Mr. Gourue's Remarks an the Comet of March, 1843. 157 



"College it was traced to the star t Ceti. Before looking for it, I traced 

 its position, as described by Sir John Herschell, on a celestial map, 

 and having montallj fixed its locality, had little difficulty in finding 

 it with the naked eye, in the south-west passing immediately under 

 the stars y and /3 Orionis, between y and i Eridani, and losing itself 

 in the haze. 



As the zodiacal light has a totally different position, " invariably 

 appearing in the zodiac, or more correctly in the plane of the sun*s 

 equator, I do not understand," says Sir John Herschell, " how it is 

 possible for any one familiar with the zodiacal light, for an instant to 

 confound them. It exliibits generally the appearance of a pretty 

 broad pyramidal or lenticular body of light, which begins to be visible 

 as soon as twilight decays, most luminous at the base, which, resting 

 on the horizon, has an angular breadth of 10 or 12 degrees in ordinary 

 clear weather ; whilst its axis at the vernal equinox is always inclined 

 (to the northward of the equator,) at an angle of between 60 and 70 

 degrees to the horizon ; and it is generally traceable as high as the 

 Pleiades. The tail of the comet had on the contrary a breadth of not 

 more than IJ degrees, was inclined at an angle of not more than 25 

 deg. to the horizon, and that not to the north but to the south of the 

 equator, did not increase in intensity towards the horizon, and made 

 an angle of 33 deg. with the zodiac to the southward, instead of 7 deg. 

 to the northward of that circle." 



The following is a graphic account of its appearance from Demerara, 

 and is an extract of a letter from my friend William Hunter Camp- 

 bell, Esq., LL.D., dated Georgetown, 18tli March, 1843 :— 



"P.S. — ISth March. — It maybe no news to you, but in order to 

 compare notes I must tell you that we have at present in our horizon 

 a most magnificent comet, the finest I ever saw or ever expect to see 

 again. It was first noticed on the evening of the 3d instant. It is 

 seen in the south-west, and seems gradually rising from the horizon. 

 Its length is prodigious, appearing to extend over 30 or 40 degrees of 

 the heavens, and the body and tail present an immense train, luminous 

 and bright, varying from one and a half to twice the apparent diameter 

 of the moon. The nucleus is very readily seen with an ordinary 

 telescope, appearing of a ruddy hue, and like a second or third-rate 

 star m magnitude. Remembering that about this season Orion is not 

 seen or conspicuous in England, I am doubtful whether the comet 

 may bo visible there either, for last night it was seen in all its glory, 

 with tho tail close on Orion. It has been an object of great interest 

 to us all here, but unfortunately we have no observatory nor scientific 

 astronomers, aU of which I envy you if the wanderer has visited your 

 regions. I do not think it has been announced by any astronomical 

 almanac, for if it had it is too immense and wonderful not to have 

 been long ere now the subject of conversation in the scientific world. 

 At first, the people here were frightened at it, thinking it too large 



No. 8. 2 



