His father possessed the necessary means, and he had
likewise the sagacity to encourage the young astronomer. He was
indeed most anxious to make every thing as easy as possible for so
hopeful a son. He provided him with an allowance of 300 pounds a
year, which was regarded as a very munificent provision in those
days. Halley was also furnished with letters of recommendation from
King Charles II., as well as from the directors of the East India
Company. He accordingly set sail with his instruments in the year
1676, in one of the East India Company's ships, for the island of St.
Helena, which he had selected as the scene of his labours.
[PLATE: HALLEY.]
After an uneventful voyage of three months, the astronomer landed on
St. Helena, with his sextant of five and a half feet radius, and a
telescope 24 feet long, and forthwith plunged with ardour into his
investigation of the southern skies. He met, however, with one very
considerable disappointment. The climate of this island had been
represented to him as most favourable for astronomical observation;
but instead of the pure blue skies he had been led to expect, he
found that they were almost always more or less clouded, and that
rain was frequent, so that his observations were very much
interrupted.
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