THE WHITE WORLD 



wilderness of ice. What story has it to give? To what 

 family does it belong? We want to know its manner of 

 life, its food, something of its migration, and so on. There 

 is always a stimulus for an endless series of interesting 

 observations. These tempting studies are what lift the 

 spirits above the even plane of white monotony. It is this 

 fresh interest in the unknown which makes life tolerable. 

 We all like to ponder over the days of our youth; those of 

 an inquiring turn of mind love to reflect upon the youth- 

 ful days of the earth ; and looking at the polar world, as a 

 whole, it bears a close relation to what the earth must 

 have been when man first came to it. Life under such con- 

 ditions brings new joys in spite of the soul-despairing dis- 

 comforts. 



T44 



