Tillamook Passage: Far Side of the Pacific

Tillamook Passage: Far Side of the Pacific.

By:  Brian D. Ratty.

$19.95

ISBN:  9781463406158

Availability:  Usually ships in 1-5 days.

Published:  Authorhouse, 2011.

Joseph Blackwell, a lad without prospects, befriends a mysterious sea
captain and secures a berth on his ship. The year is 1787, and two
American ships laden with supplies set sail from Boston Harbor. Their
venture: to round Cape Horn and sail to the Northwest coast of America,
to trade with the Indians for sea otter pelts. Once their cargo is
secured, they will sail to China via the Sandwich Islands and trade the
valuable skins for tea, before returning to Boston via the Cape of Good
Hope.During their stormy passage, the two ships lose contact with each
other. As a result, the sloop Lady Washington, commanded by Captain
Robert Gray, must proceed on her own. Reaching the uncharted Northwest
coast, they discover native villages on a large, pristine bay which Gray
names after the Indians: Tillamook.Barter, initially friendly, gives
way to a surprise attack. During the battle, Joe Blackwell and an
African cabin boy become separated from the ship, and must hide from the
marauding natives. With musket and cannon, Gray holds off the attackers
while setting sail. From the rocks above, the two young men watch in
frightened disbelief as the sloop vanishes into a foggy sea. The two
young men are now marooned, in a remote and primitive land.Their
struggle, playing out against endless forests, rugged mountains and
bountiful waters, is an epic tale of clashing cultures, fate, trust,
love and conflict. The lads approach their futures quite differently,
one pining for home and family, while the other aspires to Indian
leadership. Tillamook Passage is a thrilling testament to the iron will,
brave hearts and sharp wits of the gritty explorers who came before
us.Two worlds... one destiny.