Late on the following afternoon land was seen ahead.

“There is Porto Rico, sir.  It may not be quite our nearest point to make, but there are no islands lying outside it; so that it was safer to make for it than for places where the islands seemed to be as thick as peas.”

“Yes, and for the same reason it is likely that Carthew made for it.  Of course, naturally we should have both gone for either Barbadoes or Antigua, or Barbuda, the most northern of the Leeward Islands; but he would not do so if he intends to keep his Belgian colours flying.  And, indeed, it would seem curious that two English gentlemen should be cruising about in a Belgian trader.  You may take it that he is certain to put into a port for water and vegetables, just as we have to do.  There seem to be at least half a dozen on this side of the island.  He may have gone into any of them, but he would be most likely to choose a small place.  However, at one or other of them we are likely to get news; and the first thing for us to do is to get a good black pilot, who can talk some English as well as Spanish.”

“It is likely we shall have to take three or four of them before we have done.  A man here might know the Virgin Islands, and perhaps most of the Leeward Islands, but he might not know anything east, west, or north of San Domingo.  We should certainly want another pilot for the Bahamas, and a third for Cuba and the islands round it, which can be counted almost by the hundred.  Then again, none of these would know the islands fringing almost the whole of the coast from Honduras to Trinidad.  However, I hope we shall not have to search them.  There is an ample cruising ground and any number of hiding places without having to go so far out of the world as that.  At any rate, at present he is not likely to have gone far, and I think that he will either have sought some secluded shelter among the Virgin Islands, or on the coast of San Domingo.”

When within a few miles of Porto Rico they lay to for the night, and the next morning coasted westward, and dropped anchor in the port of San Juan de Porto Rico.

A quarter of an hour after dropping anchor the port officials came on board.  The inspection of the ship’s papers was a short formality, the white ensign and the general appearance of the craft showing her at once to be an English yacht, and as she had only touched at Madeira on her way from Gibraltar, and all on board were in good health, she was at once given pratique.

“The first thing to do is to get an interpreter,” Frank said, as he was rowed to shore, accompanied by George Lechmere.  “The secretary of Lloyd’s gave me a list of their agents all over the world.  It is a Spanish firm here, and it is probable that none of them speaks English, but if so I have no doubt that by aid of this signal book I shall be able to make them understand what I want.  I have a circular letter of introduction from Lloyd’s secretary.”