The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-06
THEIR PROPER NAMES
Mount Rainier is Positively Not
Mount Tacoma"
BERlnG SEA WITHOUT THE a."
Hongkong Is One word-Or typography Of
Alaska Names-Decisions by the
Governments Board.

On September 4, 1890, President Harri-
son issued an order formally creating the
United States board of geographical
names, to which might be referred all
questions as TO geographical nomenclature,
the action of the board to be accepted as
hnal. Although its functions are purely
those of government board and its deci-
sions binding on government officers only,
hope is expressed that they may be also
followed by the public in general,
especially the map and textbook pub
lisilers
The first bulletin of the board has just
been issued. 1t contains tho following
note on the photography of Boring.
The great arm of the North Pacific ocean lying
between Alaska aud siberia il called ON very
old map the Mcr Ornante, aud on another the
sleepy sea, but otherwise has borae in general
two names, viz: sea al kalnshatka and Bering
sea. The spelling OF each OF these names has
been various. The older name. sea of Kam-
shatka, dates from the latter part of the seven
tenth century, anu is derived from the PENN
sula OF the same name. This peninsula first
made known TO the Russians through Cos
sack reports. received from the Russians the
Name kaumamka, a supposed Russian render
ing OF the native name of the country.
The meaning of this word is not known The
fourth letter IN this Russian word, m, is usually
rendered in English by the combination tsch.
IN transliterating it the practice has not been
found spelled kamchatka, kamshatka, Kam-
schatka. Kamtschatka, kamshatska, etc.
This old naine, Sea OF kanshatka, under some
one OF its variant forms is nearly or quite obso-
iete, having been suppianted by the term Boring
sea. This IN its turn mas been yarieusly written
BehTfng sea, Bhering sea, Beering sea, Bering
Sea, as well as Rehring sea, Behring'S sea, etc.
This name was given 10 the sea in honor OF its
first explorer Similarly the strait which con-
meets it with the Arctic ocean, island in the
sea, and a bay on the northwest coast OF America
hsit-f srpa ix-sa44 H.art 4fylnl E4rtya
When the car. Peter the Great, determined to
send out an exploring expedition to ascertain
whether Asia md America were united by land,
he selected to lead this expedition Captain COM
mander Ivan Ivanoyieh Bering Bering was
| the son of Jonas Syensden by his second wife,
Anne Pedersdatter Boring, aud was born Mt
Horsends, in Jutland, in the summer of 1851.
| On his mothers side he WAS descended from the
distinguished Boring family, which during the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries iiourished
| in various parts of Denmark, and included a
number OF ministers and judicial officers. Bap-
tsed the 18th of August, 1851, he received the
baptisma name Nitus Joilassen Bering. On
entering the Russian navy, however, he took. as
was the custom OF the Danish aud Norwegian
officers serving in Russia, new or Russianized
| form OF name. This form is Ivan Ivanoyich
Boring. The name Iyanoyieh Is an exact trans
iation of Jonas in English johnson or John 8
son. All the Russian and Danish records agree
as to the spelling of the family name; both in
| Danish and in Russian it Ia Bering. His auto
| graph is always written Bering.
The insertion OF an h in the name, giving the
| form Behring, appears TO have been made in
| Germany.
In IT'S was published Harris Collection of
| Voyages, in two folio volumes. In the second
volume, pages I.0l6-I.0iI, is contained "a dis
tnct account OF part of the northeast frontier of
| the Russian empire, commonly called the eoun-
| try of kamschatka or kamschatska, including
the voyages OF Captain Behring for discovering
toward the cast etc, collected from the best
| authorities, both printed and manuscript" This
| account was prepared by DR.. Campbell. who
| made use of the form Behriug. From this it may
,4.1.. n
| Dali, that DR.. Campbell did not have access TO
| original documents, bus got his material from
| German sources or German TRANSACTIONS of the
| original As Harris's Voyages is an elaborate
| work long accepted ar standard, the use of the
| form Behring gained wide adoption among
! English speaking people. That the form Boring
it is the form always used by Bering himself, by
| his ancestors for five generations at least and
| by his descendants; ca, because it is the form
| almost, though not quite, universally adopted
| in all non English works, and go, because even
| in English works it is gradually superscding the
| form Behring.
