The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-18
. BIG FIND OF AMBERGR1s.

sun FranCieco Call.
The weird yarns told by whalemen of the
tropics as to the origin of amber rank high
among the startling traditions of the forecastle.
The belief is held that amber is a petrifaction of
some internal part of q whale, and many stories
are told OF encountering immense sea monsters
almost entirely transformed into amber. The
cold blooded lying of the able seaman is, of
course, unparalleled in all history, but his soul
stirring accounts of exploits with amber whales
probably have a little foundation in fact, which is
enlarged and illuminated by the sailors greatim-
aglnation. A substance called ambergis, which has
been known for about d century, is found at
rare intervals floating on the sea in the hottest
attitudes and also in the lntestines of the
spermaceti whale. Its history has never been
properly explained. Various theories have
been advanced. but all specialists have coutented
themselves with quoting some predecessors
words concerning its origin and composition,
and to-day it affords an ample field for the sci
entifc enthusiast, as it is an extremely valuable
commodity, and if the latest appliances were
brought TO bear upon the subject all unsettled
questions undoubtedly could be answered. 1t
was at first supposed to be of vegetable produc-
ton for the most part, and analogous
to amber; hence it names. ambergris.
or gray amber. 1t is dark gray in color
and is formed of concentric layers. 1t feels like
hard rubber. The sailors found it in the whales
intestines, near the stomach, and developed the
theory that it was a putrefaction, and that, as a
natural course of events, the whole whale might
turn into the substance. In a short time sailors
{ L. liS wiz ilQl dBlDGE W iftiCS
During the spring of last year the Sea Ranger,
a whaling ship owned by F. H. Bartlett & Sons,
OF Massachusetts,, which had sailed from New
Bedford in June, 1879, for a four years whaling
voyage in the South Atlantic, took a sperm
whale while cruising to the South Of st. Helena.
After the usual operation of hooking, hosting
and cutting off the blubber and bailing out the
case" the most interesting part of the
work was begun. At this point all on board
eagerly watched while the long spade is pushed
into the intestines in order to ascertain if there
is any ambergris in the stripped leviathan. In the
present instance the men were rewarded by find
ing the finest specimen of ambergriS that has
been captured during the last ten years. 1t was
about the size and shape of a watermelon,
weighed seventy pounds, and was worth $4,000.
The price of ambergris has been as high as
1920 per pound. The piece found by the Sea
Ranger was regular in shape, and of the best
quality-compact and solid. 1t was a very
pleasant task for the captain to put the
little $lS,O 600 lump under his arm, and take it
ashore and forward it by freight ship to the
owners of his vessel, into whose hands it came
the 2lst of last May, and was sold the same day
to Messrs. Weeks & Potter of Boston, who had
received news by cable Of the great find
Whenever a large piece Of the substance is found
the more prominent chemists and druggists of
the word are promptly notifed-such dealers as
Lubin q Pinaud of Paris. the Atkinsons of Lon
don, Lanman & Kemp, and Schifelin & Co. of
New York-and there is spirited competition for
the control of the market. The supply is ex-
tremely small. There are about IT'S whaling
ships in the world; all are constantly looking tor
the precious substance, and the entire amount
taken by all these ships Including the 140 Amer
lean whalers, the twenty-five ships that go to
Bafins bay from Dundee, and the few stragglers
from Norway and Sweeden) is not more than
from fifty to seventy-fve pounds per year. This
amount is exclusive of whatever some firms may
be lucky enough to to secure secretly.
1t was used for many years in medicine, and
is now prescribed in some parts of France, but
its great and important present use is in the
manufacture of perfumes. 1t consists chiefly
of = peculiar fatty matter, similar to choles-
term, and is readily dissolved i'll alcohol, ether,
or the volatile or fixed oils. The most widely
accepted supposition is that it is a hardened
piece of hillary matter formed in the stomach
of a sick whale, and perhaps in some other fishes
also, for the sperm whale Is known to feed upon
cuttle-fish, whose tough, indestructible beaks
are to be found in the ambergris. a fact argu-
indigestion, and might occur in the
stomach of other extremely voracious
fishes that are known to devour at
certain periods anything they meet. They are
sick during the presence of their Jonah-hke Wis
TORS and get we'll again after the visitors have
taken their departure. The Bartletts have been
in the whaling business for forty years, and the
specimen here described is the first piece of am
bergris ever found by them, which will illustrate
the scarcity of the article. Not only has the or
igin of ambergris been eushrouded in mystery,
but there has been a widespread disposition to
count the discovery of a piece as a sign of good
luck ASIDE from It's commercial value Inc lucky
star of the crew and ship was then in the ascend
ant. A romantic interest was maintained. and
this may have led to the stories of
missing the capture of fabulously valuable
amber whales by a hairs breath. During
the last ten years there have only been
a few large piecesfound. A little schooner from
Martha's Vineyard got a good-sized piece three
years ago. and a New Bedford whaler found a
piece weighing $50 pounds, in 1882, but it was of
poor quality. Many authorizations are attempt
ed. The spurious stuff, however, can readily
be distinguished from the genuine by standard
tests
There are legends without number of certain
persons on board predicting that ambergris
would be found within a certain time. One that
is accredited is tire case of the wife of the cap
tain insisting that a whale which had just been
caught should be searched for ambergris.
although the stormy weather made it almost
absolutely necessary to drop the carcass imme-
diately after the blubber had been removed.
The woman felt it in her bones" that they
would find ambergris, and so they did-a fine
little ball weighing $50 pounds, which netted
the ship an even $37, 600.
Ambergris is now found floating in the water
near Sumatra, Malaeca and Madagascar, also
along the American coast and Brazil, China and
Japan, and along the west coast of Ireland.
Experiments are now being carried on in France
with a view Of definitely determining its COM
position, and it is limited that they may result
in the invention of q compound that will, to a
certain extent. take thu place of ambergris in the
manufacture of perfumery.
In making perfunery there are two general
classes; the animal odors. such as those from the
musk and civet. and the vegetable odors, such as
those from the rose and the cassia. In the case
of the animal odors they can be dissolved
In alcohol Will the aid of heat, and the
odor is taken up by tho alcohol. With the veget-
able. as for example the rose, alternate layers of
lard and roses are pressed and allowed to stand,
when the lard will take into itself the entire per
fume of the roses, and a~fterward the perfume
can be transferred to the alcohol from the lard.
When the alcohol is thus saturated with the
odor, more alcohol is added until the mixture
is of the required strength. Then the amber
girls is used. If the perfumed alcohol were used
as a scent for the handkerchief the spirits
would evaporate and the order would not
remain. But the ambergris is added and acts as a