254 A HISTORY OF 



est spermaceti, that, thrown upon water, coagulates like cheese Be 

 .ow this there is another chamber, just over the gullet, which is about 

 seven feet high ; and this also contains the drug, but of less value. 

 It is distributed in this cavity 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 ob- 

 tained about nine barrels of oil. Besides this, the spinal marrow, 

 which is about 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, affords 

 no inconsiderable quantity. 



This substance, which is used in the composition of many medi- 

 cines, rather to give them consistence than efficacy, was at first sold 

 at a very high price, both from the many virtues ascribed to it, and 

 the small quantity that the cachalot was capable of supplying; at pre- 

 sent, 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 very easily convertible into spermaceti. This is performed by 

 boiling it with the lea 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 having our sperma 

 ceti adulterated in the manner some medical books caution us to be 

 ware of; for they carefully guard us against having our spermacet 

 adulterated with virgin wax. 



As to the ambergris, which is sometimes found in this whale, it wa. 

 long considered as a substance found floating on the surface of the 

 sea ; but time, that reveals the secrets of the mercenary, has disco* 

 vered '.hat it chiefly belongs to this animal. The name, which has 

 been improperly given to the former substance, seems more justly tc 

 belong to this ; for the ambergris is found in the place where the se- 

 minal 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 rather thinner than oil, and of s 

 yellowish colour. There are never seen more than four at a time ir 

 one of these bags ; and that which weighed twenty pounds, and which 

 was the largest ever seen, was found single. These balls of amber 

 srris are not found in all fishes of this kind, but chiefly in the oldes- 

 and strongest. The uses of this medicine for the purposes of luxury 

 and as a perfume, are well known ; though upon some subjects igno 

 ance is preferable to information. 



