OS AMBERGRIS. 
395 
ART. LXXIII. — AMBERGRIS. 
By Mr. Payne. 
It is well known that the nature and origin of ambergris 
were, for a very long period, quite unknown. "Authors 
differ," says Dr. Ksempfer, " widely in their opinion both 
as to its origin and production; nor do they even agree as to 
what kind of substance it properly is. Some take it to be 
a bituminous substance, others a sort of earth or clay; some 
think it is a sea-sponge, others the dung of birds. Dr. Denys, 
in 1672, asserted, that ' ambergris is a mixture of wax and 
honey, gathered upon the sea-coasts by bees, which, by be- 
ing digested by the heat of the sun, falls into the sea, where 
by the motion of the waves and admixture with saline par- 
ticles, it becomes changed into this precious article ;' but 
the most generally received opinion is, that it is a kind of 
bitumen generated in the bowels of the earth, or a subter- 
raneous fat grown to the consistence of a bitumen, which by 
subterraneous canals is carried into the sea, where, by the 
heat of the sun and admixture of saline particles, it becomes 
ambergris." 
After refuting the assertion of Dr. Denys, by several ar- 
guments not necessary to mention, Dr. K. goes on to de- 
scribe its varied appearance as at that time usually met with. 
He tells us, that he himself saw a fine greyish specimen, 
weighing 180 lbs. Dutch, which had been divided into four 
parts; another piece found in 1693 was sold by the king of 
the country for 11,000 rix-dollars, about £2000 sterling, to 
the Dutch East India Company; it was sent to Amsterdam, 
where it was then kept, and it weighed 185 lbs. ; it was of 
a grey color, in shape not unlike a tortoise with the head 
and tail cut off, and was bought on condition that, if found 
