BAKER.] ORIGIN OF NAMES. 15 



bed that most of these names remain unchanged on our maps to-da3\ 

 e more important additions by Englishmen after Vancouver were 

 ose b}^ Captain Beechey, R. N., in 1826-27; by Sir Edward Belcher, 

 N., in 1836-1812, and. more especiall}', by the so-called Franklin 

 v^arch expeditions during the period 1818-1851. The work of Cook 

 in 1778, of Beechey and Franklin in 1826-27, and of Dease and Simp- 

 son in 1837 gave to the world the main outlines of the Arctic coast of 

 Alaska and the names of nearly all its large or important features. 



1. ]V{n/u'S hestoiced hi/ Frenchnien. — The explorations by the French 

 on the Alaskan coast are small and are confined almost wholly to south- 

 eastern Alaska. The ill-fated expedition of La Perouse, in 1786, is 

 almost the only one which has left its impress on the nomenclature of 

 the countr}-, and that wholly in the southeastern part. 



5. Names bestowed hy Americans. — American whaleships first entered 

 the Arctic ocean through Bering strait in 1818 and began a contribu- 

 tion to Alaskan geographic names. This naming of geographic fea- 

 tures has been continued by priyate citizens and b}^ government 

 officers of the United States to the present time. The earliest large 

 contribution was made by the North Pacific Exploring Expedition of 

 1855, whose Alaskan names are found chiefly in the Aleutian islands 

 a \ in Bering sea. Beginning with the cession of the Territory to 

 the United States in 1867, numerous ofiicial expeditions have explored, 

 surveyed, mapped, and named man}' features. The largest contribu- 

 tions, till recently, have come from the numerous surveying expedi- 

 tions of the Coast Survey. At the same time, the Revenue Marine 

 Service, the naval vessels, the military garrisons and reconnaissances, 

 the Census Office, the Bureau of Education, the missionaries, the 

 traders, miners, and prospectors, have each taken a part in spreading 

 names over Alaska. In very recent years the Geological Survey has 

 given manv names, especial!}' in the interior of the country. 



6. Xative mimes. Last in order but first in importance are native 

 names. The various native tribes, occupying Alaska for an indefinite 

 period before the advent of the whites, had applied names to various 

 features. For certain great features each tribe would have its own 

 name. Thus even before the advent of the whites there was duplica- 

 tion of names. The great river of Alaska which we call the Yukon 

 was called by the Eskimo Kweek-puk {l-weeh river and jnd' big), and 

 from them the Russians obtained their name which through various 

 transliterations into roman characters has appeared as Kwitchpak, 

 Kwikhpak, etc. Some of the Indian tribes of the interior called it 

 Yukon (the river), it being too great and well known to need a name, 

 while the Tanana tribes call it, according to Lieutenant Allen, Niga 

 To. It doubtless bears and has borne other names. 



Explorers and geographers visiting new lands and people are always 

 prone to ascertain and use the native names of places, mountains, 



