CHAPTER92Ambergris

nowthisambergrisisaverycurioussubstance,andsoimportantasanarticleofcommerce,thatin1791acertainnantucket-borncaptaincoffinwasexaminedatthebaroftheenglishhouseofcommonsonthatsubject.foratthattime,andindeeduntilacomparativelylateday,thepreciseoriginofambergrisremained,likeamberitself,aproblemtothelearned.thoughthewordambergrisisbutthefrenchcompoundforgreyamber,yetthetwosubstancesarequitedistinct.foramber,thoughattimesfoundonthesea-coast,isalsodugupinsomefarinlandsoils,whereasambergrisisneverfoundexceptuponthesea.besides,amberisahard,transparent,brittle,odorlesssubstance,usedformouth-piecestopipes,forbeadsandornaments;butambergrisissoft,waxy,andsohighlyfragrantandspicy,thatitislargelyusedinperfumery,inpastiles,preciouscandles,hairpowders,andpomatum.theturksuseitincooking,andalsocarryittoa,forthesamepurposethatfrankincenseiscarriedtost.peter'sinrome.somewinemerchantsdropafewgrainsintoclaret,toflavorit.

whowouldthink,then,thatsuchfineladiesandgentlemenshouldregalethemselveswithanessencefoundintheingloriousbowelsofasickwhale!yetsoitis.bysome,ambergrisissupposedtobethecause,andbyotherstheeffect,ofthedyspepsiainthewhale.howtocuresuchadyspepsiaitwerehardtosay,unlessbyadministeringthreeorfourboatloadsofbrandreth'spills,andthenrunningoutofharm'sway,aslaborersdoinblastingrocks.

ihaveforgottentosaythattherewerefoundinthisambergris,certainhard,round,bonyplates,whichatfirststubbthoughtmightbesailors'trowsersbuttons;butitafterwardsturnedoutthattheywerenothingmorethanpiecesofsmallsquidbonesembalmedinthatmanner.

nowthattheincorruptionofthismostfragrantambergrisshouldbefoundintheheartofsuchdecay;isthisnothing?bethinktheeofthatsayingofst.paulincorinthians,aboutcorruptionandincorruption;howthatwearesownindishonor,butraisedinglory.andlikewisecalltomindthatsayingofparacelsusaboutwhatitisthatmakeththebestmusk.alsoforgetnotthestrangefactthatofallthingsofill-savor,colognewater,initsrudimentalmanufacturingstages,istheworst.

ishouldliketoconcludethechapterwiththeaboveappeal,butcannot,owingtomyanxietytorepelachargeoftenmadeagainstwhalemen,andwhich,intheestimationofsomealreadybiasedminds,mightbeconsideredasindirectlysubstantiatedbywhathasbeensaidofthefrenchman'stwowhales.elsewhereinthisvolumetheslanderousaspersionhasbeendisproved,thatthevocationofwhalingisthroughoutaslatternly,untidybusiness.butthereisanotherthingtorebut.theyhintthatallwhalesalwayssmellbad.nowhowdidthisodiousstigmaoriginate?

iopine,thatitisplainlytraceabletothefirstarrivalofthegreenlandwhalingshipsinlondon,morethantwocenturiesago.becausethosewhalemendidnotthen,anddonotnow,tryouttheiroilatseaasthesouthernshipshavealwaysdone;butcuttingupthefreshblubberinsmallbits,thrustitthroughthebungholesoflargecasks,andcarryithomeinthatmanner;theshortnessoftheseasoninthoseicyseas,andthesuddenandviolentstormstowhichtheyareexposed,forbiddinganyothercourse.theconsequenceis,thatuponbreakingintothehold,andunloadingoneofthesewhalecemeteries,inthegreenlanddock,asavorisgivenforthsomewhatsimilartothatarisingfromexcavatinganoldcitygrave-yard,forthefoundationsofalying-inhospital.

ipartlysurmisealso,thatthiswickedchargeagainstwhalersmaybelikewiseimputedtotheexistenceonthecoastofgreenland,informertimes,ofadutchvillagecalledschmerenburghorsmeerenberg,whichlatternameistheoneusedbythelearnedfogovonslack,inhisgreatworkonsmells,atext-bookonthatsubject.asitsnameimports(smeer,fat;berg,toputup),thisvillagewasfoundedinordertoaffordaplacefortheblubberofthedutchwhalefleettobetriedout,withoutbeingtakenhometohollandforthatpurpose.itwasacollectionoffurnaces,fatkettles,andoilsheds;andwhentheworkswereinfulloperationcertainlygaveforthnoverypleasantsavor.butallthisisquitedifferentwithasouthseaspermwhaler;whichinavoyageoffouryearsperhaps,aftercompletelyfillingherholdwithoil,doesnot,perhaps,consumefiftydaysinthebusinessofboilingout;andinthestatethatitiscasked,theoilisnearlyscentless.thetruthis,thatlivingordead,ifbutdecentlytreated,whalesasaspeciesarebynomeanscreaturesofillodor;norcanwhalemenberecognised,asthepeopleofthemiddleagesaffectedtodetectajewinthecompany,bythenose.norindeedcanthewhalepossiblybeotherwisethanfragrant,when,asageneralthing,heenjoyssuchhighhealth;takingabundanceofexercise;alwaysoutofdoors;though,itistrue,seldomintheopenair.isay,thatthemotionofaspermwhale'sflukesabovewaterdispensesaperfume,aswhenamusk-scentedladyrustlesherdressinawarmparlor.whatthenshallilikenthespermwhaletoforfragrance,consideringhismagnitude?mustitnotbetothatfamouselephant,withjewelledtusks,andredolentwithmyrrh,whichwasledoutofanindiantowntodohonortoalexanderthegreat?