Schwatka

shwotka, Frederick (1849-1892), an American explorer. He was born at Galena, Illinois, and died at Portland, Oregon. He was graduated at West Point in 1871. In 1878 he obtained leave of absence to head the search for the remains of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated expedition. He was successful in finding Franklin's journals in a cairn of stones and returned with a creditable amount of information relative to the Arctic regions. He was the recipient of medals and honors from the geographical societies of Paris, Russia, Rome, Berlin, and Geneva. He engaged also in the exploration of the Yukon Valley and the ascent of Mount St. Elias; the former for the United States government, the latter for the New York Times. In 1884 he resigned his commission in the United States army, his rank being that of lieutenant. Among his writings are Along Alaska's Great River, A Nimrod of the North, and Children of the Cold. See Franklin; Nansen; Greeley; Arctic Regions