[1] He had basic but limited knowledge of West Africa mostly from information he read about the activities of European explorers obtained from reference works from Penny cyclopaedia and Chamber's miscellany.
Hodgson, a fellow Georgia native who had written works about the Berbers and Fulani's of Northern and Western Africa.
[2] Upon approval from the mission board of SBC, Bowen and two other colleagues Robert Hill and Hervey Goodale proceeded to Africa in December 1849,[1] in early 1850, the group reached the shores of Liberia en route to Badagry and further into Yorubaland.
At Abeokuta, he bidded time studying Yoruba language and also giving military advice to the Egba in their war with Dahomey.
He also visited some Yoruba chiefs in present day Ibarapa and received a warm welcome at Ijaye where he established a station with the support of Aare Kurunmi.