By Cyril Abraham.
Description by Viv Dodd.

James sails for Lisbon leaving Anne to move into a house and persuade Elizabeth to marry Daniel Fogarty. Anne tells Elizabeth, 'You can be married quickly and quietly and no one the wiser', but when looking at her she asks `what are you scheming now? I've seen that look too often in James' eyes'. Elizabeth states `I'll not be a sea captain's wife. Never, never, never'. She and Albert discuss elopement.

In Lisbon, James finds Senor Braghanza troubled by a disease that has attacked his grape vines. He needs new root stock from the wild vines found in North America or else it will mean ruin for his business. The Charlotte Rhodes has to return to Liverpool with a cargo of wine but James persuades Braghanza to buy a ship called the Pampero that is for sale with her cargo of salt and corkwood bound for Pernambuco in Brazil. James proposes that he and Braghanza have half shares in the  Pampero until he has the money to buy the ship outright and in exchange he guarantees to source and return with new vines within 60 days. He is obliged to sail to Pernambuco as passage has been bought for some peasants banished from their land in Portugal and their overseer, Don Vasco Baptista.

Albert and Elizabeth elope and marry but Robert is philosophical as he tells an exasperated Anne, 'Frazer will make an admirable husband. If, and I say IF, their union should be blessed, it will give no one greater satisfaction than Sarah and myself'.

When the Charlotte Rhodes returns to Liverpool with a new captain, Robert brings Anne a short letter from James telling her about the Pampero but Robert's missive is much longer and has orders for him to sell the cargo and find another to keep the ship working.
The passage of the Pampero is slow, `time is our enemy Mr Baines - time!' James says and the peasants are frightened and treated as slaves by the overseer who will put them to work on his master's property in Brazil. Baines befriends Phillipo and his wife who can speak English - the man's father was from Huddersfield! James decides to head for Baltimore to sell his cargo and collect the vines despite the protests of Don Vasco Baptista and James assures him that he will get to Pernambuco.
In Baltimore, James advertises his cargo for auction but the local dealers boycott him.

 He has an idea to sell his salt direct to the market and goes in search of the men, mostly Irish navies, building a railway across America. He finally exchanges 850 tonnes of salt for labour to gather vines.

The peasants are also used as labour and, when the lure of higher wages entices most of the crew to join the railway workers, they are signed on as seamen, even the women, meaning they are under British law and not that of the overseer. Senor Vasco protests but he is given the job of cook and the peasants are allowed freedom on the ship and start to enjoy the voyage - joining James and Baines in a lusty rendition of `Ilkley Moor bar tat'. However, tragedy strikes. The cargo of grain that James has bought begins to smoke, Senor Vasco allows Phillipo to fall into the hold and despite Baines efforts, dies.

Robert had bought 2,000 rolls of linoleum, having been assured of a ready market on the continent but, after a bad voyage, eating his substandard provisions, makes a profit of only £37.10 shillings - before expenses. `Oh Robert, you have much to learn', Anne says in exasperation.

James has had to jettison the cargo of grain and decides to cut his losses and return to Lisbon as soon as possible. Senor Vasco is put aboard a Portuguese ship bound for Brazil, despite his protestations and his peasants are told they are free to go where they like. James has the last word ` All hands aloft. Shake out the sails Mr Baines, lets get underway again. Senor Braghanza's awaiting his vines'.