At an early hour of Wednesday June 23rd, the king and queen paid the travellers a farewell visit, when the former particularly cautioned them against poison.  They then expressed their acknowledgements to both the royal personages for all their favours and an hour or two after they had taken their departure, the Landers rode out of the city, accompanied by two horsemen as an escort, and a foot messenger to the sultan of Yaoorie.  They journied along the banks of the Niger at an easy pace, and two hours afterwards entered a pleasant little walled town called where they were desired to halt until the following day the governor of Kagogie had been made acquainted with their intention, no less than three days before their arrival, yet no canoe had been got ready for their use, and when they expected to embark, “the king of the canoe,” as the person who has the care of it, is ridiculously styled, informed them with the utmost unconcern, that it was out of repair, and that it would not be fit for their reception for some hours at least.  In the course of the afternoon they repaired to the side of the river, for the purpose of endeavouring to encourage and hurry the workmen in their labour about the canoe.  Promises and threats were employed to effect this object, but the men would neither be coaxed nor intimidated—­they would not overwork themselves, they said, for all the riches in their possession, so that they were obliged to leave them and exercise their patience.  The branch of the Niger which flows by Kagogie, is about a mile in width, but it is rendered so shallow by large sand banks, that except in one very narrow place, a child might wade across it without difficulty.

About mid-day the workmen having finished the canoe, the luggage was presently put into it, and between twelve and one they embarked with their people, and were launched out into the river.  The direction of this branch was nearly east and west, and they proceeded some distance down the stream for the purpose of getting into the main branch of the Niger, where there was deeper water.

Having encountered a dreadful storm, which threatened to swamp the canoe, and which obliged them ultimately to take refuge on land, for the purpose of sheltering themselves from the violence of the tornado, they came to a place, where, a short distance from the water’s edge, the country was thickly studded with clusters of huts, which altogether are called the village of Sooloo.  They took up their quarters in a large hut, which was nearest the landing place.  They were treated with much hospitality by the natives, who did all in their power to render their short stay as agreeable as possible.  The old chief of the village accompanied them to the water’s edge, when they quitted their hut for the purpose of embarking, and enjoined “the king of the canoe,” to be particularly careful of his charge.  “Careful,” answered the man, “to be sure I will, do I not know that white men are more precious than a boat load of eggs, and require as much care to be taken of them.”  The Landers entreated the same man a short time afterwards, to be more active and diligent in the management of his canoe, for he was rather inclined to be lazy, and suffered every canoe to go before their own, but he replied gravely, “Kings do not travel so fast as common men, I must convey you along as slowly as possible.”