CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL. wife, a tall sour-looking matron, assisted by an aged Attracted by the savoury smell from the stove, two for thy hand, although, even if I hadn't set my heart Eh! Had a Lap the insolence to propose for my 'Well, well, he meant no harm,' resumed the father apologetically; and I was obliged to speak him fair, for Tueta is powerful with his charms and incantations. Bless you! he's quite a magician, and has a black cat that, for instinct and devilry, I think is the very fiend himself. I wouldn't say it before him, but I hate a Lap; and that's the reason I've arranged for you to set out to-night, only three days after your wedding; because Tueta's gone home by the fiords instead of over the Tornea, where you might have met him; and his frown would put a blight on the best man living. Then, again, he's as dangerous to handle as a goupe.* Oh, he can do no end of mischief!' 'Have you got a cat, father Carl?' demanded Christopher, looking inquisitively at the top of the stove. 'Surely, lad-surely. Bumpo! Where is he?' 'Well, I suppose he is up there, on the roof of the stove,' he replied, for a pair of red eyes have been fixed on me for some time. There!' and he pointed to the servant's bed on the top of the stove. 'Oh, very likely; he's fond of a Perhaps he's hungry. Bumpo!' warm berth. 'I'll give him a bone, then,' cried the young man. taking up the heavy rib he had so carefully polished, and flung it with so true an aim, that it struck, as the company judged by the sound, the animal's head. 'By St Nicholas, that was a blow!' cried Carl sympathetically. It's made him shut up his eyes, at any rate. never saw such eyes in a cat's head before. But what manner of man is this Tueta?' inquired Christopher abruptly. 'Oh, he's well enough for a Lap,' replied his father; cross: his father was a Dane, and so Tueta is rather though he's not altogether a Lap, but a kind of good-looking, and as strong as an ox. Why, lad, his hat's covered with tin scales-one for every bear he has killed, according to the custom of the Laps. Then he plays on the flute beautifully; but notwithstanding, like all his people, he 's powerful ignorant.' 'Poor wretch!' ejaculated Christopher, in a tone of pitying scorn. 'Poor!' exclaimed his father in astonishment, mistaking the cause of his son's pity: "Tueta poor! A man with a summer gamme on the Waranger Fiord, and a winter one on the Luhea. Poor! A man who owns a thousand reindeer-has a cap of black fox, and a cloak of martens' skins-can eat deer's flesh every day of the year-has a rifle, a copper kettle, two iron spoons and a fork. Poor! Why, lad, where be thy senses!" 'Rich or poor, he's but a benighted heathen,' exclaimed the hostess; for who ever believed that a Lap had a soul! If he had one at his birth, his But if Chris and Gertruda wicked mother was sure to sell it to the Evil One, with his first teeth. mean to cross the Seggevara to-night,' continued she, instead of sitting here talking of Lapland heathens, 6 * The goupe, or lynx, when attacked, throws itself on its back, and, with its powerful claws, frequently rips up the dogs that hunt it. you'd better yoke the horse to the pulta, and get the skins ready for travelling.' And the frau rose hastily. Her suggestion, or rather command, was at once carried out, for the wife's word was law in the house, however much Herr Carl might delude himself with the belief that he was its master. Quitting the table accordingly, the female part of the company ascended to the bedrooms, to dress the young wife for her first departure from home, while the men gathered round Christopher, as he equipped himself for his long journey through the severe cold of a mountain region; and he was just accoutered and ready as the pulta, or travelling-sledge, and horse came up to the door. Gertruda had just entered, carefully wrapped in her furs, and holding her vizard of white gauze in her hand, and was giving and taking the farewell kiss, when a pulta, drawn by a Danish horse, with its chime of merry bells, dashed past the window, and before the driver could be seen distinctly, had left the street, and was lost in the shadow of the mountains. Cheered by knowing that another traveller was on the same path, Christopher hastened his preparations, and the weeping Gertruda was led out by her husband, and placed among the pile of cushions and furs. Passing her arms through the straps at the back of the sledge, to keep her stationary, Christopher carefully adjusted her mask, and drawing the skins over her person, fixed her securely in the low carriage; then looking to the priming of his rifle, he took his seat in the pulta, and waving his hand to the group at the door, gave his horse the rein. With an impatient bound, the animal dashed into the street, and with long strides, tore over the polished snow with a speed that soon left the town and its inhabitants far behind; while the velocity of their motion, and the purple fires and golden lights that cast their scintillating glory over their path, so exhilarated the spirits of the travellers, that their enjoyment rose to a kind of ecstasy. Two hours of rapid travelling brought them to their first halting-place, whence, after an hour's rest and refreshment, the pair again set forward, and in two hours more