| The following decisions are made, the
| name adopted being given first and the
| discarded form in brackets:
Abagadasset point. Kennebec river, Maine
Agattu island. Alaska. [Agattou.l
| Aghik island. semidi islands, Alaska.
| Aghiyuk island OF east side Alaska PENN
/ sulI. IAghiyukh.l
/ Akkra West Africa. [Accra.l
t Akun island. Alaska. lAkhun, Akoun,
! Akutan island. Alaska. lAkoutanl
Alaska peninsula. Alaska. tAliasAa, Aliash
Amatignak island Andreanof island, Alaska
| lAmatignakh, Amatignake.l
Amchitka island. Alaska. [Amitkhitka, Am
| tchitka.l
| oukhta, Amuchta.i
Anacosria river District of Columbia East
| ern branch.l
| tAndreiefski, Andreievsky, Andreaivsky.1
| Andreanof islands. Alaska. lAndreanov
Aniakchak bay. East side Alaska peninsula
Annobon island Gulf OF Guinea, West Africa
| lAnnabon, Ammo Bon. Ammo Bom:l
| Arakon, province and city. Burmah, Asia
| [Aracan, Arrakan, Arracan.l
/ Assini. West Africa. lAssinie, Assinia.l
Aka island. Alaska. Atkha.l
! Attu island. Alaska. lAttoo, Attou.1
Augustine island. In Cook inlet, Alaska
| [Augus.in, Chernaboura.
BulIiehistan. India. lBeloochistan, Belou
| chistan, Balouchistan, Belutchistan.l
Baranof island. Alaska. lBaronof1
Barbados island. In West Iudies. IBarba
| does.1
slows. Bafslowl
Becharof lake. Alaska peninsula. [Botch
aroi, Boehonoff, RochanofJ
Bendeleben mount. North OF Goloyin sound
III Norton sound, Alaska. lBcrdeleben.l
Bering sea. Alaska. tBehring, Behring's
| kamchatka, etc.
Big Diomede island. In Bering strait, Alas a
| [Ratmanofi, Ratmanof, Noo-nar book
Bogoslof island. West OF Unalaska, Alaska
| IBogosloy.l
Bonita point San Francisco entrance, Cali
| fornia. lBoneta.l
Buckiahd river. Into Kotzebue sound
| Alaska. lkunguk.
Bueu Ayrc island in Caribbean sea- [Bon
| aire.l
Buldir island. Near islands, Alaska. IBoul
| dir. BoUldyrl
chandler bay. West of Rogue island, coast 0
! Maine.
Chaukliut island West of scmidi islands
| Alaska. [Chankluit.l
Chcmabura island North OF sannak islam,
/ ana east of uniinak, Alaska. tChernobour
CheruGbouT. CbeFnobural
Chiaeli island. South coast of Alaska PENN
/ saia. EChiaeht Chiache.l
Chehagof harbor. Alta island, Alaska. tTsch
| itsehagoh, Tchitchagoff.l
| Chigul island Near Great sitkin island Al
| aska. lTchiguL1
chile Republic Of, South America [Chili.
/ Chilkat Aver and pass Alaska. [ChiIcat.l
| CbtlkoOt village and pass, Alaska tChil
| kDt.l
Chiniak bay. Northeast side Kaaiak island
Alaska. (ShiuiatskoyI
thirlSof island. -emidi islands, Alaska
II k.mOk, Chirikof gamok.I
Chitnak cape. south side OF 81. Lawrene
island. Alaska ITehitnak.
/ tRONl-t Island SeIHlnl Islands Alaska
tCnOWee Eg. Cboweet, Ch0wee ct
thngiiladak island. Alaska tTchuginalak
| tEugul island. North OF Amukta island
Alaska. tChegoula, cbuguel, 1chegoni
lslaud.l
Chuli,na river Alaska. IKhulitnol
! Cieare cape. southern extremity Montag
Cold bay Alaska "a NoorosskOy, Morosko
! Mcrtotssi. Mokroesk oi.f