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MARIA MITCHELL. 327 thing to be considered, however. Frederick VI of Den- mark had, about fifteen years before this time, established a gold medal of twenty ducats' value to be bestowed upon any person who should first discover a telescopic comet ; and this prize Miss Mitchell might fairly claim. But the provisions concerning the award required that the dis- coverer should comply with several conditions. " If a resident of Great Britain or any other quarter of the globe except the continent of Europe," he was to send notice, " by first post after the discovery," to the astronomer-royal of London. Miss Mitchell, desiring to be certain that her discovery was indeed original, had omitted to do this, and she was therefore in doubt whether she might claim the medal. But as the intent of this neglected formality could have been nothing more than to insure the medal's falling into the right hands, and as proof existed that she was the earliest discoverer, she succeeded, with the assistance of Edward Everett, who warmly took her part, in obtaining her well-merited distinction. For ten years after this event she retained her position in the library, faithfully discharging her duty toward the institution, and at the same time performing, to the satis- faction of the government, much difficult mathematical work in connection with the coast survey. She also assisted in the compilation of the American Nautical Almanac. In 1857 she went abroad and visited most of the famous observatories of Europe. She was everywhere received with distinction, and acquired the friendship of many of the leading astronomers of the day, besides being elected a member of several important scientific societies. On her return home she had the pleasure of finding that her friends had caused an excellent observa- tory to be fitted up for her in her absence, and here she 20