reached their destination for the night-a stove, situated in a chasm of the loftiest pinnacle of the chain up whose side they had thus far travelled. The view from this point of the Lulian Alps was truly magnificent. Far down at their feet, lay the narrow indented shores of Norway, while beyond, as far as the eye could reach, stretched the vast Atlantic; northward, the Loffoden Isles, and the stormy horrors of the North Cape; while on the east, the level plains of Sweden, and the barren steppes of Lapland, filled up the picture. Taking advantage of the early morning, the pair performed the descent of Luhea, and halted at a small inn on the banks of Lulea Treiste. Christopher here discovered that a sprain his horse had sustained was likely to detain him some time, as not another was to be obtained, and his own was unfit to journey further: this, when a few hours' drive would have carried them to Gora, was most vexatious; for there was no knowing how long they might be delayed, or to what annoyances subjected. Finding his horse grew worse rather than better, towards evening, Christopher threw his rifle over his shoulder, and leaving Gertruda in charge of the master of the inn, set off to a gamme of Laplanders, to hire one or two reindeer to take their sledge home. As Gertruda sat reflecting on the discomforts that surrounded her, and contrasting the repulsive room with the cheerful abode she would Stove, a building erected and maintained at the public expense for the comfort of travellers among the mountains in Norway, where, free of all charge, large stoves are kept burning day and night, for the accommodation of all who journey in such elevated regions. make of her new home for her beloved Christopher, and picturing her future with all the colouring of hope and affection, her ear became conscious of a low breathing music that gradually stole into the apartment, and rising with measured cadence, filled the air with tones of such plaintive harmony, that the young wife bent her head with curiosity and delight to catch every vibration of the touching melody. When the strain was over, and Gertruda scarcely yet recovered from her wonder, she was roused from her reverie by the gladly recognised clack, click, clack, the noise made by the knees of the reindeer when in motion, and the jingling of the pulta-bells apprising her of the success of her husband's mission. 'I am to help you into the pulta, while Herr Christopher pays the Lap for the use of his deer,' observed the master of the inn, as he entered and announced the sledge. The host having assisted to pass her arms through the shoulder-straps, enclosed her hands in a pair of long gloves, closed the apron, and saying he would call her husband, retired. The man who stood by the deer having whispered in their ear the place of their destination-a custom a Lap never omits before starting-stepped backwards with the reins till on a level with the sledge, when, bounding into the vehicle, the reindeer dashed forward like the wind, the mysterious driver standing erect and motionless as a pine, while the host leaped upon the runners, and held firmly to the back of the pulta. The whole proceeding was so quick, that Gertruda was unconscious of the treachery practised till already in motion. As soon, however, as she could comprehend her situation, she shrieked with terror, and called upon her husband for aid and rescue. Christopher, who was returning from an unsuccessful conference with the Lap, at that moment descended into the plain, and hearing the voice of his wife, sprang forward to ascertain the meaning of her cries, as the sledge came flying onwards. Without checking the speed of his deer, the motionless driver drew a missile from his breast, and hurled it at the head of the intruder; but Christopher, quick of eye, caught the projectile in his hand. One glance told him with whom he had to deal, and what to expect. It was the bone he had thrown at the supposed cat! Dashing it to the ground, he instantly brought his piece to bear on the erect form of the fugitive, and fired; but at that moment the pulta dipped into one of the hollows, and threw the back of the innkeeper into the line of aim, and the shot entering his spine, he threw up his arms, and, with a loud shriek, fell heavily on the snow; but, indifferent to the wail of the dying wretch, the impassive driver kept on his course, and in a few moments was lost in the haze that swept like a dark scud over the dreary region. Christopher saw that pursuit was hopeless, and turned with a vindictive heart to retrace his footsteps, brooding on some swift and terrible revenge. Suddenly, the silence of the night was broken by a cry, that rang through the frosty air with a wail so shrill and wild, that Christopher paused in suspense to hear a repetition of the sound. After some moments of intense listening, the growl and snarl of a gorging wolf came down like a deep breathing through the stillness. With a smile of grim pleasure, he reloaded his rifle, and, throwing it over his arm, stalked sullenly back to the inn. When Gertruda saw her husband start so unexpectedly on their path, her first intention was to throw herself from the pulta; but she soon discovered that the accomplice, when he drew on the large gloves. had artfully united her wrists, so that