Hints to Travellers, Scientific and General, Vol. 2 / Tenth edition, revised and corrected

by Royal Geographical Society

ON THE GIVING OF NAMES TO NEWLY-DISCOVERED PLACES.

The Council of the Royal Geographical Society would urge upon all travellers that in giving names to any new discoveries which they may make they should be guided by the following restrictions, which, until comparatively recent years, were commonly observed:—

1. That before putting forward any personal or fanciful name the traveller should do his best to ascertain that no local name exists, and where none is forthcoming should further consider whether one might not conveniently be derived from the vicinity, e.g., from an adjacent stream, or pasture, or glacier, or from some characteristic of the natural object itself.

2. That no one should commemorate himself in this manner.

3. That any new nomenclature which a traveller may desire to suggest should be put forward tentatively and subject to the approval (1) of the Administration of the region or country, if there is one; (2) of the Official Cartographer of the country, if it possesses a Survey Department, or of the State to which the region may belong; or (3) of the Council of the Royal Geographical Society.