This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 edition. Excerpt: ... introduction. Southwestern Alaska includes the Cook Inlet region, Kodiak and adjacent islands, Alaska Peninsula, and the Aleutian Islands. Coal, mostly of a lignitic character, is widely distributed in this province. The known localities are indicated on the accompanying map (pi. ii). Coal-bearing rocks occur in throe principal districts, Cook Inlet, Kodiak Island, and Alaska Peninsula. In Cook Inlet coal is found at Kachemak Bay and Port Graham on Kenai Peninsula, at Tyonok on the west shore, and on Matanuska River about 50 miles inland from the head of the inlet. It has also been reported at various localities in the Sushitna basin, which lies beyond the province under discussion. Coal occurs at several points on the shore of Kodiak Island. From Cape Douglas, at the northern end of Alaska Peninsula, out to the Aleutian Islands coal-bearing beds are found at several places, but Chignik and Herendeen bays and Unga Island are the only localities where developments have been made. The earliest accounts of any of these coal beds are those of Portlock" who made a voyage to Alaska in 1786, and of Doroshin and Wosnessenski, Russian mining engineers and explorers. In 1895 W. H. Dall made a coast trip in southern Alaska and reported on the coal/ Mining operations were then being carried on at Kachemak and Chignik bays and Unga Island, but are now confined to Chignik Bay. During the summer of 1904 the writer, acting under orders of G. C. Martin, had an opportunity to examine several of the coal localities on the east coast of the Alaska Peninsula and about Cook Inlet. The result of these investigations, together with information concerning some localities which the writer did not visit, and a report on the lignite at Unga by G. C. Martin, are...