The gig was lowered, and Frank was rowed ashore, taking with him a signal book in which questions were given in several languages, including Spanish.

He had purchased it at Cowes before starting.
The signal officer was very polite, and fortunately understood a little English.

So Frank managed, with the aid of the book, to make him understand his questions.

No craft at all answering to the description had been noticed passing during the last five or six days; certainly no yacht had passed.

She might, of course, have gone by after dark.
He showed Frank the record of the ships that had been sighted going east, and of those that had made their numbers as they passed.