Tillamook Passage
Far Side of The Pacific
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Concerned, I said, “Your forehead is bleeding, sir, and your eye looks mangled.” With a slight grin, he replied, “Aye, the blinker has been like that for years. Go back and retrieve my hat, lad… and my eye-patch, so I can cover it up.” And like providence, that’s what we did for the next three days. With our bodies sweltering, we pushed and pulled the oars of the longboat, dragging the ship ever so slowly. Each watch seemed longer than the last, and each pull seemed harder than the one before. The sea was as flat as a lake and the wind as calm as death. There was no beginning or end, only rowing. The morning was bright and clear, with the distant mountains peaks holding firm to a few wispy clouds. There was a slight, cool breeze on my face, and I heard the call of an eagle flying high above. I needed his strength today. Walking around the corner of the fort, I held my bundle of furs high so that the Russian could see that I wasn’t armed. Fear dragged at my footsteps, while determination held my heart.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
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.
About the Author
Brian D. Ratty is a retired media executive and graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography. He and his wife, Tess, live on the north Oregon Coast, where he writes and photographs that rugged and majestic region. Over the past thirty years, he has traveled the vast wilderness of the Pacific Coast in search of images and stories that reflect the spirit and splendor of those spectacular lands. Brian is an award-winning historical fiction novelist, and has written numerous magazine articles about the Pacific Northwest. For more information: www.DutchClarke.com