624 



A HISTORY OF 



but of less value. It is distributed in this ca- 

 vity like honey in a hive, in small cells, se- 

 parated from each other by a membrane like 

 the inner skin of an egg. In proportion as 

 the oily substance is drawn away from this 

 part, it fills anew from every part of the body; 

 and from this is generally obtained about nine 

 barrels of oil. Besides this, the spinal-mar- 

 row, which is as thick as a man's thigh, and 

 reaches all along the back-bone to the tail, 

 where it is not thicker than one's finger, af- 

 fords no inconsiderable quantity." 



This substance, which is used in the com- 

 position of many medicines, rather to give 

 them consistence than efficacy, was at first 

 sold at a very high price, both from the ma- 

 ny virtues ascribed to it, and the small quan- 

 tity that the cachalot was capable of supply- 

 ing: 'at present, the price is greatly fallen ; 

 first, because its efficacy in medicine is found 

 to be very small ; and again, because the 

 whole oil of the fish is easily convertible into 

 Spermaceti. This is performed by boiling it 

 with a ley of pot-ash, and hardening it in the 

 manner of soap. Candles are now made of 

 it, which are substituted for wax, and sold 

 much cheaper; so that we need not fear ha- 

 ving our spermaceti adulterated in the man- 



ner some medical books caution us to beware 

 of; for they carefully guard us against ha- 

 ving our spermaceti adulterated with virgin 

 wax. 



As to the ambergris, which is sometimes 

 found in this whale, it was long considered as 

 a substance found floating on the surface of 

 the sea ; but time, that reveals the secrets of 

 the mercenary, has discovered that it chiefly 

 belongs to this animal. The name, which 

 has been improperly given to the former sub- 

 stance, seems more justly to belong to this; 

 for the ambergris is found in the place where 

 the seminal vessels are usually situated in 

 other animals. It is found in a bag of three 

 or four feet long, in round lumps from one to 

 twenty pounds weight, floating in a fluid ra- 

 ther thinner than oil, and of a yellowish co- 

 lour. There are never seen more than four 

 at a time in one of these bags ; and that 

 which weighed twenty pounds, and which 

 was the largest ever seen, was found single. 

 These balls of ambergris are not found in all 

 fishes of this kind, but chiefly in the oldest 

 and strongest. The uses of this medicine for 

 the purposes of luxury, and as a perfume, are 

 well known ; though upon some subjects ig- 

 norance is preferable to information. 



CHAPTER CLXI. 



OF THE DOLPHIN, THE GRAMPUS, AND THE PORPOISE, WITH THEIR 



VARIETIES. 



ALL these fish have teeth both in the up- 

 per and the lower jaw, and are much less 

 than the whale. The Grampus, which is the 

 largest, never exceeds twenty feet. It may 

 also be distinguished by the flatness of its 

 head, which resembles a boat turned upside 

 down. The Porpoise resembles the gram- 

 pus in most things except the snout, which is 

 not above eight feet long ; its snout also more 

 resembles that of a hog. The Dolphin has 



The perfume called Ambergris, is found in large mas- 

 ses, in the intestines, and is now known to be nothing more 

 .hn the excrements of the animal. Spermaceti is found 



a strong resemblance to the porpoise, except 

 that its snout is longer and more pointed. 

 They have all fins on the back ; they all have 

 heads very large, like the rest of the whale- 

 kind; and resemble each other in their ap- 

 petites, their manners, and conformations; 

 being equally voracious, active, and roving. 

 The great agility of these animals prevents 

 their often being taken. They seldom re- 

 main a moment above water; sometimes, in- 



in a vast cavity in the upper part of the head : while fresh, 

 and in its natural receptacle, it is nearly fluid ; but it con- 

 cretes into opake masses soon after it is exposed to the air. 