she was a complete prisoner, pinioned and handcuffed. That Tueta was the author of this outrage, she had no doubt; and when she could muster courage to look on the motionless driver before her, she had no hesitation in believing that he and the dreaded Lap were the CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL. same. His well-built, muscular frame-for he differed in most characteristics from the people of his nation afforded of itself a strong confirmation of her belief; while none but Tueta could have preserved such a dauntless attitude, his form rising like a mast from the carriage, and swaying with the flying pulta. Again, had other circumstances left any doubt, a A tall glance at his dress would have dispelled it. cap, of the priceless black fox, rose straight from his forehead; while the tail of a snow-white ermine, its extremity tipped with black, hung from the crown The robe to his shoulders like a drooping feather. that encompassed his person was made of many hundred skins of the black marten, and descended in regal amplitude from the neck to the heels, while a chain of silver amulets, rings, and medals, crossed, like a collar of state, his furry shoulders. As regarded his features, Gertruda was yet in ignorance; for though Tueta had seen her frequently, she had never herself met him, and it was only through her mother that she had heard of his proposal for her hand. It was therefore not without a certain curiosity that, despite the danger of her position, she watched for some motion of her guide that should enable her to see his countenance; but though the north wind came howling over the bleak steppes, and the flying reindeer dashed up the snow like spray, and the swells and dips in the surface of the plain made the carriage rise and fall like a vessel in a storm, the driver never for a moment removed his unprotected glance from the black outline of hills that rose like a wall in the distance, and towards which the reindeer stretched their utmost speed. As if a part of the inert vehicle, he continued to stand erect; now over the plain and uneven steppes, and anon up the mountain-track and down the gloomy glens and rifts. At length, dashing into a sheltered ravine, and skirting the bank of a frozen lake, whose ice, blue as steel, contrasted sternly with the universal white that covered hill and vale, the deer suddenly halted before a series of gammes or low huts-the winter encampment of Tueta Ladrona the Lap. The driver had scarcely leaped to the ground, when, with a cry and a howl, a huge black cat bounded on his shoulders, and began caressing him in a manner as ferocious as playful. During this ceremony, three or four Laps hurried to the pulta, and, unfastening her gloves, carried Gertruda at once into the largest gamme; where, such was the effect of the sudden heat and unwholesome atmosphere of the place, she would have fainted but for the assistance of several women, who, by removing her furs, and giving her a draught of reindeer milk and brandy, succeeded in relieving her from the feeling of suffocation caused by the ovenlike heat of the gamme. As soon as she was sufficiently recovered, the women placed before her hot milk, boiled salmon, and dried deer's flesh, which, as she had been many hours without food, and exposed to the rigour of the weather, she was absolutely in need of. From the women, she could learn nothing further than that Tueta himself had been her conductor-that this was only one of his farms-that the great gamme with his mother and sisters, was a day's journey further to the east, and that the hut she was in was the women's gamme. Failing to elicit any further intelligence, and expressing her weariness, they brought her a mattress of eider feathers, and a pillow of Lapland grass; and spreading it by the fire, Gertruda laid herself down on the luxurious bed, and, despite her anxieties, closed her eyes, and was almost instantly asleep: while the women, with their knees up to their chins, and faces resting on their hands, kept watch round the fire, gazing with their small bleared eyes into the glowing embers, and in subdued whispers, recounting to each other tales of incantation and witchcraft. The strong odour of cooked meat, and the voices of the women, raised Though their course was still rapid, it wanted that velocity which had heretofore characterised their progress, for the snow was so deep on the plain, that the runners of the pulta dashed it up like billows, while the sinking sledge was frequently some feet below the level of the channel through which they ploughed their impetuous way. After proceeding some leagues over this ocean of snow, Tueta, grasping the rifle that lay in front of the pulta, and pointing with it to the dark and hazy distance, turned his face for the first time to Gertruda, and said: 'He is a good husband, and will risk much for his wife. I will not kill him, but he shall have no advantage;' and dropping the muzzle of his rifle till it rested on the bottom of the carriage, he used the butt as a crutch to lean on. 