[ 105 ] 
trary to the order of figns, from the equator towards 
the North pole. 
This makes the twelfth Comet I have difcovered 
and obferved in thirteen years paft. 
WITHOUT what I had done the loth of Ja- 
nuary for determining the polition, and forming any 
tolerable conjecture of the direction of the motion of 
the comet, it would have been impoffible for me to 
have found it afterwards; for from the loth to the 
1 6th the Iky was every night quite clouded, during 
which the light of the comet had extremely abated, 
and its motion decreafed, infomuch that between the 
1 6th and 17th of January the fky clearing, I fought 
for it two hours, without finding it ; but though 
with little hopes of feeing it, I fought for it in Perfeus 
and Andromeda. After a world of ufelefs pains 
and look-outs, at length I faw it again, between the 
horns of the Bull, of a very feeble light : and it was 
necefiTary to be acquainted with the heavens as well 
as I was, to find where it was ; nor have any of our 
aflronomers, as far as I can yet learn, fucceeded in 
their attempts. I obferved it January 10th, 16th, 
17th and 20th, on which laft day it was extremely 
clofe to the planet Mars, lefs than a minute of time, 
both in right afcenfion and declination, and its light 
fo languid as to be in a manner extinguifhed by that 
of Mars. Without that excellent telefcope which 
you procured for M. le Prefident de Saron, I ilaould 
not have perceived it with any of my inftruments. 
Here follow my obfervations, which may poffibly 
turn out the only good ones, and which I intreat 
you to lay before the Royal Society. 
VoL. LXl. P 1771 
