42 CAPTAIN COOK 



permit for departure several days before, but 

 had forgotten to issue it. Two days later, on 

 December 7th, the Endeavour was at last en- 

 abled to leave these inhospitable waters, and to 

 set a course for Tierra del Fuego. 



Christmas was celebrated on board by abun- 

 dant and repeated libations. The greater part 

 of the crew participated in these rejoicings for 

 the Nativity, experiencing an elation to which 

 rum was no stranger, and Mr. Banks wondered, 

 at the sight of these unorthodox consequences of 

 the divine anniversary, what would have hap- 

 pened had a storm ensued on this December 

 25th. 



On January 14th the Endeavour entered Le- 

 maire Strait, which separates Tierra del Fuego 

 from Staten Island. Cook preferred to use this 

 passage, and subsequently to double Cape Horn, 

 rather than to venture upon the Straits of Magel- 

 lan, which Bougainville and Captain Wallis had 

 taken three months to traverse. His seamanship 

 was justified, for it took him no more than thirty- 

 three days to sail round Tierra del Fuego. He 

 determined the latitude and longitude of the 

 places which he passed with the most rigorous 

 accuracy, the charts having been till then ex- 

 tremely vague upon these points. 



As soon as the Endeavour had entered Le- 

 maire Strait, she met with a terribly heavy sea. 



