The Sun.
London, England, 1824-01-27 00:00:00

THE COMET.

GOSPORT ORSERTATORY, JAN. 24.-At seven
o'clock last evening, the comet was observed in the tail of the
constellation Draco, 2 deg. 15 min. from and under the North
Pole of the Heavens : it is, therefore, become a circumpolar
object of admiration, as it does not set. Its nucleus is much
better defined through a good achromatic telescope than hereto-
fore ; and it appears round to the naked eye, and as large as a
star of the first magnitude.--The train, or tail, was about six
degrees long, and the coma surrounding the nucleus close and
thick, as formerly described. Its right ascension last night
was 217 deg. 26 min., and its declination 63 deg. 43 min.
North. It has advanced through the Heavens 421 deg. since
the 10th inst., that is at the astonishing rate of 3 deg. 2 min. 8
sec. every twenty-four hours, or seven minutes and thirty-
five seconds of a degree per hour; so that by observing its po.
sition for a few hours, its motion is perceptible. This, is, cer-
tainly, a very great velocity, when it is properly considered in
its own orbit. The speed of this comet outstrips all that have
been observed here for many years past, not excepting the bril-
liant one in the autumn of 1811. Its present distance frorn the
sun is one hundred and ten degrees, yet it becomes more con-
spicuous and better defined in its head ' and as it is now within
'
the circle of perpetual apparition, at least in this latitude, it
may, therefore, be seen soon after sunset, and throughout
the night. It is now between Ursa Minor and the last star
in the tail of Ursa Major, and about sixteen degrees westward
of that star. As the brilliancy of the comet increases, and
'its position is so much altered, we may expect more favourable
opportunities of seeing it. At the end of the month it will he
on or near the last star in the tail of Draco, and about 21 de-
grees from Polaris.

MEETING OF THE JOURNEYMEN SILK WEAN-
ERs.-011 Saturday evening a meeting of the
Journeymen Silk Weavers was held pursuant to
adjournment, at the Red Lion, Phoenix-street,
Spitalfields, to receive froth their Committee, a
final answer from the employers, as to the pre-
sent disputes relatiye to the prices of labour. The
meeting was very numerously attended, and Mr.
BAKER, the Secretary to theCornmi ttee detailed the
result of the interviews which they had had with
several masters, and read three letters from diffe-
rent masters. A considerable discussion then
took place, which ended in the, adoption of
a Resolution, that the Committee should
cease their functions, and that the journeymen
should assemble again next Saturday night, to
receive from the Committee an account of the ex-
pences incurred. As far as we understood the
discussion, it appears that only one article, of not
very great importance now remains in dispute
between the masters and journeymen, and that
as to this article, they are likely to come to a
speedy agreement.

On Tuesday last Sir George Staunton, Bart..,
of Leigh-park, ordered his annual bounty of coals, (ten chal-
drons), to be distributed among the labouring poor of Havant.
The Treasurer of the Hampshire Hospital has
received by the hands of Mr. Lyford, from a very benevolent
unknown'Lady, a munificent donation of 50/., for the use of
that charitable institution.

RARE NEWS FOK THE GAME• PRESERVERS.-
The Guard of the Portsmouth mail was last'week.fined in the
mitigated penalty of 2()1., by. Charles Taylor, Esq. of Holly-
combe for having gamein his possession, and was dismissed
from his situation.

An eagle was caught last week on the estate
of - Hewit, Esq. near Handcross, in Sussex; it is a fine
full-grown bird, and came into a trap set.,by Mitchell, game-
keeper to Mr. H.
DEMPsTsR, who some little time ago., in exhi—
biting_to some companions a sleight-of-hand per-
formance with a table knife, actually swallowed
the knife, has died, it appears, chiefly from
anxiety. His apprehensive state of mind was
dreadful ; and on. the 17th instant, when on hiS
way to Sir ASTLEY COOPER, to undergo an opera-
tion for its extractitm„ be died at Middletvich.