By Alun Richards

Description by Viv Dodd.

James and Baines are on the Charlotte Rhodes. James has a fever but has plans for trade with Brazil. Frazer, also, is looking to the country that is due to build railways and needs coal. Caroline Maudsley hears her uncle and Fogarty talking about taking a steamer up a tidal river.

Meanwhile, in Portugal, Braghanza's son, Jose, is refusing to go to England to help with the wine business - he is more interested in studying tropical sea shells! Braghanza writes to James to ask for his help.In Liverpool, Captain Webster is agitated because he cannot find a sight of the steamship `Anne Onedin' and he tells a rather distracted Robert but
Sarah is tiring of having to look after him and James' daughter Charlotte.

Nobody is on the quay to greet James but the preparations of a meal and the young, attentive Leonora wait at home. She receives little gratitude and attention as James reads the letter from Braghanza; Sarah brings news and complains about Webster who then enters to pester James about his failure to find the Anne Onedin. James confirms the old man's findings and says " Robert's nowhere to be found which probably means he knows summat and doesn't want to tell us"
Capt Webster is dispatched to Portugal with Baines to look after him.

James challenges Frazer about the Anne Onedin. Frazer maintains that James has lost the ship because bills have outstripped her value and she has been sold, leaving a balance of £1,000 - the Wirral Steam Navigation Company now own her - a ship for which £100,000 worth of shares were floated. James leaves Frazer's office bewildered and still feverish.

Caroline sees him leave and Frazer confides to her that he believes James to be on `the downward path'.Caroline finds out that the Anne Onedin has been renamed the `Scotch Lass' and Frazer is the chief shareholder of the Wirral Company and tells James.

Fogarty is sent to Greenock where the Scotch Lass is moored to sail her to Brazil. Leonora and Caroline meet at James' house - neither shows much degree of friendship.
Jose has been tricked into boarding the ship to Liverpool and James introduces him to Elizabeth to appease and entertain him.

 But James is  now well again and determined to outwit Frazer over the ship and Brazil trade.