308 
XLI. 
_ OBSERVATIONS OF THE COMET OF 18114. 
BY JOHN FARRAR, 
Hillis Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in Harvard 
College. 
Da 
THE first time I saw this comet was on the 4th of September, 
but I was prevented by clouds from taking any observations, till the 
6th, when I began to observe it. I continued my observations, when 
the weather would permit, from this time to the 13th of January, when 
it became too faint to be distinctly seen. This comet was visible in 
the early part of the year 1811, and was actually seen and recognised 
as a comet, not only by several observers in Europe, but as I have — 
learnt since I completed my observations, by Mr. William Bond jun 
an ingenious mechanic of Dorchester, Massachusetts, who has oblig- 
ingly favored me with the following notices. “I remarked, says he, 
“on the 21st of April a faint whitish light near the constellation Ca- 
“nis Major, projecting a tail of about one degree in length, and set 
“ down its place as follows. Right ascension 106°, declination 9°5. 
“ April 24th 9 o’clock P.M. right ascension 108°, declination 7° or 
“ee Ss. Its motion and the situation of the tail convinced me, that it 
“ was acomet. I noticed it several times in May, and supposed that 
“ its motion was toward the western part of the constellation Leo.” 
The tail of the comet was separated into two branches by a dark 
indefinite line along the middle, the lower branch being somewhat the 
longest. Its apparent length varied from two to fourteen degrees. 
It appeared longest about the middle of October, and very much 
resembled the light of an aurora borealis, The nucleus was apparent- 
