who were branded last year were so badly
frightened that they will not venture into the same waters again.
Instead of coming to the Pribylov Islands, the officers say that they
have made their way to some other islands north of Japan, and that the
Japanese are reaping the benefit of Professor Jordan's experiment.

The British officers also say that the electric apparatus which Dr.
Jordan took with him this year has proved to be a failure, and that the
branding has had to be done with hot irons as usual. Trouble with the
apparatus caused considerable delay, and according to the story told by
the officers of the _Wild Swan_, only a few pups have been branded.

This news makes the conference all the more necessary. If there are no
means of marking the female seals without frightening the herd away from
their feeding-grounds, the different countries interested in the sealing
trade should lose no time in coming to an understanding, that the herd
may be preserved.

The Japanese and Russian representatives are already on their way here,
but the meeting cannot be held until the beginning of November, as Sir
Julian Pauncefote, who will attend the conference on behalf of England,
cannot arrive here before that time.

We shall, in all probability, gain much interesting information about
seals and seal life from this convention.

* * * * *

Several fresh meetings have been held in Athens to protest against the
treaty of peace with Turkey. It is said that the people are becoming
more violent, and are calling upon the King of Greece to continue the
war.

At one of the meetings the other day, angry things were said about the
King and the Crown Prince, the people blaming them for the unfortunate
results of the war.

The cabinet ministers and the more thoughtful people in Greece are,
however, of opinion that the best thing to be done is to bear, as best
they may, the burdens which it puts on the country.

The Russian Minister in Athens has laid the treaty officially before the
Greek minister of foreign affairs, and now all the necessary formalities
have been gone through, and it only remains for the Greek parliament to
accept or refuse the terms offered.

The Russian minister sent a note with the treaty, saying that the Sultan
considered the Powers had done all that they could to restore peace, and
he now waited for Greece to send her ministers to Constantinople to
arrange the final document wh