The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-08-05
Six Hundred Miles in a.
Houseboat
By Joseph cilpin Pyle and Anna sanborn pyle :

~ NJ NJ ~ ~
and Anna Sanborn Pyle - 4---
turles. Next m morning we were
: breasting the tide through Decep
tion Pass, three miles long and {
half mile wide, where ten-minutt
{ failure to make the schedule worked
q out from the tide tables would have
] meant wait Of hours. Deception
Pass is crooked and narrow. Dodd
] Narrows,a little farther on, are six
j ty-five yards wide at the narrowest
point, ,and the spring tides rise four
i teen feet. The waters of hundreds
of square miles in area must dis
! charge, with such alterations of
level, through these rocky raceways
at every turn of the tide. It rushes
/ through at high and low water with
a speed of from six to eight knots
per hour, ,swirling and dashing about
the encompassing rocks. The wise
navigator bides his time. We were
a few minutes late, ,and the vigorous
engines of the Lotus had their work
cut out for them even though the
tide had only just turned. At times
one could be certain in which direc-
ton the boat was moving only by
taking sight through the window at
some object on shore; while the lift
of the current and the bite of the
screw combined to bring the surface
of the boiling water at the stern
just level with the main deck. It
is part Of the delight of cruising in
these waters that the navigator has
many such problems to work out for
himself; many close connection to
make; many channel and bay
through which to feel his way eau
/ Itiously; many a trick of tide or
I hint of wind and wave to store away
for future reference.
Beyond Deception Pass lie the
San Juan Islands, one of the most
beautiful and least-known possess
sions of the United States.
! Probably a hundred people know
about Porto Rico for one who ever
heard of the San Juan group Yet
their possession was one of the points
about which gravitatied the issue of
peace or war with Great Britain un-
til the boundary line was finally ad-
Ijusted less than forty years ago.
They are among the most fertile,
picturesque, and wholly delightful
spots over which the flag floats.
! They constitute an entire county OF
the state of Washington. They are
broken by hills attaining in places
the real mountain dignity; fissured
and torn into long peninsulas by
arms of the sea; only scantily pop
ulated or cultivated as yet. They
grow delicious fruit in abundance,
have a heavenly climate, and are
within a few hours run Of three
large cities and important markets
Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver.
"On one of these islands Mr.Rob-a
| lert Moran, who built the battleship
Nebraska for the United States Gov
ernment in his yards at Seattle, has
retired to the state of baron of the
| Middle Ages. Mr.. Moran's health
broke down under the strain OF such
/ achievement as only our country and
our time have ever attempted, and
the physicians passed sentence OF
/ banishment upon him. Forthwith
lhe sold his shipyard for some mill
lions. bought several thousand acres
on Orcas Island, utilized the water
power from two lakes, lying from
/ three to twelve hundred feet up IN
/ the hills, re-established his beloved
shops as q pastime instead OF Dusl-
ness. and built himself there in the
solitudes castle that is marvei.
With vaults and foundations exca-
waited deep into the solid rock, floors
Of inlaid teak throughout, doors and
! furnishings Of Honduras mahogany.
windows of half-inch plate set IN
frames Of solid brass, every orna-
ment,and luxury that desire can sug-
|gest, including pipe-organ larger
4 than most cities except those OF the
first class can show, and with every,
particle Of the work done on tne.
premises this extraol dinary palace
n the wilderness is as unique as the
-. .,,.<.,..rp o,,d creative stress OF