4 02 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



" I remarked on the 21st of April a faint, whitish light near the 

 constellation Canis Major projecting a tail about one degree in 

 length, and set down its place as follows : right ascension, 106 ; 

 declination, 7 or 8 south. Its motion and the situation of its 

 tail convinced me that it was a comet. I noticed it several times 

 in May, and supposed that its motion was toward the western 

 part of the constellation Leo." 



These observations on the comet brought the young chronom- 

 eter-maker the acquaintance of scientific men and facilities for 

 his favorite pursuit. Up to this time his observations had been 

 made with the rudest appliances. The elder brother already 

 quoted says of these early days : " I suppose it would cause the 

 astronomer royal to laugh could he see the first transit instru- 

 ment used by us at Dorchester a strip of brass nailed to the east 

 end of the house, with a hole in it to see a fixed star and note its 

 transit ; this in 1813. When we moved into the Hawes house, he 

 procured a good granite block ; we dug a deep hole and placed it 

 at the west end of the house, and got Mr. Alger to cast a stand for 

 the transit instrument, a small one, which I think belonged to 

 Harvard College. From this time he began to live among the 

 stars." 



Bond's sister also gives an account of the setting up of the 

 first telescope used by him at Dorchester, and says that through 

 it could be seen the satellites of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. 

 She adds that in the pursuit of astronomy " he had had no assist- 

 ance whatever, except from the genial kindness of Hon. Josiah 

 Quincy, who had early recognized the future astronomer in the 

 unpretending boy in the watchmaker's shop on Congress Street, 

 and whose kindness and encouragement never failed throughout 

 the subsequent years." 



The obstacles in the path of the young astronomer were now 

 rapidly removed. The leading men of science in Boston and 

 vicinity gave him their aid and counsel. " He has mentioned," 

 writes his son, "the names of Dr. Nathaniel Bowditch, Prof. 

 Farrar, and Tutor Clapp as those from whom he received most 

 encouragement to continue the cultivation of astronomy. Upon 

 his friendly intercourse with the eminent mathematician and 

 astronomer first named he often dwelt with peculiar pleasure and 

 warmth of feeling." 



Although instruction in astronomy had been given and astro- 

 nomical observations had been made bj r the professor of natural 

 philosophy at Harvard for a century or more, the college had not 

 as yet been able to erect an observatory. In 1805 John Lowell, 

 uncle of the founder of the Lowell Institute, had obtained from 

 Delambre in Paris advice as to a building and its equipment. 

 But nothing further was done at that time. Ten years later the 



