ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES. 245 



of 1843. In the month of March of that year, a comet 

 with a long and brilliant train having made its appear- 

 ance, the people of Boston naturally looked to the as- 

 tronomers of Cambridge for information respecting its 

 movements. The astronomers replied that they had no 

 instruments adapted to nice cometary observations. This 

 announcement, together with the knowledge ef the exist- 

 ence of good instruments in other parts of the United 

 States, aroused the general determination to supply the 

 deficiency. Definite action was taken in March, 1843. 



An informal meeting of a few individuals interested 

 in the subject was held at the office of the American 

 Insurance Company in Boston. The proceedings of this 

 meeting were cordially seconded by the American 

 Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a full meeting of 

 merchants and other citizens of Boston was subsequently 

 held at the hall of the Marine Society, to consider the 

 expediency of procuring a telescope of the first class for 

 astronomical observations. At this meeting the question 

 was decided in the affirmative, and a subscription of 

 twenty thousand dollars recommended to defray the 

 expense. This amount was soon furnished. Mr. David 

 Sears, of Boston, gave five thousand dollars for the erec- 

 tion of an observatory, besides five hundred dollars 

 toward the telescope. Another gentleman of Boston 

 gave one thousand dollars for the same object; eight 

 other gentlemen of Boston and its vicinity gave five 

 hundred dollars each; there were eighteen subscribers 

 of two hundred dollars each ; and thirty of one hundred 



