172 CAPTAIN COOK 



as far as Lemaire Strait. He believed that an 

 examination of this locality, still very imper- 

 fectly known, would be beneficial to both navi- 

 gation and geography. 



Putting his plan into execution, he arrived on 

 December 17th in sight of the western coast of 

 Tierra del Fuego, and three days later he an- 

 chored in a harbour on this island, which he 

 called Christmas Bay. 



During the five weeks which passed during 

 the voyage from New Zealand, while he was in 

 high southern latitudes, Cook recorded nothing 

 remarkable. 



The part of Tierra del Fuego upon which the 

 Englishmen landed, though desolate and moun- 

 tainous, was not completely barren. Enormous 

 trees, the branches of which were inhabited by a 

 large number of birds, various flowers and large 

 ferns covered the stony soil of the country. 



On the little low islands which fringed the 

 coast grew shrubs covered with red fruit, very 

 pleasant to eat, and celery flourished abundantly. 

 The rocks of these islands were covered with big 

 mussels, "better than oysters." The sportsmen 

 of the Resolution shot a fair number of the geese 

 which frequented the place, and some sailors 

 brought on board three hundred sea-swallows' 

 eggs. 



Thanks to these good things, the Christmas 



