On the following morning, Richard Lander carried the presents to the king.  The monarch appeared well pleased and cheerful, and expressed himself perfectly satisfied, though in a few minutes afterwards he despatched a messenger to inquire if they had not brought any coral beads with them from England.  In compliance with the request which Richard Lander made to him, the king informed him, that he would sell them a canoe with the greatest pleasure.  He was convinced, he said, that they would return in safety to their country by way of the Niger, which did not contain a single rock from Inguazhilligee to Funda.

It was the earnest, and oft repeated desire of the chief of Wowow, while they resided in the town, that they should return from Boossa, and spend the approaching holidays with him, to which they thought proper to accede, indeed the old man had behaved so well to them, that they did not like to make an ungrateful return.  But his sister, the midiki, was jealous of her brother, because they had given him so good a character, and she said, she was apprehensive he might obtain from them more than she was willing he should have, and, therefore, she not only set her husband’s mind against the measure, but she slandered and defamed his character most shamefully.  This despicable vice of slander is universal in Africa, the people all speak ill of each other, from the monarch to the slave.  They now found that they should be compelled to remain in Boossa, till the period arrived for their final departure from the country.

The expected messenger arrived from Wowow, with full power to treat with the midiki for the purchase of the canoe, and although the Landers were the parties most concerned in the business, they were not allowed to say anything about it.  The bargain was, however, soon concluded; they were to give both their horses for the canoe, and if the king of Wowow should fancy the animals to be more than equivalent to the value of the boat, he promised to send them the balance in money (kowries).  This was infinitely better than they could have managed the business themselves, indeed they could not have contrived matters half so well, for they had previously made a present of the youngest of the horses to the king of Boossa, but most likely, owing to Pascoe’s misrepresentation, or rather his misinterpretation, the monarch was not made sensible of the circumstance.  The canoe was to be sent to them in a day or two, when they determined to prepare her for the water without delay.

On Wednesday, August 25th, they despatched one of their men, named Ibrahim, to Coulfo, with their ass and a number of needles to sell.  The king also sent a messenger with him, who was commissioned to visit all the towns and villages on the Nouffie side of the river, as far as the Fellata town of Rabba, and to request their chiefs and governors, in the name of the king of Boossa, to suffer them to pass down the river without injury or molestation.