Page:Memoir and correspondence of Caroline Herschel (1876).djvu/93

Rh night, that we may see a little more of it. I believe you have a pair of Harris's maps; the place where I saw the comet is between 53 and 54 Ursæ Maj. and the 14, 15, and 16 Comæ Ber. of Flamsteed's Catalogue. All stars of Flamst. are in Bode's Cat. to be found, and if you cannot do without it, I dare say it is to be met with at Hanover. . ..

I found it with a magnifier of about 30, with a field of about 1½ degree. Now, if you have a piece which is nearly like this, I would advise you to make use of that in sweeping all around this place, for it must be, by the time you receive this letter, at a considerable distance. When I saw it, it appeared like a very bright, but round, small nebula. The first letter I received from Hanover from William gave us the greatest satisfaction imaginable, for it contained an account of the good health of all our dear relations. I hope our dear mother does not grieve too much now they have left her. I dare say William will pay soon another visit, and then I will take that opportunity of coming to see her. Farewell, dear brother; give my best love, &c.

To this period of Miss Herschel's life belongs a folio manuscript book, written with the utmost neatness, which she sent with one of her various consignments of papers to her nephew after her return to Hanover, and introduced as follows:—

,— This is the fragment of a book which was too bulky for the portfolio in which I was collecting such papers as I wished might not fall into any other but your own hands. They contain chiefly answers of your father to the inquiries I used to make when at breakfast before we separated each for our daily tasks.