Reindeer 



the air has to traverse hundreds of miles over 

 the ice before arriving at this island. Then for 

 four months in the summer the sun shines both 

 day and night, the air is extraordinarily bright 

 and rare, and the atmosphere so clear that the 

 distances seen are very deceptive. I started 

 one morning to walk to a point of land I wanted 

 to investigate, but found that after two hours' 

 hard work I did not seem to have made any 

 appreciable progress towards my goal, whilst the 

 steamer, from whence I had started, seemed 

 close at hand. I should not be at all surprised 

 if one day this island were to become a con- 

 sumption sanatorium for the world: given that 

 proper accommodation were provided, I feel 

 sure that incipient cases would receive nothing 

 but benefit from a visit. I may still live to see 

 this, who knows ? 



The owners of the steamer went so far as to 

 have made a special postage stamp in two 

 denominations. These, of course, are but tokens, 

 and were used as postage fees for any letters 

 sent by the steamer to Norway, where they 

 would require restamping. I bought a sheet or 

 two of these stamps as curios. I, at times, have 

 given away specimens to my children friends 

 who collect stamps, explaining to them at the 

 same time that they are merely curios and not 

 a Norwegian issue. 



Sir M. Conway had brought out to this place 



153 



