ALASKA. 241 



THE PlilBYLOV ISLANDS* 



" Under the name of the Pryhilov Islands are known two small 

 islands lying in Bering Sea, between 50^ and 57° north lati- 

 tude and 168° and 170° west longitude. 



" These islands were not known before the year 178G; mater 

 G. FrybUov, then in the service of a swan-hunting company, 

 first, in the Kussian name, found them, but at the same time he 

 was not the first discoverer, because, as before said, (Part I, 

 chap. 1,) on one of them (southwest side of Saint Paul) signs, 

 such as a pipe, brass knife handle, and traces of fire were 

 found, indicating that people had been there before, but not 

 long, as places were observed where the grass had been burned 

 and scorched. But if we can believe the Aleuts in what they 

 relate, the islands were known to them long before they were 

 visited by the Russians. They knew and called them '■ Ateeli'' 

 after having heard about them. 



" Eegad-dah geek, a sou of an Oonimak chief by the name of 

 Ah-kak-nee-kak, was taken out to sea in a bidarkie by a storm, 

 the "wind blowing strong from the south. He could not get back 

 to the beach, nor could he make any other landing, and was 

 obliged to run before the wind three or four days, when he 

 brought up on Saint Paul's Island, north from the land which 

 he had been compelled to leave. Here he remained until autumn, 

 and became acquainted with the hunting of different animals. 

 Elegant weather one day setting in, lie saw the peaks of Ooni- 

 mak. He then resolved to put to sea, and return to receive the 

 thanks of his people there ; and, after three or four days of trav- 

 eling, he arrived at Oonimak, with many otter tails and snouts.t 



" The islands were both at first without vegetation, with ex- 

 ception of Saint Paul's, where there was a small talneek creep- 

 ing along on the ground ; and on Saint George, if we believe 



* Translated by the writer from Bishop luuoceut Veniaminov's work 

 " Zapieska ob Octrovali Ooualilasbkenskalio Otdayla. St. Petersburg, 1840. 

 (The only Enssiau treatise upon the subject found. The selections most per- 

 tinent to the subject are introduced alone in this translation.) H. W. E. 



t Here Veniaminov says that he does feel inclined to believe this story, as 

 the peaks of Oonimak can be seen occasionally f"om Saint Paul's ! I have no 

 hesitation in saying that they were never observed by any mortal eye from 

 the Prybilov Group. The wide expanse of water between these points, and 

 the thick, foggy air of Bering Sea, especially so at the season mentioned iu 

 this story above, will always make the mountains of Oonimak invisible to. 

 the eye from Saint Paul's Island. A mirage is almost an impossibility; it 

 may have been much more probable if the date was a winter one.— II. W. E. 



IG AL 



