52 Mr. Gregory's Account of the Discovery 
In case you are already apprised of the appearance of this 
comet, and of course this information is superfluous, I hope 
you will attribute my giving you this trouble to my eager 
desire that these extraordinary bodies may be observed with 
such capital instruments as you are in possession of, and also 
to shew you, by these attentions, the sense I entertain of the 
many civilities I have received from you. 
I am, &c. 
EDWARD GREGORY. 
On the 9th I obtained a very imperfect glimpse of the 
comet, the twilight yet being very considerable, and the air 
very hazy. The comet has moved considerably westward, 
and its polar distance, I think, is increased. I thought 
the tail appeared rather brighter and longer ; the coma not 
altered ; no nucleus to be seen. This observation was ex- 
tremely imperfect, the comet being seen with the night-glass 
held in my hand, during a space of four or five minutes ; the 
sky, in that part, was cloudless, though most of the surround- 
ing constellations were obscured. 
Extract of the second Letter, dated January 25th, 1 793. 
The observations of the comet were taken after the fol- 
lowing manner. Finding that any degree of light sufficient 
to render the wires visible effaced the comet, I brought it, as 
nearly as I could judge, into the centre of the field without 
using any light, and then cast light on the illuminator; and in 
that stage of the process between the comet's disappearing 
and the wires becoming visible, I trusted to the impression left 
on the eye for the place of the comet when it vanished ; and 
