EARLY EXPLORATIONS AND DISCOVERIES IN ALASKA.
What is now the Territory of Alaska was, until 1867, a part of
the Russian Empire and was known as Russian America. The name Alas!
is'derived from the Aleut word, Alakshak, meaning "a great country" c
continent”. Credit for the discovery of Alaska coast is given to
Michail Gvozdef, "geodesist” or surveyor, who assumed command of an
expedition originally headed by Ivan Gedorcg and designed to secure
information concerning the "great land” to the east of Siberia whose
existence was reported by Chukchi, natives inhabitatgng the northern
Siberia. Gvozdef is presumed to have touched the coast of Alaska
near Cape Prince of Wales some time during the year 1730.
Prior to this time in 1728, Vitus Bering, a Danish Captain in the
Russian service,who was -commander of what was known from its starting
point as the first Kamchatka expedition, had discovered and named St.
Lawrence Island and had sailed through Bering Strait, rounded east -h
and proceeded'westward far enough to establish the fact that the Ian1
reported as lying east of Siberia was not a part of the continent oT
Asia. The results of the first Kamchatka expedition fired the Ri
sians with a desire to know more about the great land to the eastwa~'
and if possible to discover trade routes to America. Accordingly ti
second Kamchatka expedition was organized. Two men figure prominent'
in this expedition namely, Bering, who commanded -the expedition, and
Alex Ch&rkof, second in command.. The two vessels used in the expe
dition, the St.Peter and the St.Paul, were in charge of Bering and
Chirkof respectively. The. plan called for the two vessels to procet
together. However, they became separated some days after setting out
from Avatcha Bay, the starting point of the expedition and thereafter
the two commanders proceeded indepentently.
On July 16th., 1*741,Bering sighted and named Lit.St.Elias and a
few days later made a landing at Kyak Island, near Controller Bay.
Chirikof sighted the Alaska coast, probablt- at Prince of Wales Islan'
on July 15th. , 1741. Bering remained but a few days in the region of
Prince William Sound and then sailed westward along the southern coah
touching at several points. He fell ill of scutvy, which disease h:
attacked the ship’s crew.. On November 5th, his vessel waswrecked on
an island later called Rering Island. Here Bering died on December
8th., 1741. Those who survived were successful•in constructing ano
vessel from the wreck and returned to Kamchatka: the following fall.
Chiriko f1 s- crew also suff re d ' gre a tly from scurfy and other
diseases. His homeward journey was/bf set with many difficulties, ¥
including the massacre of two boat loads of men by the savage inhab-j
itants of the co-untry. On the return voyage he sighted many of the
Aleutian Islands.*- He reached Avarcha Bay, Kamchatka the point of
departure of the expedition early in October, 1741. after a voyage
which lasted approximately five months.
In May, 1742, Chirikof made another attempt to explore the A1
coast but, because of unfavorable winds, turned back after sighting
the islands at the extreme western chd of-the Aleutian
principally on the voyage of Bering an£ Chirikof that
claim to the ownership of northwestern America.
(Taken from a pamphlc t.'issued by. the Governor’s office)
Contributed by 1st. Lt. Clyde Grady, 7tl
chain. It m
Russia based
INCURABLE - "Dey ain ' no jestice no mo ’ , " mourned Rufus to a friend,
"Sam, ah’s a sick man. Guess ah’s gvvine die, suah. Ah "goes to de
doctah, an’ he says mah veins am too close. Says ah got very-close
veins. An1 de oney help fo ' me, he says, am to eat chicken brof"
free times a day, an* stay in nights. An* Sam, dat jes* kain't be
done*” — Infantry School News.