One of the colambs begged pardon for interrupting, but told me, though he understood what Glanlepze meant, he could not tell how I could set what he said down at my grotto, or have it in my sight, and desired me to explain that. I would have told my guest I took it down in writing, if that would not have puzzled the cause more; but to go the nearest way I could, I told him we had a method in my country of conveying to a man at a great distance whatever we have a mind to say to him, and in such a manner that nobody but himself would know what we would have him know. And pausing here a little to consider the easiest method of demonstrating this to their senses, they told me they had gone as far as their conjectures could carry them, but could conclude on nothing so improbable as sending it by a messenger. I told them that in part was my way, but my messenger should not know the message he carried. That gravelled them quite, and they were unanimous that was what could not be done. By this time I had sent for a wood-coal, to write with upon my deal table, and kneeling down to the table, I began to write, "Honoured sir, I send this to gain by your answer to it an account of your arrival at Arndrumnstake." I then called them all to me. "Now," says I, "suppose I want to know how my father gets back to Arndrumnstake, my way is this--I set down so many words as will express my meaning to my father, after the manner you see on this table, and make a little distance between each word, which is the same thing as you do in speaking; for there, if you run one word into another, and don't give each its proper sound, who can understand you? For though you speak what contains all the words, yet without the proper sound and distinction it is only confusion. Do you understand that?" They told me they did. "Then," says I, "these are the words I would have my father know, I being at this arkoe, and he at Arndrumnstake. Honoured sir," and so I read on. "Here," says I, "you must take us to be countrymen, and that he and I understand both the same method. Now look, this word, which ends where you see the gap, stands for _honoured_, and this next for _sir_, the next for _I_, and so on; and we both using the same method, and seeing each other's words, are able to open our minds at a distance." I was now in hopes I had done, and was going on with my story: "But," says one of the colambs, "Mr. Peter, though this is a matter that requires consideration, I plainly see how you do it, by agreeing that all these strokes put into this form shall stand for the word honoured, and so on, as you say, let who will make them; but have not you set down there the word Arndrumnstake?"--"Yes," says I.--"Why then," says he, "none of your countrymen could understand what that means."--"No," says I, smiling; "but they could."--Says he, "You say you agree what strokes shall stand for one word, and what for another; but then how could your countrymen,