The American Philosophical Society acknowledges the receipt of your favor of the 17th. Sepr. last, communicated by our Vice President Mr. Vaughan and having considered your proposal respecting the establishment of an annual Premium of the value of ten Guineas to be disposed of by the Society to the Author of the best discovery or most useful Improvement in Navigation or natural Philosophy, do thankfully accept of the generous donation, and sincerely wish the Event may fully answer the good design; to promote which no attention shall be wanting on the part of the Society. A Committee having been appointed to frame Rules and Conditions for the disposition of the proposed premium, according to your intention, but more precise in the Terms Reported the Inclosed, which have been adopted by the Society. If they should meet with your approbation, they are to be conclusive; if otherwise, they are submitted to such amendments as you may think proper and necessary.

As these Rules are so consonant with your own ideas express’d in your letter, we do not apprehend that you will wish any considerable alterations to be made in them: and therefore, to avoid loss of time in an Establishment which we flatter ourselves may be of considerable public utility, we request that you would cause the said two hundred Guineas to be lodged in the hands of Benjn. Vaughan Esqr. of London, subject to our draft, and as soon as he shall inform us that he has received the same and is ready to pay that sum to our order, we shall without unnecessary delay provide for funding this Capital and advertise the proposed premium, with the terms and conditions on which it is to be awarded. As we are desirous of putting this Scheme in Execution as speedily as possible, we hope you will not delay answering this letter and that you will inform us to whom we are indebted as the Founder of this Institution, in order that his name may be announced in the publications of the Scheme, and engraved on the proposed Golden Plate.

We have to inform you, that a second Volume of our Transactions is now in the press and will make its appearance in the spring. We hope this Volume will shew to your satisfaction, that we have renewed our Philosophical labours. We shall take the earliest opportunity of forwarding a copy to so valuable a Member.

Inclosed you have a certificate of your Election into our Society, which ought to have been handed to you long since, but was delayed by an accident not worth mentioning.

We sincerely wish you health and happiness and that your benevolent purposes may be crowned with success.

With great Esteem, I have the honour to subscribe myself in behalf of the Society.

Sir, Your most obedient and most humble Servant