Basilinda, a game created by George Howard Monks

George Howard Monks

George Howard Monks was born in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduation in Harvard medical school in 1880, he followed a 4 year internship in European medical centers during which he invented in 1883 the game Halma derived from the British game Hoppity together with the mathematician Thomas Hill...

, the author of Halma

Halma

Halma is a board game invented in 1883 or 1884 by an American thoracic surgeon at Harvard Medical School, George Howard Monks. The inspiration was an English game called Hoppity, which was devised in 1854....

. It lists itself as a game for the amusement of children. Copyrighted in 1890 by Halma Co., Basilinda was published by E.I. Horsman, 80 & 82 William St., N.Y.. The game involves the placing of cannon and pieces on either side of a screen that is then removed and the results imposed. Pieces are removed and play resumes with the screen back in place. This is repeated until one side has lost its "Captain" piece, which ends the game. It originally sold for $1.00 in the 1890s.

Basilinda game box with instructional booklet, copyrighted 1890 by Halma Co.; Published by E. I. Horsman, 80 & 82 William St., N. Y.