PRODUCTS FROM THE SEA 345 



The manufacture of leather from shark-skin is now a 

 commercial proposition. Formerly the difficulty of re- 

 moving the hard scales embedded in the skin made the 

 production of this leather uneconomical, but several 

 processes for doing so satisfactorily have now been 

 discovered and patented. 



Products from Whales 



Among the chief products from whales are the oils which 

 are obtained by refining down the blubber. These oils are 

 used in the manufacture of soaps and candles. The best oil 

 is derived from the Sperm whale, in this case the body and 

 head of the whale are treated separately, the head oil 

 being more valuable. The crude oil is allowed to freeze 

 for ten to fourteen days and then it is subjected to pressure 

 three times at different temperatures when three grades 

 of oil are separated out. This sperm oil is very valuable 

 for lubricating purposes. After this treatment the mass 

 that remains is spermaceti, and this is refined by chemical 

 treatment. The pure spermaceti is a wax with a white 

 crystalline texture, and is used in the manufacture of 

 cosmetics and face creams. 



But by far the most valuable material obtained from the 

 Sperm whale is ambergris. This is a concretion from the 

 intestine of the whale, but is more often found floating in 

 the sea or cast up on the shore. It is used in the making 

 up of fine perfumes. 



In addition to the above there are the whalebone from 

 whalebone whales, the meat for human consumption, and 

 the scrap remains which are used as fertilizers. 



Pearls 



The most valuable of the products of the sea are pearls. 

 Though the modem recognition of pearls probably originated 



