Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-06-08

AMOSS IWB 1SLANWy u RlG8T
soTND, W.T..
The following is taken from advance
sheets of the forthcoming work Oregon
and Washington" by Newton Fl. Chit
tenden:
VICTORIA. April Goth, 1852.
The San Juan group of islands, some
thirty in number, composing the county
Of San Juan. w. T., contain an aggre-
gate area of about two hundred and
fifty square milea- They are situated be-
tween the waters Of the Gulf of Gsoreis,
and the straiss Of Juan de- T6ca, the
Island Of Vancouver, British Columbia,
md Whateom county, Waat ington Ter.
ritpry. They have an average elevation
Of about two hundred and fifty feet, not
including Mount Dalhe, Of San Juan,
With III altitude of 1850 feet, and Mount
Constitution, which rises $500 feet
above the sea level from the Island of
Orcas. A thick growth Of fir, cedar and
spruce, Scoverss their surface, extending
down to the bluff and rocky shores.
Though better adapted to grazing than
agriculture, they comprise considerable
areas of good farming lands. The coil
of the.uplAndn is generally lighttandy
or gravelly loan, peat and black loan,
with a clayey upSOil prevailing ON the
bottoms. All the cereals and roots COM
monty grown in the Territory west of the
Cascade Range flourish finely. Apples,
plums, cherries, strawberries, and other
small fruits, of excellent quality, are
raised in abundance. The climate is
moist, mild, equab!e, and healthful; the
Summers too cool for coin, tomatoes,
melons, peaches and grapes, though the
former are grown in q few sheltered,
warm situations. Water Of good quail
ity is easily obtained everywhere. The
forests abound with deer. otter and mink,
and the surrounding waters with salmon,
halibut, bass, and other exosllsnt fish.
There are no beasts of prey nor poison
GUS reptiles, and but few mosquitoes.
OF those islands are settled, San Ju~n
Ofcas, Lopez, Blakely, Decatur, Valid
ron, Shaw's, Stewart, Speidsn, and
Guenles, with population of 889 people,
Of many natiOnaiities. chiefly Americans,
English, Canadians, Irish, and Scandi-
navians. A few Indians still inhabit
these shores, but are peacably Inclined.
An examination of the county records,
through the kindness of Judge Sherer,
county auditor, shows 1885 acres of
improved lands, property assessed at
$751; ,l62, including 5000 sheep, 5000
mead of horned cattle, and l ,Ol0 head of
horses. Those portions best suitsd to
agriculture, are already occupied, though
much available timber land is still open
to settlement under homestead and pre-
smptiOn laws, Improved farms are val
ued 1T from So to $50 an acre. San
Juan Island, the largest of the group,
and containing about half the popula-
ton of the county, about thirteen miles
long. with an average width of about
four miles. 1t became famous in his
tory from its joint occupation by the
American and English forces, from 1858
to 1873, during the pendency of the San
Juan boundary dispute. The principal
buildings of both American and Brit
,sh camps are still standing, the former
ON the northeast and the latter on the
southwest shore. Sheep raiaing. mixed
farming, and the manufacture of lime
are the chief industries of the people. 1t
supports about $500 sheep, IN pretty
good condition, throughout the year.
without feeding, except in severe sea-
sons. The average wool clip is about
three pounds each. Its limestone de-
posits are among the most extensive and
pUrest in the world. San Juan lime has
no superior III the market, for fineness
and strength.
At Eureka, the Yaquina took on board
aver 700 barrels Of lime from the kiln of
McLachlan d Lee. 1t burns perpetually,
producing about 5000 barrels annually,
worth at their landing from 81 CD to
81 25 per barrel. The lime rock is ap-
parently inexhaustible.s An analysis
shows 1t to be remarkably free from clay,
silica. oxide Of iron. bitumen, carbon or
other deleteriousl substances, Toward
evening on the 10th we sailed from this
beautiful little harbOr for McCurdy's
kiln. situated on the south side of the
island. The combined landscape of
these islands Is exceedingly picturesque
and charming. Their shores present a
continuous surprise of coy coves and
harbOrs, with an occasional stretch of
clean, gravelly beach, Overhung with the
evergreen cedar and fir.
In many places the off-lying waters
are so deep that the ships may run their
bOwsprits among the forest trees, with
out touching bottom. Leaving the isl
oAoo va A1AsbWf OAC0b tShA hJtOWs5It, Ou
our right. we are soon in the waters of
Canal de Haro. Here such strong
wind is encountered, that we turn back
and anchor for the night close to the
shore in 80 feet of water, in Roche Har-
Dor, the rendezvous of the English fleet
during the joint occupation of San Juan.
The following morning the Yaauina re-
ceived 500 more barrels of lime at Nc
(snPdVSo Ithaca a a thu
lime works on the upper coast. A per-
petual kiln with daily capacity of l25
barrels, burns day and night the wear
round. About 1900 barrels month are
shipped. the principal markets being
Portland, Victoria, B. c., and points on
the sound. The deposit of lime rock
here is immense-a mountaia cliff ex-
tending back from the shore and down.
ward for an unknown depth, estimated
to be inexhaustible for two or three
generations at All annual product of 30
goo barrels. A force of about thirty men
are employed in mining, burning, COOP
ering, etc. The lime is of superior Quail
ity and in great demand for hard finish-
ing and other plaster-work.
Here l babe goodbye to the officers
and crew of the Yaquina; and with the
injunction from Captain Denny not 10
get lost-started through the forest for
Thornton's, eight miles distant. There
is no regular communication between
these islands, or them and tho main
land, except by the little steamer Dis
patch, which calls for mail once a weak.
and she ID now ashore on Shaw's Island.
Their principal traffic, except the shin
ment Of lime, is carried on by sloopSAnd
small boats. -
! had previously arranged to mcet
Captain Dake ut the landing mentioned.
and sail with him for Victoria, b. g.
Through general disagreement az to
location, the roads of San Juan were In
bad condition. For several miles
found only a tortuous trail; but With the
aid Of a compass and previous sxperi-
ence, after many detours of marshv
places and difficult passages Of dense fir
thickets. reached Friday Harbor lust
IN time to escape severe storm, But
few of the settlers along the way were
at home; they generally live in small
frame or log cabins, cultivate small
fields among the stumps, raise q few
chickens, and hunt and fish. pasaed
one Swede, two Irishmen, one Enclish
woman, one Canadian, one half-brsod
and one American.
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