344 GEORGE EDWARDS. 



summer nights were short ; and few hours were allotted to sleep, 

 either by Edwards or his company. Sometimes they wandered 

 on the banks of creeks, the haunt of sea fowl, and other wild 

 birds, where no articulate voice was heard, and, on other 

 occasions were lost in wonder at the luxuriant and unfamiliar 

 vegetation of the hills. 1 



They remarked, too, the inhabitants content with their com- 

 paratively barren country and lack of desire to leave their 

 snow-clad mountains for the fertile and genial south, and they 

 frequently experienced among these illiterate people that genuine 

 hospitality which flourished less vigorously in more civilised 

 countries. 



In this excursion Edwards was not distant from the thunder 

 of Charles XII. 's cannon, \vho at that time besieged Friednch- 

 stardt ; where that unfortunate monarch stained his laurels by an 

 ignominious defeat, and was deprived of his life as well as his 

 crowm. 



Edwards was prevented from visiting Sweden by this circum- 

 stance, as the Army was in the habit of summarily arresting all 

 strangers, and those who could not give a good account of 

 themselves when they happened to meet with them. But, not- 

 withstanding his precaution, he was captured by the Danish 

 Guard, who erroneously suspected him of being a spy employed 

 by the enemy to obtain intelligence of their designs. However, 

 by procuring evidence of his. identity a release was granted. 



In July he embarked for England, but the ship on its arrival 

 at Sciily was detained by contrary winds. During his 

 detention here, his leisure time was chiefly taken up with 

 fishing and such other amusements as his situation would admit, 

 and he was not a little delighted with the vast clifl"s of that 

 romantic island and the harsh cries of its feathered inhabitants. 

 Upon his arrival in London he retired to West Ham, where 

 he spent the winter ; but, being desirous of visiting France, in 

 1719 he journeyed by way of Dieppe to Paris, and, having seen its 

 objects of interest, took a lodging in a village called Greencourt, 

 in the great park of Versailles ; but, to his disappointment, the 

 managerie, at that time, had no living creature in it. 



In consequence of the King's minority the Court was not 

 residing at the palace, and the famous collection of animals, &c., 

 had been neglected, and either died or become dispersed. 



