"So he has fifteen days' start of us, besides the distance to Madeira." "Yes, she must be among the West Indies long before we can hope to overtake her--there, or at some South American port." "Then you have learnt for certain that she has gone that way, Major ?" "It is not quite certain, but I have no doubt about it.

Her papers say that she is bound for the Cape, which is quite enough to show me that she is not going there.

I think it is the West Indies rather than South America, for if she went to any Brazilian port, or Monte Video, or Buenos Ayres, she would be much more likely to attract attention than she would in the West Indies, where there are scores of islands and places where she could cruise, or lie hidden as long as she liked.
"Yes, I have no doubt that is her destination.

It is a nasty place to have to search, but sooner or later we ought to be able to find her.

Fortunately the negroes pretty nearly all speak English, Spanish, or French, and we shall have no difficulty in getting information wherever there is any information to be had." Four days later the Osprey anchored off Funchal.