262 National Geographic Magazme. 
Land Office. All these bureaus or departments gave their assent 
except the Post Office Department and the General Land Office ; 
but we may hope that these departments will eventually be rep- 
resented, when the practical usefulness of the board has been 
demonstrated by its decisions. 
There are three, perhaps four classes of cases that cause the 
most trouble in geographic names. In the first class, those cases 
where we are certain of the name itself—that is, we agree in the 
pronunciation, but disagree in the orthography ; in the second 
class, where there is no question as to the orthography, but where 
there is a question as to what name should be used—that is, 
several names are given to the same point, to the same body of 
water, or to the same island ; in the third class, where there is no 
question as to the name or the orthography, but a question as to 
the place to which the name applies—that is, there is no dispute 
as to the name, but it is applied to different places ; this class is 
sometimes modified by questions as to the geographical limits to 
which a name applies—that is to say, the area to be indicated by 
the name ; for instance, some body of water or a:.range of moun- 
tains, and may be designated a fourth class. 
To cite a few instances of these classes: we have the question 
of Wood’s “ Hole” and Wood’s “ Holl ;” for many years it was 
called Wood’s Hole, recently it would seem to be the conclusion 
that it should be called Wood’s Holl ; we formerly had “ Hurl” 
Gate, and now “ Hell” Gate; “ Princess” Bay was at one time 
spelled “ Prince’s” Bay, the error arising, doubtless, from the 
pronunciation ; we also have “Body’s” Island or “ Bodies” — 
Island; we have a peculiar case on the North Carolina coast, 
“‘Pamplico” Sound has generally been used, now we have 
“Pamlico” Sound, legalized by the State legislature ; on the 
coast of Virginia we have the case of ‘“ Metomkin,” which has 
frequently been written ‘Metompkin” and “Matomkin ;” in 
California we have Point Conception, whether it should be 
spelled with the “c,” or with the “t,” in the last syllable; we 
also have “ Point Boneta” or “ Bonita ;” should Yaquina be 
spelled with one “n ” or two (“nn”); Coos Bay, with “k” or 
“e,” This name, I understand, is sometimes pronounced ‘Co-os,” 
as though it had two syllables ; if the spelling of this name was 
governed by the rules of the Royal Geographical Society the 
“K” would be used for the hard “C,” but “Coos” has been 
adopted by the State legislature and will probably be retained. 
