154 WANDERINGS IN 



Third what remained of it, became head -quarters for natural 



Journey. 



history. The frogs, and here and there a snake, received 



that attention which the weak in this world generally 

 experience from the strong, and which the law com- 

 monly denominates an ejectment. But here, neither the 

 frogs nor serpents were ill-treated ; they sallied forth, 

 without buffet or rebuke, to choose their place of resi- 

 dence. Tlie world was all before them ; the owls went 

 away of their own accord, preferring to retire to a hol- 

 low tree rather than to associate with their new landlord. 

 The bats and vampires staid with me, and went in and 

 out as usual. 



It was upon this hill in former days that I first tried 

 to teach John, the black slave of my friend Mr. Edmon- 

 stone, the proper way to do birds. But John had poor 

 abilities, and it required much time and patience to drive 

 any thing into him. Some years after this his master took 

 him to Scotland, where, becoming free, John left him, and 

 got employed in the Glasgow, and then the Edinburgh 

 museum. Mr. Robert Edmonstone, nephew to the above 

 gentleman, had a fine mulatto capable of learning any 

 thing. He requested me to teach him the art. I did so. 

 He was docile and active, and was with me all the time 

 in the forest ; I left him there to keep up this new art 

 of preserving birds, and to communicate it to others. 

 Here then I fixed my head-quarters, in the ruins of this 

 once gay and hospitable house. Close by, in a little 



