FISHES. 481 



oiiamber just over the gullet, which is about seven feet high ; 

 and this also contains the drug, but of less value. It is distri- 

 buted in this cavity like honey in a hive, in small cells, separated 

 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 gene- 

 rally obtained about nine barrels of oil. Besides this, the spinal- 

 marrow, 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 fin. 

 ger, affords no inconsiderable quantity.* 



This substance, which is used in the composition of many 

 medicines, 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 capa- 

 ble of supplying : 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 mucii 

 cheaper ; so that we need not fear having our spermaceti adul- 

 terated in the manner some medical books caution us to beware 

 of ; for they carefully guard us against having 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 sur- 

 face of the sea ; but time, that reveals the secrets of the mer- 

 cenary, 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 ; forth(! ambergris is 

 (bund 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, 

 HI round lumps from one to twenty pounds weiglit, floating in a 



* Thp pprfumc called Amberffria, is found in large masses in the intestines, 

 and i'; now knomi to be nothing more tlian the oxrrpnienlBS of the animal.' 

 Spernmceti is found in a vast cavity in thi^ upper part of the head : while 

 (Vesh, and in its natural receptacle, it is nearly fluid ; but it roncrete<! into 

 opake masses Koon after it is exposed to the air. Spermaceti whale;-, are 

 found mo.st abundantly in the Southern Atlantic and Pariflc Oceans, on tha 

 roasts of New Holland, and in the Antartic regions. They have also bcea 

 observed in the Mediterranean and British Seas. 



III. 2 9 



