Puget Sound Nav. Co. v. United States

The case comes to us on an agreed statement of facts, which are relatively simple. The appellant operates several steamships on Puget Sound and adjacent waters — Admiralty Inlet, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Rosario Strait, and Haro Strait. The cities and islands served by said vessels are Seattle, on the mainland, located on Puget Sound; Port Townsend, on the mainland, located on Admiralty Inlet; Port Angeles, on the mainland, located on the Straits of Juan de Fuca; Victoria, on Vancouver Island, located on the Straits of Juan de Fuca; Bellingham, on the mainland, located on Puget Sound; Anacortes, on the mainland, located on Puget Sound; Sidney, on Vancouver Island; and Lopez Island, Shaw Island, and Oreas, located on Oreas Island, all of the San Juan Island Group. All of the cities and islands are located within the United States of Amer *74 ica with the exception of the cities of Victoria and Sidney, which are located in the province of British Columbia, Vancouver Island. The vessels cross waters designated as “high seas.” Generally, all of the vessels involved herein carry passengers, vehicles, baggage, mail, merchandise, and freight, and in transporting such merchandise and…