10587. The discourse at first was about their speech on their own earth. They said that they discourse together among themselves by an internal way; and not like others by an external way; and this by means of the atmosphere, and by means of sight, which is effected in the following way. They think within themselves, and the ideas of thought are communicated to the other by a certain flowing into the interiors of the ears by a way unknown on this earth, although it is known to those who are learned in anatomy. For there is a certain canal within the mouth, called the Eustachian tube, which is open in the mouth, and ends in the chamber of the ear, and is encompassed with a thin membrane. Through this channel the air of the breath inflows with a gentle sound, and so the speaking thought is communicated. As already said, this is effected by means of the atmosphere. Moreover, when they are speaking among themselves in this way they also move the lips both in general and in particular, and these little motions advance toward the eyes, especially toward the left eye, and their interior thought and its life there manifests itself. As before said, this is effected by means of sight. From this it was evident that their face acts as a one with their thoughts; for the face has been wholly formed to portray and represent the things the man is thinking and loving. From this the face is also called the index of the mind. But this is the case with the sincere; but it is very different with the insincere, with pretenders, and with hypocrites. To confirm me that such is the case, they were allowed to move my lips and my face in a similar way; and then to perceive the objects of their thought by means of the accordance. They were asked whether any speak there by means of sonorous words, or articulated sound. They said that they do not know what is meant by the articulation of sound, but that they know what sound is. On hearing these things, I perceived the reason why they were conducted to the spirits of the earth Mars, and were consociated with them before they came to me; for a similar speech prevails among them, as can be seen where the inhabitants and spirits of Mars have been treated of (n. 7359-7362).