146 Caroline Lucretia Herschcl. L1822. 



labour," and " an extraordinary monument of the 

 unextinguished ardour of a lady of seventy-five in 

 the cause of abstract science." 



Although the Eecollections cease in 1788, there 

 are some volumes recording the nature and results 

 of her nightly " sweepings," which Miss Herschel 

 kept very regularly, and, as an unique example of 

 a lady's journal, a few of the entries may be of in- 

 terest. 



1788. Sept. 9th. My brother showed me the five satel- 

 lites of Saturn. He made me take notice of a star, which 



made a double star last night with the fifth satellite. 



***** 



Dec. 8th. I swept for a comet which was announced 

 in the papers as having been discovered the 26th of Novem- 

 ber by Mr. Messier. According to the observations of that 

 date, it should have been within a few degrees of the 

 Pole star (by my brother's calculation), but though I swept 

 with great attention a space of at least ten or twelve 

 degrees all around the pole over repeatedly, I could find 

 nothing. 



Another night of unavailing search, with thermometer 

 20.* 



1790. Jan. 7th. I have swept all this evening for my 

 [third] comet in vnin. My brother showed me the G. Sidus 

 in the twenty-foot telescope, and J saw both its satellites 

 very plainly. 



1791. Any. 2nd. I began to sweep at 1.80, from the 



* 



* It was not an unknown circumstance for the ink to freeze while she was 

 attending to take down her brother's observations. 



