Several attempts to arouse the interest of the Hon. East India Company and the Royal Mail. These failed, and the "Transit" loaded cargo and sailed to join convoy in June 1801. While waiting for the convoy to assemble, Gower, ever the salesman, showed her off to the King and his party on the Royal Yacht in Christchurch Bay. Gower learned later that, although George III had asked many questions about the "Transit", none present had been able to answer him and none thought to ask the inventor who was nearby. Later the Chairman of the Hon. East India Company summoned Gower to a meeting. Gower says that the chairman said that the Company would buy the "Transit", provided she proved to be a fast-sailing vessel. At the instance of Earl St Vincent, now the First Lord of the Admiralty, the "Transit" was tried against "Osprey". She was a fast sloop of 383 tons (about twice the tonnage of the "Transit") and, according to Gower, the commander of "Osprey" was generous in his praise. To Gower's chagrin, no order was forthcoming and he had to re-ship his cargo and join convoy for Lisbon on 27 August. The important question of what happened to change the decision of the Company is, as yet, unresolved. Perhaps Gower put a gloss on the intention of the Chairman of the Company or on the opinion of "Osprey's captain". Perhaps someone in the Admiralty tampered with "Osprey's" report before forwarding it to the Company. Perhaps there was some aspect of the design of the "Transit", say her problems in shallow tidal harbours, or the strange way of her sailing, that killed off the Company's enthusiasm. Maybe there is still a note in some archive that could tell us why the "Transit" did not become the first of a new generation of fast traders.