the Conftruction of the Heavens. 439 
to effect. The portion of this extenfive traét, which it has 
hitherto been convenient for me to obferve, ts that immediately 
about the hand and club of Orion, The glorious multitude 
of ftars of all poffible fizes that prefented themfelves here to 
my view was truly aftonifhing ; but, as the dazzling brightnefs 
ef glittering {tars may eafily miflead us fo far as to eftimate their’ 
number greater than it really is, I endeavoured to afcertain’ this’ 
point by counting many fields, and computing, from a mean 
of them, what a certain given portion of the milky way 
might contain. Among many trials of this fort I found, laft 
January the 18th, that fix fields, promifcuoufly taken, con- 
tained 110, 60, 70, go, 70, and 74 ftars each. 1 then tried 
to pick out the moft vacant place that was to be found in that 
neighbourhood, and counted 63 ftars. A mean of the firft 
fix gives 79 ftars for each field. Hence, by allowing 15 mi 
nutes of a great circle for the diameter of my field of view, we 
gather, that a belt of 15 degrees long and two broad, or the 
quantity which [ have often feen pafs through the field of my 
telefcope in one hour’s time, could not well contain lefs thar 
fifty thoufand ftars, that were large enough to be diftin@ly 
numbered. But, befides thefe, I fufpected at leaft twice as: 
many more, which, for want of light, I could only fee now 
and then by faint glittering and interrupted glimpfes. 
The excellent colleétion of nebula and clufters of ftars 
which has lately been given in the ConnoiJance des Temps for 
1783 and 1784, leads me next to a fubjeét which, indeed, 
muft open a new view of the heavens. As foon as the firft of 
thefe volumes came to my hands, I applied my former 20-feet 
reflector of 12 inches aperture to them; and faw, with the: 
greateft pleafure, that moft of the nebula, which I had an 
opportunity of examining in proper fituations, yielded to the 
Lils force 
