42 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



Ambergris, another product of the whale fishery, 

 is now regarded as a secretion from the intestines 

 of the Sperm Whale, a result of disease. It may 

 be defined as a light, inflammable, fatty substance, 

 opaque in lustre, ashy in colour, with variegations 

 like marble, and giving forth a pleasant odour when 

 heated. It is now used exclusively in the prepara- 

 tion of perfumes, haying the property of adding to 

 the strength of other perfumes. 



Ambergris is comparatively rare, and is worth 

 more than its weight in gold. 

 x In a modern factory very little of the whale's 

 body is wasted. Burfield 1 has described the modus 

 operandi at a modern whaling factory. 



In July, 1920, the author visited the whaling 

 station at Bunaveneader (Hebrides), and from 

 personal observation from information kindly 

 supplied by Mr Herlofson, the manager there, and 

 from Burfield, the following summary is compiled. 



The chief products now are : Oil, whalebone, 

 meat (both food for human beings and cattle), 

 manure, bonemeal, salted meat, and spermaceti; 

 with two subsidiary products ambergris and sperm 

 teeth. Oil is still the most important product. 

 To extract it every part of the animal, except the 

 whalebone and sperm teeth, is boiled for twenty- 

 four hours. The whale is towed to the factory from 

 he place where it was killed, and anchored to a 

 buoy until the factory is ready for it. A large chain 



1 Belmullet Whaling- Station. Report of the Committee of the 

 British Association, Section D, Dundee, 1912. 