'I do not comprehend,' replied Gertruda, in surprise at the abruptness of his words, and almost quailing before the piercing glance he bent with a fascinating power on her countenance. Shaking off some of the influence inspired by the presence of the dreaded man on whom she looked for the first time, she gazed on his features with a feeling of wonder and surprise. His eyes, of an intense black, had all the fire and tenderness of a southern clime, and though of the same colour, were unlike those of his people, in being full and open-a peculiarity that, with his broad forehead, he derived from his Danish father; at the same time, his high cheek-bones and projecting jaw were equally indicative of his Lapland origin, though the repulsive character of the latter feature was greatly modified by a full moustache, and a beard that flowed majestically on his breast. But the sallow complexion and small hands and feet were purely Lap, though On the whole, Tueta was the straight limbs and perfect symmetry of form were derived from his father. what might be justly called a handsome man. 'I mean,' replied the Lap, that your husband follows us. But we will strive on equal terms. Do you understand?-your husband is there!' and he turned his glance to the south. Gertruda directed her gaze in the direction indicated, and after a long scrutiny of the scud that swept over the horizon, perceived what might have been mistaken for the hull of a ship, At length she was enabled to which, parallel with themselves, seemed stationary on the verge of the waste. make out a sledge and four reindeer through a break in the scud, as it was for a moment defined against the leaden sky beyond. The pleasure which Gertruda derived from the knowledge of her husband's presence, was quickly banished when she saw Tueta turn his deer in a course that would bring him directly across her husband's track, especially when she looked at the deadly weapon he held in readiness. These feelings were excited to the keenest terror when she observed the other sledge put about, and the two vehicles rapidly converging. When within a few furlongs of each other, Tueta raised his rifle, and fired; at the same moment, the pulta again flew round, and the animals bounded like the wind upon their former course. Instantaneously with the discharge, the leading deer of the approaching sledge sprang into the air, and fell dead among its companions. To cut the harness, and throw out the lifeless deer, rearrange his team, and once more follow the pursuit, was but the work of a few seconds; and Gertruda had the satisfaction to know that her husband was unhurt and again in motion on their trail. Familiar with all the bearings of the snowy desert, and confident of his route, Tueta never for a moment doubted his being able to baffle all pursuit. But he had to deal with a man every whit as resolute as himself; and what might have been a successful stratagem under other circumstances, lost all its effect when met by such energy as was exhibited by Christopher Steinhoff, who was personally as indifferent to danger as the witch-inspired Lap himself. Though the death of his deer somewhat delayed him, yet he was again upon the track, sooner than Tueta could have believed possible; with his rifle on his knees, he urged on the chase with the utmost speed of his untiring deer. But so uncertain was the drifting scud, that it became necessary for both men to keep as large a space between them as possible, till one or other could fire with advantage. 'Herr Christopher is swift,' observed Tueta to Gertruda, as his eye caught her husband's sledge looming through the haze; but it shall avail him nothing; I'- A flash of red flame leaped from the side of the dimly seen sledge as he spoke, and a bullet whirred in the air. With a deep frown, the Lap instantly reversed his rifle, and drew a cartridge from his pouch. He has unsheathed the knife; let him look to its edge,' he said vindictively, as he rammed home the charge. 'I would have spared him, but now he dies.' 'My husband!' exclaimed Gertruda in terror; 'spare him-spare him.' 'Hark! he cried abruptly; 'the wolves bark over the dead deer; they will eat his flesh too, and the snow will bury his bones. Look!' and turning the direction of his deer, the pulta flew round, and held a course in the track of the sledge, which the next moment was seen bursting out of a dense scud, bearing down in full career, with such an impetus, that all Tueta's skill was needed to avoid a collision. They dashed past with a velocity that carried them again beyond the sight or sound of each other; but at the instant of recognition, and while in midway, both men levelled their rifles, and fired; and though Gertruda strove to discover whether her husband was hurt, such was the speed at which they flew, that the sledge was beyond her sight before she could form an opinion. Tueta was apparently unharmed, for he directly reloaded his piece, and stood silent and motionless, as the pulta dashed onward on its altered course. At length, as if awaking from a dream, the Lap shook his head, and looked keenly round the horizon. Not discovering the object he sought, he put about the pulta, and the deer started in an opposite direction with redoubled speed. After many bends and unsuccessful tacks over the pathless snow, his practised eye at last discovered the sledge emerging from the scud. Tueta instantly raised his rifle, and taking deliberate aim at the approaching figure, fired. The next moment, the piece fell from his hands, and without a sigh, or the slightest indication of