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APPENDIX X.HALLEY SCOMET IN CHINA.N Halley s comet was seen last in 1835, RobertMorrison had just died, and there were no missionaries on the mainland of China anywhere.The year before, the opium dispute began at Canton,and China s troubles on that account might very wellhave been attributed to the comet which blazed inthe sky the following year. At any rate there was noone save a few Catholic missionaries to explain to thepeople the wonders of the solar system, of which cometsform a part.It is the object of this brief paper to describe whatwas done in 1909-10 to enlighten the Chinese people asto these phenomena. The presence of so many foreigners scattered up and down through every province ofChina rendered the possibility of riots all the morelikely, especially if designing revolutionaries pointed tothe comet as a signal of probable successful rebellion.When on September n, Professor Wolfe, of Heidelberg,Germany, got the first photographic evidence of theapproaching visitor, interest in the comet was worldwide. But it was not till November that it was suggested that missionaries ought to look alive and betimesprepare literature for the widest distribution. At thattime the writer was paying a visit to some cities in thefar interior, and in the course of an address, which waslistened to by many officials and students, referred tothe comet as due to appear shortly, visible to the nakedeye. The address was, much to the surprise of thespeaker, interrupted at this point by excited enquiriesfor further particulars. This experience gave birth tothe idea of a wide comet propaganda, and on my returnto Shanghai the idea was set afloat by the preparation