Cape Wild is a prominent rock cape on the eastern end of the Organ Pipe Cliffs

Organ Pipe Cliffs

Organ Pipe Cliffs is a line of coastal cliffs in the form of palisades of columnar dolerite overlooking the sea to the west of Cape Wild. Discovered by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Douglas Mawson, who named them because of the similarity of the rock structure to organ pipes....

. This may be the cape viewed from the ship superior mirage, by the United States Exploring Expedition

United States Exploring Expedition

The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States from 1838 to 1842. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. The voyage was authorized by Congress in...

 under Lieutenant Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes

Charles Wilkes was an American naval officer and explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 and commanded the ship in the Trent Affair during the American Civil War...

, January 19, 1840. Wilkes applied the name "Point Emmons" for Lieutenant George F. Emmons

George F. Emmons

George Foster Emmons was a rear admiral of the United States Navy, who served in the early to mid 19th century.-Biography:Born in Clarendon, Vermont, Emmons began his distinguished career as a midshipman on 1 April 1828...

 of the Vincennes. The cape was accurately positioned by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition

Australasian Antarctic Expedition

The Australasian Antarctic Expedition was an Australasian scientific team that explored part of Antarctica between 1911 and 1914. It was led by the Australian geologist Douglas Mawson, who was knighted for his achievements in leading the expedition. In 1910 he began to plan an expedition to chart...

 (1911–14) under Douglas Mawson

Douglas Mawson

Sir Douglas Mawson, OBE, FRS, FAA was an Australian geologist, Antarctic explorer and Academic. Along with Roald Amundsen, Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest Shackleton, Mawson was a key expedition leader during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.-Early work:He was appointed geologist to an...

, who named it for Frank Wild

Frank Wild

Commander John Robert Francis Wild CBE, RNVR, FRGS , known as Frank Wild, was an explorer...

, a member of the expedition and leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition Western Base Party.