162 AMBER. 
(24) ; but this is entirely conjecture. The ancients 
called it electron, and attributed its formation to the 
sisters of Phaeton, who, lamenting the death of their 
brother, were converted into poplar trees ; these, it was 
said, instead of tears, yielded every year this substance ; 
which, issuing from them in a fluid state, ran into the 
river, and there became hardened. 
Amber is usually found in rounded and detached 
pieces, on the south coast of the Baltic, on the eastern 
shores of England, and in small quantity, on those of 
Sicily and the Adriatic ; and a substance greatly re- 
sembling it is occasionally found in gravel pits near 
London, The only mines of amber at present known 
are in Prussia. These are worked in the usual way, by 
shafts and galleries, to the depth of about 100 feet. 
The amber is imbedded in a stratum of fossil wood, 
and occurs in rounded pieces, from a few grains to 
three and even five pounds in weight. The largest 
piece of amber ever known to be discovered in a de- 
tached state was found near the surface of the ground, 
in Lithuania, about twelve miles from the Baltic Sea. 
It weighed more than eighteen pounds, and was 
deposited in the cabinet of the King of Prussia at Ber- 
lin. Very lately amass of amber, weighing thirteen 
pounds, was also found in Prussia. For this piece 5000 
dollars are said to have been offered ; but the Armenian 
merchants assert that it might have been sold in Con- 
stantinople for more than 30,000 dollars. 
Anterior to the discovery or general dispersion of 
precious stones from India, amber was considered of 
great value as a jewel, and was employed in all kinds 
of ornamental dresses. The ancient Romans were so 
partial to this substance that Pliny, reprobating the 
great demand for it, says, the Roman females would 
give larger sums for a puppet or figure in amber, re- 
sembling a man or woman, however small its size, than 
they would for the finest man or the most valiant sol- 
dier. Under the Emperor Nero, persons were sent 
from Rome, for the purpose of collecting and purchas- 
