56 GEOGRAPHIC DICTIONARY OF ALASKA. [bull. 187. 



Good Jntt'ut (Captain Shishmaref), and together they cruised north- 

 ward alon^^ the coast to Icy cape, and, returning via St. Lawrence 

 and the l^rihilof islands, reached Unalaska on August 19, 1820. 

 Thence h(> went to Sitka and southward to San Francisco and the 

 Hawaiian islands, and on the 7th of April, 1821, was back in Sitka, 

 whence he went to Unalaska, arriving on June 12. He then cruised 

 northwai-d as far as Cape Lisburne, explored the eastern part of 

 Bering sea. discovered Nunivak island, and arrived at Petropavlovsk 

 on September 8, 1821. Thence he returned to Cronstadt, arriving on 

 August 2, 1822. 



During this cruise Vasilief and Shishmaref explored the mainland 

 coast of Bering sea from Cape Newenham to and including Norton 

 sound, and the Arctic coast from Cape Lisburne to Icy cape. (See 

 Journal of the Russian Hydrographic Department, 1849, Vol. VII, p. 

 100-116.) 



Vasilief, 1831-32. 



Ensign Vasilief, of the corps of pilots, in 1831-32 surveyed and 

 mapped a part of Alaska peninsula from Cook inlet westward nearly 

 to Chignik bay. The map resulting from this survej^ is published 

 by Lutke in his Partie Nautique, p. 274. Of this survey and map 

 Lutke says: 



Vasilief s map of the northeastern part of AUaska contains all possible details as to 

 the situation of the coast and appears worthy of confidence, but in his journals which 

 we have had in our hands Me have found absolutely nothing except the data on 

 which the construction of the map was based. Relative to places they contained no 

 remark as to their configuration, properties, peculiarities, or their advantages, details 

 so important for the navigator. We are therefore able to add but few observations 

 supplementary to his map hereto annexed. 



Vasilief began his reconnaissance in 1831 at Cape Douglas, and from 

 there in the course of the same summer went as far west as Cape 

 Kubugakli, in latitude 57° 52' 30". The following year he extended 

 it as far as Cape Kumliun, in latitude 56° 32' 12". Circumstances pre- 

 vented him from pursuing his work farther. The reconnaissance was 

 made in three-holed l)idarkas, a circumstance which, on the one hand, 

 made it possible for him to explore all the windings of the coast in the 

 greatest detail, but, on the other hand, prevented him from seeing the 

 coast and judging of its appearance at any great distance. His chro- 

 nometer stopped in the first days of the reconnaissance, so that it is 

 based only on survey and latitude observations. 



Veniaminop, 1824-1834. 



Rev. John Veniaminof, a Russian priest of Irkutsk, went to Una- 

 laska as a missionary in 1824. Of this devoted and noble man all 

 writers speak in terms of the highest praise. The writer has sought 

 unsuccessfully for any satisfactory account of his life and labors. 



