The Naming of Alaska: Explorers 'L'

Lutke, 1827-1828

    One of the important authorities used in preparing this dictionary is Capt. Feodor Petrovich Lutke, who, in command of the Russian corvette Seniavine and accompanied by Capt. Mikhail Nikolaievich Staniukovich in command of the sloop Moller, made a voyage round the world in 1826-1829.
    An account of the voyage was published in Russian in 1834-1836, in 8 octavo volumes, a folio atlas, and another volume called Nautical part. It appeared at the same time in French. The nautical part is a rare book. The two copies of it in the Library of Congress, one in French, the other in Russian, are the only ones known to the writer. This Partie nautique contains hydrographic and geographic information as to Bering sea, Alaska peninsula, etc., derived not merely f rom Lutke's own work but also from various Russian sources previously unpublished. Pressing public duties delayed the preparation and publication of this work, and finally it appeared in a crude form far from satisfactory to its author. Despite its defects, however, the work is of first importance in dealing with the evolution of our geographic knowledge of Alaska. An index to this book was prepared by Mr. Dall and published by the Coast Survey in 1883 in the Coast Pilot of Alaska.
    Lutke and Staniukovich sailed from Cronstadt on September 1, 1826, and, rounding Cape Horn, arrived at Sitka on June 24, 1827. Here Lutke remained till July 31 and then sailed to Unalaska, arriving on August 22. After a stay of eight days in Unalaska he cruised northward and westward in Bering sea to the Pribilof islands, St. Matthew, the Commander islands, and to Petropavlovsk. From here he cruised southward and returned to Petropavlovsk on June 9, 1828. After a stay of sixteen days he cruised and surveyed along the Siberian coast to St. Lawrence bay in Bering strait and returned on September 4, 1828, to Petropavlovsk. He took final leave of this place on November 9, 1828, and, rounding the Cape of Good Hope, returned home, arriving at Cronstadt on September 6, 1829.