“Well，Jupiterpickeduptheparchment，wrappedthebeetleinit，andgaveittome。Soonafterwardsweturnedtogohome，andonthewaymetLieutenantG。Ishowedhimtheinsect，andhebeggedmetolethimtakeittothefort。Uponmyconsenting，hethrustitforthwithintohiswaistcoatpocket，withouttheparchmentinwhichithadbeenwrapped，andwhichIhadcontinuedtoholdinmyhandduringhisinspection。Perhapshedreadedmychangingmymind，andthoughtitbesttomakesureoftheprizeatonce-youknowhowenthusiasticheisonallsubjectsconnectedwithNaturalHistory。Atthesametime，withoutbeingconsciousofit，Imusthavedepositedtheparchmentinmyownpocket。
“YourememberthatwhenIwenttothetable，forthepurposeofmakingasketchofthebeetle，Ifoundnopaperwhereitwasusuallykept。Ilookedinthedrawer，andfoundnonethere。Isearchedmypockets，hopingtofindanoldletter，whenmyhandfellupontheparchment。Ithusdetailtheprecisemodeinwhichitcameintomypossession；forthecircumstancesimpressedmewithpeculiarforce。
“Nodoubtyouwillthinkmefanciful-butIhadalreadyestablishedakindofconnexion。Ihadputtogethertwolinksofagreatchain。Therewasaboatlyinguponasea-coast，andnotfarfromtheboatwasaparchment-notapaper-withaskulldepicteduponit。Youwill，ofcourse，ask’whereistheconnexion？’Ireplythattheskull，ordeath’s-head，isthewell-knownemblemofthepirate。Theflagofthedeath’sheadishoistedinallengagements。
“Ihavesaidthatthescrapwasparchment，andnotpaper。
Parchmentisdurable-almostimperishable。Mattersoflittlemomentarerarelyconsignedtoparchment；since，forthemereordinarypurposesofdrawingorwriting，itisnotnearlysowelladaptedaspaper。Thisreflectionsuggestedsomemeaning-somerelevancy-inthedeath’s-head。Ididnotfailtoobserve，also，theformoftheparchment。Althoughoneofitscornershadbeen，bysomeaccident，destroyed，itcouldbeseenthattheoriginalformwasoblong。Itwasjustsuchaslip，indeed，asmighthavebeenchosenforamemorandum-forarecordofsomethingtobelongrememberedandcarefullypreserved。”