Swan Island (Alaska)
Encyclopedia
Swan Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago
, east of Admiralty Island
, near the head of Seymour Canal
, Southeast Alaska
, United States
. To its south is Tiedeman Island
. It was named in 1890 by Lieutenant Commander Mansfield, USN
. The first Europe
an to discover and chart the island was Joseph Whidbey
, master of the HMS Discovery
during George Vancouver
's 1791-95 expedition
, in 1794.
Alexander Archipelago
The Alexander Archipelago is a long archipelago, or group of islands, of North America off the southeastern coast of Alaska. It contains about 1,100 islands, which are the tops of the submerged coastal mountains that rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean. Deep channels and fjords separate the...
, east of Admiralty Island
Admiralty Island
Admiralty Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago in Southeast Alaska, at . It is 145 km long and 56 km wide with an area of 4,264.1 km² , making it the seventh largest island in the United States and the 132nd largest island in the world. It is one of the...
, near the head of Seymour Canal
Seymour Canal
Seymour Canal is an inlet penetrating deep into the southeastern part of Admiralty Island, Southeast Alaska, United States. The inlet was first charted in 1794 by Joseph Whidbey, master of the HMS Discovery during George Vancouver's 1791-95 expedition. Vancouver later named it "Seymour's Channel"...
, Southeast Alaska
Alaska Panhandle
Southeast Alaska, sometimes referred to as the Alaska Panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, which lies west of the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The majority of Southeast Alaska's area is part of the Tongass National Forest, the United...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. To its south is Tiedeman Island
Tiedeman Island
Tiedeman Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago, east of Admiralty Island, about two-thirds up from the entrance of Seymour Canal, Southeast Alaska, United States. To its north is Swan Island. It was named by William Healy Dall of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, and published in the...
. It was named in 1890 by Lieutenant Commander Mansfield, USN
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. The first Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an to discover and chart the island was Joseph Whidbey
Joseph Whidbey
Joseph Whidbey was a member of the Royal Navy who served on the Vancouver Expedition 1791–1795, and later achieved renown as a naval engineer. He is notable for having been the first European to discover and chart Admiralty Island in the Alexander Archipelago in 1794.Little is recorded of...
, master of the HMS Discovery
HMS Discovery (1789)
HMS Discovery was a Royal Navy ship launched in 1789 and best known as the lead ship in George Vancouver's exploration of the west coast of North America in his famous 1791-1795 expedition. She was converted to a bomb vessel in 1798 and participated in the Battle of Copenhagen. Thereafter she...
during George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
's 1791-95 expedition
Vancouver Expedition
The Vancouver Expedition was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver. The expedition circumnavigated the globe, touched five continents and changed the course of history for the indigenous nations and several European empires and their...
, in 1794.