102 Mary Somerville. 



101 and 102 has made the following observation ' The 

 splendid comet which appeared in our hemisphere in 

 1811 was first discovered in this country hy a sawer. 

 The name of this Gentleman is Mr. Veitch and I 

 believe he resides in the neighbourhood of Kelso who 

 with a Reflecting telescope of his own construction and 

 from his sawpit as an observatory, descried that celestial 

 visitant before it had been noticed by any other 

 astronomer in North Britain.' A strange story a 

 sawer and a gentleman ; and what is stranger still 

 Mr. BaiJy would not have any place but the sawpit 

 for his observatory on the 15th May last. I am sorry 

 to say with all the improvement and learning that we 

 can host of in the present day Halley's comet the 

 predictions have not been fulfilled, either with respect 

 to time or place. Thus on the 10 October, at 50 

 minutes past 5 in the evening the Right ascension of 

 the comet was 163 37', with 63 38' of north declina- 

 tion but by the nautical almanac for the 10 October 

 its right ascension ought to have been 225 2' 6, and 

 its declination 29 33'. Hence the difference is no less 

 than 61 in Right ascension and 34 in declination. 

 When you have time, write me. 



Dear Madam, I remain, 



Yours sincerely, 



JAMES VEITCH. 



Sir David Brewster was many years younger than 

 James Veitch ; in his early years he assisted his 

 father in teaching the parish-school at Jedburgh, 

 and in the evenings he went to Inchbonny to study 



