LAPLAND. 79 



be spent among them, lie can always find some 

 new feature in the landscape which he never 

 descried before : but not so with the rugged 

 scenery of the far north. The first time such a 

 scene bursts upon the traveller's view it leaves an 

 impression which he probably never forgets ; but 

 the effect is sadly lessened the second time he sees 

 it; and, as the novelty wears off, the landscape 

 appears to lose half its charms. Moreover, the 

 monotony of such a life, shut out, as it were, from 

 the rest of the world, with a seven months' winter, 

 during which you can't stir out of doors unless 

 you can use the " skiddor," with not a book to 

 turn to, and a monthly post, would soon wear me 

 out. I never felt dull and weary in the Australian 

 bush, and could have passed my life there cheer- 

 fully and contentedly. The sport there was sport 

 indeed, and you shared it with men of your own 

 stamp. Frequent visitors from town to the old 

 " kangaroo tent" would bring us out an occa- 

 sional book or a newspaper, and we at least knew 

 what our old sporting friends at home were doing, 

 though we could not participate in their sports. 

 During the short time, however, that I was in 

 Lapland the time never hung heavy on my hands, 

 for I was fully occupied ; and in the spring and 

 summer, a collector here requires a day of forty- 

 eight instead of twenty-four hours. But I much 



