halley's comet. 



215 



and at 3.18 the celebrated comet cleared the mists of the 

 horizon and came into view. From that hour until 3.52 

 o'clock we had the visitor (as before, fluffy, ill-defined and 

 tailless), under observation with the help of binoculars and 

 telescopes. Could not say positively that the object was 

 visible to the naked eye. 



In connection with this little expedition an incident 

 occurred which I think is worth recording. As I was walking 

 briskly along the road to keep my appointment with Mr. 

 Rammell, and while still on the St. Martin's side of Morley 

 chapel, I stumbled over a cat in the dark. The little thing 

 was very friendly and, quite unasked or encouraged, followed 

 me across the Fort Road and remained with us during the 

 whole hour we spent at the cross roads, purring loudly and 

 rubbing itself against us and against the tripod of the 

 telescope in very evident pleasure and good fellowship. 

 When, after packing up our instruments at 4 o'clock, we 

 moved off down Colborne Road pussy came with us too, but 

 disappeared Avhen Mr. Rammell and I said good-bye at the 

 junction of the roads near Manor House. 



To our friend, Mr. John Linwood Pitts, belongs the 

 honour, I believe, of first seeing Halley's comet with the 

 naked eye at Guernsey. This was on Sunday morning, May 

 8th, from his home in Les Canichers. To my disgust I 

 overslept myself that morning and did not wake until 5 a.m., 

 altogether too late an hour to get up and go comet-hunting. 



The next morning, Monday, May 9th, after some three 

 to four hours of very wakeful sleep, I got up at 2.30 and left 

 Les Blanches at 2.40 for the Calais Lane provided with 

 telescope and binoculars. Did not then know of Mr. Pitts' 

 success of the previous morning, but felt very hopeful for sky 

 was beautifully clear between drifting clouds, and Gamma 

 Pegasi, the guiding star to the comet's position, distinctly 

 visible. To my unbounded delight at 3 a.m. the comet came 

 into view from behind a cloud I had been watching closely and, 

 with breaks, I followed it easily with the naked eye until 3.47 

 and with the binoculars until 4 o'clock. I estimated the 

 object as of second magnitude, nebulous in appearance and 

 with pronounced condensation towards the lower, or sun end, 

 distinctly oval in shape with (in the binoculars) indications of 

 a short bushy tail. 



The next morning while out of doors endeavouring to 

 get another view of the comet, I made an interesting 

 natural history observation. The cuckoo is noted for being a 

 lazy bird, and as regards nest-building is really so I suppose. 



