On motion by G. W. P. CUSTIS, Esq. Resolved, That this meeting consider the important services rendered to the African Colony when in circumstances of great distress, by Capt. Robert Traill Spence, and the officers and crew of the U. s. ship Cyane, services which were performed by them at the hazard of their lives, as entitling them to the gratitude and respect of all the friends of mankind.

On motion of Gen. C. F. MERCER, Resolved, That this meeting recommend to their friends the formation, as soon as practicable, of an Auxiliary State Society, in the principal city of each state in the Union, and the establishment of Societies subordinate to these, in cach county or town of the several states.

On motion of Rev. WM. HAWLEY, Resolved, That this Society deeply lament the untimely death of Lieutenant Richard Dashiell, Commandant of the United States' schooner Augusta, whose piety and zeal in behalf of religion, and of the interest and prosperity of this Society, entitle his memory to be cherished with the most affectionate regard, by all the friends of this institution.

On motion of Rev. R. R. GURLEY, Resolved, That this Society is deeply sensible of its great obligations to Captain Laing, Captain M'Coy, Captain Woolrige, Lieutenant Rotheray, and those other officers in the service of his Britannic Majesty, who, during the recent contest between the American colony and the native tribes, contributed very important aid to our infant settlement.

On motion of Rev. LUTHER RICE, Resolved, That this meeting are truly sensible of the great generosity and disinterestedness of Mr. R. Seton, who, in a time of distress, offered his services to the colony, and that they deeply lament his death.

On motion of Rev. R. R. Gurley, Resolved, That this meeting consider the conduct of Midshipman Gordon, and his brave companions, of his Britannic Majesty's schooner Driver, who, when the colony was in a condition of great peril, offered their services for its defence, most of whom sacrificed their lives for its benefit, as most magnanimous, and entitling their memory to a grateful, sacred, and perpetual regard.

On motion of Gen. JOHN MASON, Resolved, That the able services of Dr. Eli Ayres, the Agent of the Society in the African colony, have entitled him to the gratitude, confidence, and esteem, of this meeting, and of all the friends of the objects it has in view.

On motion, Resolved, That the Officers of the Society elected at the last annual meeting, be continued for the ensuing year. Resolved, That the Society now adjourn, to meet again at the same place, on Friday, 5th March next.

REPORT.

WITH the warmest gratitude and invigorated hope, the Board record the events connected with their institution during the past year.

Aware of the exposed and suffering condition of the colony, the Managers proceeded, immediately after the publication of their last Report, notwithstanding the unfavourable season, to select emigrants and obtain supplies for an expedition. Efforts had been previously, but unsuccessfully made, to accomplish this object, and the delay was occasioned by circumstances which the Board could not control. Dr. Ayres, whose previous exertions as the government agent had been so important, consented to return; sixty-one coloured persons were received as colonists, and the brig Oswego, Capt. Wightman, was chartered, to convey this reinforcement, with its stores, to Africa. At this crisis, most alarming intelligence was received from the Colony.

In the hope of relieving themselves from strangers whose operations began to excite apprehensión, and of pillaging their dwellings, all the tribes in the vicinity of the Cape had combined for the destric tion of the settlement, and, strengthened by numerous mercenary warriours from the interiour ad proceeded to violent and repeated attacks Though the whole military force of the Coly did not at

this time exceed thirty men, yet their favourable position, superior arms and skill, and valorous spirit enabled them to repel, on the 8th of November, 800 of the natives, and on the 1st of December, according to the estimation of the Agent, nearly double this number, with a loss of only four killed and three wounded.

The same letters which informed the Board of this unfortunate contest, announced the cessation of hostilities, in consequence of the consent of the natives, to refer all matters of difference to the Governor of Sierra Leone. Though the intelligent and manly resistence of the settlers contributed in no small degree to discourage the assailants, yet for the truce just mentioned, the Colony was principally indebted to the kind interference of several British naval officers, particularly to that of Capt. Laing, the celebrated African traveller, whose familiar acquaintance with the native character gave facility and advantage to his negotiations.*

Though this information was received only a few days before the departure of the Oswego, and when the colonists were already assembled for embarkation, yet duty as well as policy demanded, that it should not be concealed; that those who were about to link all their temporal interests with the destinies of the establishment in Africa, should not be len ignorant of its condition and prospects. A full statement was therefore made to them of all the facts just related; they were told that before them

Appendix, papers marked A.

were trials, perhaps death: that a Colony could survive in Africa only through the efforts of energetic, patient, and fearless men; that regrets would be too late when they were landed on a distant shore; that they were now at full liberty to remain in this country; yet the Board record it with pleasure, as an honourable instance of resolution, that no change was expressed in the purpose of a single individual.

The Oswego sailed from Baltimore on the 16th of April, and arrived at Cape Montserado on the 24th of May. The joy excited at the Colony by this event cannot be described. Unfortunately, the war, and subsequent attention to works of defence, had prevented any due preparation for the reception of emigrants, and though this circumstance, at any season, must have occasioned deep regret, at the commencement of the rains it was peculiarly distressing. A fever soon commenced, and spread with great rapidity amongst the new colonists. This was not unexpected; and considering the previous exertions of these people to unload the ship, their wretched accommodations, their early deprivation of the personal attentions of Dr. Ayres, who was among the first seized by the disease; the occurrence of eight deaths, furnishes in the view of the Board, no reason for change in the opinion which they have entertained of the African climate. Let it be remembered, that this fever has been generally mild, and that it has appeared in no instance among those who have resided one year at the Colony. A tropical climate is always trying for a short season,

to foreign constitutions, and the air of Montserado is, the Board are well convinced, pregnant with no danger, which is not annually encountered by thousands, who emigrate to the West Indies, or to the low lands of our southern states.

Nothing, surely, can be more unphilosophical, than to attribute an effect to one cause rather than to another, when various causes exist, any one of which may, with the same probability, have produced it, or to consider an effect as resulting from one only of several existing causes, which is most frequently produced by their combined power. Every intelligent and candid man must perceive, that the mortality among the colonists in Africa, may be imputed to other single causes with no less propriety than to the influence of climate, and that to consider the climate as alone efficient in the production of this mortality, would be, to leave unnoticed circumstances, which all history will show, have in their simultaneous agency excited diseases destructive to human life. One half the emigrants who landed at Plymouth, in the winter of 1620, died before spring. Did this fact furnish ground for the conclusion that the settlement of New-England was impracticable? The affirmative of this question might be consistently maintained by him, who, from the misfortunes which have impeded the progress of our Society, can deduce an argument to prove its design without wisdom, and its success impossible.

And here, the Board cannot but advert to the misrepresentations, which have, through the sedulity of