, 1882-07-14

The following items are taken lrOH
advance sheets of pamphlet written
ND by Newton H. Chittenden, who
recently made tour of the Sound
country:
THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS,
AT Eureka, the Yaquina took on
board over 700 barrels of lime from
the kiln of McLachlan g. Lee. 1t
burns perpetually, producing about
5000 barrels annually, worth at their
landing from Sl.OO to Sl.25 per bar
rel The lime rock is apparently in
exhaustible. An analysis shows it to
be remarkably free from clay, silica,
oxide of iron, bitumen, carbon or 9th
er deleterious substances. Toward
evening, on the 18th, we sailed from
this beautiful little harbor for McCur-
dy's kiln, situated on the south side
of the island The combined land
scape of these islands is exceedingly
picturesque and charming. Their
shores present a continuous surprise
of cozy 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 ships may run their
bowsprits among the forest trees
without touching bottom. Leaving
the islands of Shaw, Orcas and Stew
art on our right, we are soon in the
waters of the Canal de Haro Here
such a strong head wind is encoun-
tered, that we turn back and anchor
for the night close to the shore in 30
feet of water, in Roche HHbor, the
rendezvous of the English fleet dur
ing the joint occupation of San Juan.
The following morning the Yaquina
received 500 more barrels Of lime at
McCurdy's. These are the most ex-
tensive lime works on the upper coast.
A perpetual kiln with a daily capacity
of 125 barrels burns day and night
the year round About 1000 barrels
a month are shipped, the principal
markets being Portland, Victoria, Be,
and points on the Sound. The depos-
it of lime rock here is immense-a
mountain cliff extending back from
the shore and downward for an I'M
known depth, estimated to be mex
haustible for two or three generations,
at an annual product of 10000 bar
rels. A force of about thirty men are
employed in mining, burning, coop
ering, etc. The lime is of superior
quality and in great demand for hard
finishing and other fine plaster work.
Here bade goodbye to the officers
and crew Of the Yaquina, and with
the injunction from Capt. Denny, not
to get lost, started through the forests
for Thornton's landing, some eight
miles distant There is no regular
communication between these islands
or them and the main land. except by
the little steamer Dispatch, which
calls for mail once a week, and she is
now ashore on Shaw's island. Their
principal traffic except the shipment
o. lime, is carried on by slOops and
small boats.
had previously arranged 10 meet
Capt Dakc at the landing mentioned,
and sail with him to Victoria, b. &.
Through general disagreement as
to location, the roads Of San Juan
are in bad condition. For several
miles | found only tortuous trail;
but with the aid of a compass and
previous experience after many de
tours Of marshy places and difficult
passages Of dense tir thickets, reach
ed Friday Harbor just in time to es-
cape 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 little
stock and Il few chickens, and hunt
and fish. | passed one Swede, two
freshmen, one English woman, one
Canadian, one half-biccd. and one
American.
1t IHlcy Eavlor : was f:.turatc