It is the return from that country immediately for Europe, by the safest, most certain, and expeditious route, that should be the object of our particular attention. The passage from Van Diemen's Land westward, to the Cape of Good Hope, has never yet been attempted; we can therefore say but little upon it; some, however, are of opinion, that a passage may be made that way with as much ease and expedition as by any other route. I confess that I differ from these opinions: I admit that the passage may be made; but I think, whenever it is tried, that it will be found tedious, and fatiguing to the ship's company. The ship which pursues that route should be strong and well found, and her crew healthy and capable of bearing much blowing, and some cold weather. It is not from a single voyage that we are to judge of the eligibility of this passage; it will happen in some seasons that the wind may be more favourable for making that passage than in others; but it is on the general prevalence of westerly winds here, and the heavy sea which is constantly rolling from the westward, that I conceive this route may be tedious and fatiguing, and on which account I give the preference to the southern route by Cape Horn. This passage has been frequently tried, and never yet failed of being safe and expeditious; the other never having yet been tried, leaves in my mind some doubt of its certainty and expedition, and a strong suspicion, that whenever it is, it may be found twice out of three times, attended with the difficulties I have hinted at; but if from repeated experience it should be found to be as practicable, expeditious, and certain, as some imagine, it will no doubt be preferable to all the others, as being a shorter distance. This passage will of course be attempted only in the Summer months: for admitting a ship to have gained so much to the westward, as to enable her to clear the west coast of New Holland, and to stretch to the northward, until she falls into the south-east trade wind, she will carry this trade in the Summer time probably quite home to the Cape; but in the Winter, north-west winds prevail in the neighbourhood of that coast, which would exceedingly retard her arrival there. The passage southward by Cape Horn, I have sailed, and as a proof of the prevalence of westerly winds in those high latitudes, I made my voyage to the Cape of Good Hope, in ninety-one days, from Port Jackson, although I was so unlucky as to be detained beating off Cape Horn for seventeen days, with a north-east wind; which I believe is not very common there. This is rather a long voyage to be performed in that time, and yet I think it will be done twice in three times in less, although a distance of about 3300 leagues.