The Great Comet. 393 



" 2. To accumulate gradually a Museum illustrative of the varie- 

 ties of mankind, and of the arts of uncivilized life — a Library of 

 the best books on Ethnology — a selection of the best Voyages and 

 Ti-avels — a complete collection of Dictionaries and Grammars bear- 

 ing upon the subject — as well as all such documents and materials 

 as may convey the best information to persons intending to visit 

 Foreign Countries : it being of the greatest utility to those wlio are 

 about to travel, to be aware of what has been already done, and 

 what is still wanting, in the countries which they may intend to 

 visit. 



"3. To render pecuniary assistance, when the funds will peiniit, 

 to such Travellers as may requii-e it, in order to facilitate this parti- 

 cular branch of their research. 



" 4. To correspond with similar Societies that may be established 

 in different parts of the world, with Foreign Individuals engaged in 

 Ethnological pursuits, and with the most intelligent British residents 

 in the various remote Settlements of the Empire." 



THE GREAT COMET. 



To the Editor of the Times. 



Times, March 21. 1843. 

 Sir, — I wish to direct the attention of your astronomical readtrs 

 to the fact, which I think hardly admits of a doubt, of a comet of 

 enormous magnitude being in the course of its progress through our 

 system, and at present not far from its perihelion. Its tail, for such 

 I cannot doubt it to be, was conspicuously visible, both last niaht 

 and the night before as a vivid luminous streak, commencing close 

 beneath the stars kappa and lambda (y. and X) Leporis, and thence 

 stretching obliquely westwards and downwards between gamma and 

 delta (y and 8) Eridani, till lost in the vapours of the horizon.. The 

 direction of it, prolonged on a celestial globe, passes precisely 

 through the place of the sun in the ecliptic at the present time,— a 

 circumstance which appears conclusive as to its cometic nature. 



As the portion of the tail, actually visible on Friday evening, was 

 fully 30 degrees in length, and the head must have been beneath 

 the horizon, which would add at least 26 degrees to the length, it is 



