the king remained in the above position, without moving a
single muscle, and which lasted till the Boossa messenger made his
appearance, a singing woman drew near the person of her sovereign,
and began to exercise her vocation in a tone of voice that displayed
any thing but sweetness or melody, and so loud and shrill as to
frighten away the birds from the trees near the spot.

The Boossa messenger, who had been so anxiously expected, at length
arrived, and the spell, which had bound every one to the spot was
dissolved in a moment; they were then conducted to the king, and
formally introduced to him, but the grave eccentric old man shook
hands with them, without taking them from the tobe in which they had
been enveloped, or even condescending to look in their faces, for he
never made it a practice to raise his head above a certain height,
fearing that he should discover the person to whom he might be
conversing gazing full in his countenance, to which he had a very
strange, but unconquerable antipathy; the interview lasted but a
moment, and they were hastily conducted to the house which was
occupied by the late Captain Clapperton.

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