seven, &c. Succeeds the gain