HALLEY'S COMET.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 April 1910, Page 4

HALLEY'S COMET.

To the Editor. Sir,—This limiting for comets is a fraud—especially at 4 o'clock ill tho morniiuk with a temperature nt 45. Of course when I went to wind up .the alarm clock T fouuid that tho youngest pet of tho family had recently been usimg tho coil for somo wireless telephone experiments, and I went to bed trusting to memory to walcon mo. After having provided myself with glasses, with a 2i-inch objective (double), and having arranged the necessary clothing handy to my bed, T went off to sleep at 10.(55 in calm confidence that I should awaken at tho appointed hour. I slept blissfully at peace with nil .the world, and finally rose with a start. Having carefully attired myself as a preventive against tho chilly aiir, I looked at my watch. It was exactly five minutes past twelve 1 As I knew tho comet was not due until t o'clock I kid down once moro on the bed, and fell into a troubled sleep, in which I saw the whole heavens covered with a veil of gossamer, as delicate as a spider's web. Behind this ve.il T could soe comets by tho thousand—all sailimg away in different directions, some making noises like the screech of a shell. The Southern Cross was spinning .round on its axis like a Catherine wheel <afc Hopkins' fireworks, whilo Venus and Mars were bobbing up and down like floats on a stream. Many other scenes came into my line of vision, and I was eventually awakened by seeing what T took to be Hallev's Comet sweeping right into the sun! T roused myself iiiito action, and seizing my opera glasses, found tho time was exactly ten past four. Making my way outwards T saw Venus shining brightly, and searched in the vicinity for tho comet. 1 tried everything with a nucleus, but although I made every allowance for the comet being head oa, I could see nothing with the semblance of a tail. At last 1 got .the glasses on what seemed a blur, and satisfied that it was the comet I returned to my bunk feeling disgusted that f had wasted so much valuable sleep to such little purpose. When I

eventually made my appearance, somewhat tired and distrait after the broken night, I looked over the time-table of the comet which had Appeared a few days previously in the Advocate, and found that I had concluded my final inspecting of the heavens and gone back to bunk at least ten minutes before the comet was timed to appear above the horizon. No more comets for me! — Yours, et<\, NIGHTMARE.