A SEALSKIN JACKET AT HOME 111 



Paul and St. George, where I spent those two years 

 of much disgust ! " 



" What does Pribilof mean ? " asked Nat. " It sounds 

 as if it might be the Indian for pretty-far-off"; where- 

 upon Dodo laughed in great glee and said, 



" I shall always call those the Pretty-far-off Islands, 

 for it is a true name for them and much easier to 

 remember than the other. I missed that last week in 

 my geography lesson ! " 



" Pribylov was the name of the Russian explorer who 

 discovered this group which now belongs to us," said 

 Dr. Hunter ; " his ship the St. George giving the name 

 to one of the islands. These islands were too far off 

 shore for Indians to reach them, so that the Sea Bears 

 and Sea Lions lived there in peace until the coming of 

 civilized people a little more than one hundred years 

 ago, but since then the cry has been, 4 Kill ! kill ! kill ! 

 balls, cows, cubs, everything ! '- the Buffalo's story 

 again, but this time carried out to sea until the poor, 

 persecuted water brothers are the cause of dispute be- 

 tween nations, and it seems that soon nothing will be 

 left of them but the very bones of contention ! " 



"Wasn't it awfully cold on these islands, Olaf?" 

 asked Rap. 



" Not so cold as on the mainland, far less cold than 

 you would think, for the warm Pacific current flows 

 around them. In midwinter, it is true, ice floes come 

 from the north and hush the song of the surf on the 

 beaches, yet it is not so keenly cold as it is here. With 

 June comes summer, for there are no half seasons like 

 your spring and fall. In winter there are no days, in 

 summer no nights." 



