The Sperm Whale and its Food 275 



certain that the circumstances and accidents, attending the 

 capture of one of these aniuials, must repeat themselves. 



The matter was investigated in the latter part of the eight- 

 eenth century and forms the subject of a most interesting 

 memoir entitled "An Account of Ambergrise," by Dr Schwedi- 

 awer, which was published in the Philosophical Transactions of the 

 Royal Society in the year 1783 (Vol. 73, pp. 226-241). 



This account was prepared at the desire and with the assist- 

 ance of Sir Joseph Banks then President of the Royal Society ; 

 who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the South 

 Seas in H.M.S. "Endeavour" in the years 1768-71. 



In his 1 Journal, p. 65, under date 3rd March, 1769, he writes: 

 "I found also this day a large Sepia or cuttlefish lying in the 

 water, just dead, but so pulled to pieces by the birds that its 

 species could not be determined. Only this I know, that of it 

 was made one of the best soups I ever ate. It was very large; 

 and its arms, instead of being like European species, furnished 

 with suckers, were armed with a double row of very sharp talons, 

 resembling in shape those of a cat, and like them, retractable 

 into a sheath of skin, from whence they might be thrust at 

 pleasure." 



1 1 i^ probable that this observation, and perhaps others made 

 during the voyage of the "Endeavour," induced Sir Joseph 

 Banks to assist Dr Schwediawer in the research reported in his 

 paper. 



As it deals largely with the food of the sperm whale, as well 

 as with ambergrise, which is the by-product of a disease to 

 which the animal is subject, the following extracts cannot fail 

 to interest the reader. 



Extract from Dr Schwediawer' s Paper. 



Ambergrise is found swimming upon the surface of the sea or in 

 s.unl near the sea coast. 



It : ' -lines found in the abdomen of whales by the whale- 

 lumps of various shapes and sizes, weighing from half 

 an ounce to an hundred and more pounds. The piece, which the 1 

 East India Company bought from the King of Tydor, weighed 182 pounds. 



1 Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, edited by Sir Joseph D. 

 Hooker. London. Macmillan & Co. 1896. 



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