New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-22
AMBERGRIS. "SOLIDIFIED FOAM OF THE SEA-"
IN REALITY 4 SECRETION OF SPERM WHALE-SO.
HUGE Jumps HAZE BEEN FOUND

4 sticky appearances and sometimes greatly sr,.
ciated
The most vaIuaois Let OF am5ers-is sscursd -
recent years IS supposed % have been a mas.
weighing 1852 pounds Il ounces. obtained IN 1af
known as the Bank lot, which sold in London a.
about $4,000 The brokers who sold Il tod ~.
story Of the lump and IT'S sale as follows:
About the end OF, August. 1891. a gentleman carss
70 consult US as 70 The best means Of disposins
Of some ambergris which had oeen consigned 70
his firm. We suggested that Il j. were .lolssr
to US We could examine y s 9na 20. % .-o~ 's
which contained II weIs ned
and too large to GO inside CAP our Hrst feb
being ambersris at all 1t was finally decided Jas-
the case should remain in the strong room OK "a
bank IN which Il had been deposited for SAFE Gus
tody, and that we should 90 there % inspect T.
about feet inches in each direction. and EacS5
We were told had with rs contents been insured
In the presence Of the merchant who had con-
suited and the bank officials the I'D OF the cas-
beat hasty retreat from is vicinity, ,or tas
horrible smell which issued from me oox was
It's intensity began to take out the packing and
cna huge mass az blackish substance. rsasur--
s feet inches IN circumference, nearly spherical
anu - ' + - tI 80 - v-ss F615 "a be ss-,r-s.s
with moisture, as were the packiEgs OF paper and
old gunny which had been put around il 70 Drsvss.
II the liberation OF tne gases generated oy tbs
salt water and the animal matter which had caused
the stencil alluded TO- BY proper treatment this
smell was eventually completely got rid Of, ard
The mass was next weighed. and the csrtiacsis
signed By the nteIsstsd parties tas exact weigh:
ounces. This IS probably me largest piece Or an
ing. and approaches nearly in Wslgnt % the lump
OF Isl pounds. purchased oy the Dutch East india
The next thing 70 do was 70 split The lump, 50 az
70 see what the interior was Ike lnlS was ac-
bars. We then saw that the substance CONSISTED
OF layers, lsninse. rolled around central core
and flavor Speaking generally. the outer layers
were thin, frtable and shelly; dark. almost black
the beaks OF the cutie hsh. on which the whaIs
feeds As the layers approached the centre taey
favor until the core Itself was reached This eors
really consisted Of two pieces, one ne saaps %
ION ~ 70 n inches bigh wfth diameter OF about
six inches at the bottom tapering upward % about
~ 2ss desaabsd from he surrounGiag layers win
lump OF the finest gray annbergrls. weighing 81.
ounces Beside this magnificent piece was smaller
one almost spherical IN shape and about the sizs
OF a very large orange It was rather darker %
as easily detached from the surrounding layers as
the other. Neither OF these pieces contained any
LAYERS and II IS almost needless TO say that they
realized by far the highest price Whler was 3 o.
nearest the core were Of much finer Hayqr iran nan
inches in thickness and the am oSIsflS . N--'n =
consisted OF silvery gray color, Cli.ereL l-om
he V-niriSn or the core. a--I NdS c- tlht.
sDecidc gravity The layer outside this again vas
sriated in places with the darker exterior and 10
beaIxs began TO show. though not 10 the sans e.
TENT as in the black shelly exterior layers 80
II IS a matter OF some regret 70 US that We ~
mot secure q photograph OF this exrr10rt,ii&l
IImp but the fact weighed heavily upon Us "a
IL the real truth about II leaked out tie deisssl
az the market would % great that We sioll-
not be able to do justice to our clients anu conse
quently. few people as possible were 7v NO ~. s
secret 1t IS true that reports aoCUt PC We ~
for month or two but. as uothlr7 au-l.sltlc ~
be ascertained, they gradually DIED ol~ 80 - ~
have ourselves been repeatedly assured ulaL -
thing was myth altogether. o.le GEM --, , s go
so Tar as TO tel one OF our partners. a9ol- M
months afterward. that he held JlIee--O L--S =.
the total quantity OF ambergrls III LONDON no5
IT1ovvine that we We're controlling ABOUT one al
one-haIf hundTedweishL
According TO Mr.. Stevenson. probably tAs nn-s'
lot Of anibergrs received in America was tSEsl q.
1894 by the schooner Adea Chase from d S1-oalis
whale near Cape de Verde Islands Il Welsnei
10s as pounds. and sold for s26e0o the ess' paris
fetching $3.50 a pound. No large finds have ossn :
ported since 1894 In 1899 fifty pounds o. poor q-@
tty was secured by the bark CAar-es W --0- -
off the coast OF Japan. In 1900 the MoF'-ns ga
secured seven pounds. and in 1901 the same S-'
brought IN twenty pounds OF medium Sua4-1y'