The three then descended, and by telepathy they soon found a ready means of communicating thought, and all difficulties were at an end. Seeing their skins cracked and blistered, the Bonians gave them some kind of ointment which, when applied, proved both soothing and healing, and on hearing the story of their adventure at the spring, were considerably astonished; as such a change of colour was unknown to them, it could only come from a peculiarity in the Earthian skin and clothing, which combined with the chemicals in the water to produce dye, and after some little experimenting by the natives, a lotion was made for their visitors which gradually dissolved the blue pigment on the skin. In the course of two months desquamation commenced over the whole surface of the body, and a week or so later, after the scales had fallen, the travellers were flesh-coloured once more, for which they were devoutly thankful. In the meantime they had learned enough of the new language to make themselves understood and to understand conversation, which, added to telepathy, made them feel very much as if with friends, as they were. They found the Bonians much more advanced in some things than the people of Earth, whilst in others they were not so capable. They were in constant communication with Venus, Mars, and all the planets of the solar system except Earth, which alone seemed to be cut off from telepathic influence. Messages could be sent by all to Earth, but they were not understood, nor had any communication ever been received from there by any of the planets. The Bonians were unable to say definitely where the fault lay—whether the atmosphere surrounding Earth was not favourable to telepathic messages from and to other worlds, or if the perceptions of the Earthians were not sufficiently sensitive to other influences; they thought the latter, and they were probably right, for it transpired that at the first meeting by the spring, finding speech impossible, they had earnestly telepathed, to no purpose, and though but a few yards distant, the desire to use transmission of thought had not suggested itself to the visitors till several hours had been spent on the planet, whereas the desire should have been coincident with their own; and while the natives telepathed easily, the three visitors could only do so with difficulty though accustomed to it on their own world, and when the people were not actually present, the Earthians could not telepath to them or receive their messages, proving the inferior mental perceptions of the Earth people.