As my head was constantly at work for the good of this people, I turned the most trifling incidents into some use or other; and made the narrowest prospects extend to the vastest distances. I shall here instance in one only. There was at Youk a private man's son, whom by mere accident I happened to ask some slight question of; and he giving me, with a profound respect and graceful assurance, a most pertinent answer; that, and the manner of its delivery, gave me a pleasure, which upon farther discourse with him, was, contrary to custom, very much increased; for I found in him an extensive genius, and a desire for my conversation. I desired his father to put him under my care, which the old man, as I was then in so great repute, readily agreed to; and his son desiring nothing more, I took him with me to Brandleguarp. I soon procured him a pretty post but of small duty, for I had purposed other employment for him, but of sufficient significancy to procure him respect. I took great delight in talking with him on different subjects, and observed by his questions upon them, which often puzzled me, or his answers to them, he had a most pregnant fancy and surprising solidity, joined to a continual and unwearied application. I frequently mentioning books, writing, and letters to him, and telling him what great things might be attained that way, his inquisitive temper, and the schemes he had formed thereon, put me upon thinking of several things I should never have hit upon without him. I considered all the ways I could contrive to teach him letters; and letting him into my design, he asked me how I did to make a letter. I described a pen to him, and told him I put a black liquor into it, and as I drew that along upon a flat white thing we made use of, called paper, it would make marks which way ever I drew it, into what shape I pleased. "Why then," says he, "anything that will make a mark upon another thing as I please, will do."--"True," says I, "but what shall we get that will make a black mark?"--We were entering further into this debate; but the king sending for me, I left him unsatisfied. I stayed late with the king that night, so did not see Lasmeel (for that was his name) till next night, wondering what was become of him. I asked him then where he had been all the day. He told me he had been looking for a pen and paper. I laughed, and asked him if he had found them.--"Yes," says he, "or something that will do as well:" so he opened one side of his graundee, and showed me a large flat leaf, smooth and pulpy, very long and wide, and about a quarter of an inch thick, almost like an Indian fig-leaf.--"And what am I to do with this?" says I.--"To mark it," says he, "and see where you mark."--"With what?" says I.--"With this," says he, putting his hand again into his graundee, and taking out three or four strong sharp prickles. I looked at them both; and clapping him on the head, "Lasmeel," says I, "if you and I were in England, you should be made a privy-councillor."--"What! won't it do, then?" says he.--I told him we would try.--"I thought," says he, "it would have done very well; for I marked one all about, and though I could not see much at first, by that time I had made an end, that I did first was quite of a different colour from the leaf, and I could see it as plain as could be." I told him as he was of an age to comprehend what I meant, I would take another method with him than with a child; so I reasoned from sentences backwards to words, and from them to syllables, and so on to letters. I then made one, the vowel A, told him its sound, and added a consonant to it, and told him that part of the sound of each distinct letter put together, as the two letters themselves were, made another sound, which I called a syllable; and that joining two or more of them together made a word, by putting the same letters together as made the sounds of those syllables which made that word. Then setting him a copy of letters, which with very little difficulty were to be drawn upon the leaf, and telling him their sounds, I left him to himself; and when he had done, though I named them but twice over, his memory was so strong as to retain the sounds, as he called them, of every one but F, L, and Q.