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.
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, who 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
crown.
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 Scilly 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 cliffs 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
1710, 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, bad 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.