I had been accustomed, during the night, to steal a part of their store for my own consumption, but when I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained and satisfied myself with berries, nuts, and roots which I gathered from a neighbouring wood.
"I discovered also another means through which I was enabled to assist their labours.

I found that the youth spent a great part of each day in collecting wood for the family fire, and during the night I often took his tools, the use of which I quickly discovered, and brought home firing sufficient for the consumption of several days.
"I remember, the first time that I did this, the young woman, when she opened the door in the morning, appeared greatly astonished on seeing a great pile of wood on the outside.

She uttered some words in a loud voice, and the youth joined her, who also expressed surprise.

I observed, with pleasure, that he did not go to the forest that day, but spent it in repairing the cottage and cultivating the garden.
"By degrees I made a discovery of still greater moment.

I found that these people possessed a method of communicating their experience and feelings to one another by articulate sounds.