pain, the Lap dropped heavily over the front of the pulta, as his foremost deer, pierced by a ball from the sledge, fell dead, bringing the vehicle to a sudden halt. So swiftly was the sledge borne over the ground, that it passed the pulta some distance before Christopher could check its velocity, or bring his vehicle to the side of his prostrate enemy. To leap from the carriage and fold his rescued wife in his arms, was the work of a moment. So unbounded was his joy, and so fervent Gertruda's thankfulness at her husband's safety, that for some time neither could speak; never till that moment, when their troubles were over, had the dangers they had escaped appeared so formidable. He liberated his Gertruda's hands, and pressed her to his heart, as he carried her from the pulta, and placed her in his own sledge; and he thought as he kissed her lips, and received her approving smiles and thanks, that she had never looked so beautiful, nor been so dear to him, as then. Christopher next approached his prostrate rival, and searched minutely for the wound which he must have received more than half an hour previous, for he had fallen before the last shot that struck the deer was fired. A little blood that had oozed from the right side was the only injury his examination could discover; and believing he had only fainted, Christopher drew the dead deer into the pulta, and making it serve as a pillow to the wounded man, laid him along the carriage, and covered him up with furs. Trusting to the sagacity of the animals to take their master home, he clapped his hands, and starting the deer, saw them dash off in an easterly direction with their accustomed speed. Having watched their progress till they were lost in the haze of the horizon, he took his place by his beloved wife in the sledge, and directing his course south, was soon flying-like a ship before the wind— upon his homeward journey. Obtaining a relay from a gamme near Kangis, in six hours more they were dashing through the solitary streets of Gora, and at length drew up before the door of Herr Steinhoff's house. Leaping out of the sledge, Christopher caught Gertruda lovingly in his arms, and, as if fearful of yet losing his coveted prize, carried her into the house; placing her in a warm settle near the stove, he knelt by her side, and passing his arm affectionately round her waist, with an endearing kiss welcomed her to her Swedish home. COMET S. WE were leaving Byculla Church, after eveningservice, one Sunday in the spring of 1843, when the first comet we ever saw was presented to our eyes. Its whereabouts was announced to us in a very startling manner by the cry of a child who was with us: Mamma! there is a fiery sword in the heavens!' Bending from beneath the carriage-hood in some consternation, we beheld the most glorious apparition our eyes had ever dwelt on-a comet, and such a comet! a small nucleus, bright and clear, and a tail which, scimitar-shaped, swept over half the heavens, and dipped its slender point in the western sea. Even now we can see by the eye of memory the white radiance of that delicate splendour. It was of most transparent light-one could see through it the stars of Orion quivering as through a milky haze. The visit of this glorious stranger was a surprise to the European population of Bombay; the natives at least all to whom we spoke-expected it. When we asked our Parsee Arjeesia, what he thought of it, he replied: Much fine comet, Ma'am Sahib. People knew he was coming. Great empire going to fall.' The superstition put us in mind of the similar one of Europe in the middle ages, with allusions to which the pages of the old dramatists are full. At my nativity,' says Owen Glendower, 'the front of heaven was full of fiery shapes.' And again, in Julius Caesar, Shakspeare makes Calphurnia, with the feeling of his age as well as of hers, say: When beggars die, there are no comets seenThe heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes. How did these unlearned Asiatics forebode the coming of the comet, of which European science was ignorant? One cannot tell; but one thing is certain, the Chinese have ever had a peculiar sympathy with these long-tailed strangers; they traced the starry path of each of those visible to them through every separate constellation, more than five hundred years before the Christian era. They call the tail of a comet its brush; and were the first to observe and record a fact which was not known in Europe till the sixteenth century—that is, that the tail is always turned away from the sun, so that their line of prolongation passes through its centre. It might, therefore, have been from Chinese science that the Parsee and Hindoo were led to expect my comet. How beautiful it was, and how we used to sit and watch it from the house-top on those delicious starry nights! We were told by some officers who came just then from England, that there it looked only like a cloudy star, and the eye had to seek for it before it could be perceived. We were sorry that the eyes most dear to us could not rest on its glorious beauty also; but stranger as it was, we grew quite to love it and look for it, and were pained when its place knew it no more, and it had vanished into space. Comets go away for such long periods of time, generally, that we can scarcely