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 