ever hope to greet them again. We have heard since that our bright visitor was even more resplendent in North America, for it was seen in daylight, in dazzling sunshine, at New Bedford, Massachusetts, on the 28th of February, the distance of the very dense nucleus from the sun's light admitting of being measured with much exactness. We ourselves have traced it as a fleecy cloud upon the eastern sky, before the daylight had quite faded; but the sun of India allows of no rival in its noonday dominion. We have been led into this reminiscence of the comet of 1843, by hearing of the strange commotion and apprehension which the expected visitor of 1857 is creating in some parts of Europe, and even in England. A friend wrote to us the other day, that the shoemakers of the county town had left off work, expecting, like others, that the 13th of June was to see the end of the world; and being determined, they said, to enjoy the last month of their existence! Now, though we cannot assuredly say that combustion by a comet is impossible-for the orbit of Biela's comet intersects that of the earth, and might, therefore, as Humboldt observes, be productive of danger-still, the chances are so greatly against it, that we felt convinced ourselves we should experience no evil consequences from the coming visitor. As, however, everything mysterious or indistinct to our mind has a certain awfulness and shadow of fear about it, we purpose to lay before the general reader some facts concerning these fiery denizens of the sky, which may render them more familiar objects to our imaginations: not that we know a great deal of the comets; we are not at all, not even the wisest of our astronomers, on such intimate terms with them as we are with our next-door neighbours the planets, or even with the aristocracy of fixed stars beyond, but we do know something from actual and recent research and experiment, and that we mean to tell. And first-rare visitors as the comets are to us, they are, nevertheless, a very large tribe in themselves. Kepler tells us that there are more comets in the regions of space than fishes in the depths of the ocean. They have not, as the stars, a striking family-likeness, but vary in appearance so much, that a description of one of them could only be applied with caution to another. The faintest telescopic comets are generally devoid of visible tails, and resemble Herschel's nebulous stars.' This is the most simple type; but we cannot be sure, therefore, that these are infantine specimens of the perfect meteor, as they may just as probably be the remains of older cosmical bodies exhausted by exhalation. In the larger comets, we can distinguish the head or nucleus, and the single or even double tail. The head presents no definite outline, except in a few rare cases, when it appears as a star of the first or second magnitude, as did that of our personal friend of 1843. Doubtless, this indicates, in the case of these individuals, a greater thickness of mass, capable of reflecting light in greater intensity. The tails are sometimes single, sometimes double; frequently their branches are of different lengths-in one instance, in 1744, a comet appeared with a six-branched tail, the whole forming an angle of 60 degrees. The tails are straight or curved, and sometimes appear even like a flame in motion, and are of all sizes. The tail of the one seen in 1618 measured 104 degrees! 6 'The The mass of a comet is smaller than that of any other cosmical body, indeed insignificant in comparison, though never yet in any case precisely ascertained; but they occupy much more space, their tails extending over many millions of miles. cone of luminous vapour,' says Humboldt, which radiates from a comet, has been found in some casesas in 1680 and 1811-to equal the length of the earth's distance from the sun, forming a line that intersects the orbits both of Venus and Mercury. It is even probable that the vapour of the tails of comets mingled with our atmosphere in the years 1819 and 1823.' Can any of our readers remember if those years were especially hot? for we have some small misgiving as to great heat this approaching summer, in consequence of the expected bright one. The variations in form which occur in comets are many and frequent. The comet seen by Hensius at St Petersburg in 1744, had a well-defined tuft of rays emanating from that part of the nucleus or head which was turned towards the sun; and these, bending backwards, formed a part of the tail. The nucleus of Halley's comet, 1835, resembled a burning rocket, the end of which was turned sidewise by the force of the sive nights, as they were watched by M. Arago and wind. The rays assumed different forms on succesHumboldt from the Paris Observatory. The comet of 1823 had two tails in opposite directions, one turned towards the sun, the other from it, forming with each other an angle of 160 degrees. With regard to the light of comets-an important question when the burning of the earth is dreaded ment called the polariscope, have informed us that it from it-the experiments of M. Arago with an instruis principally reflected. On the 3d of July 1819,' says Humboldt, Arago made the first attempt to analyse the light of comets by polarisation, on the evening of the sudden appearance of the great comet. I was present |