[PW] Re: Whaling question

[Genevieve Foskett]

Try ambergris. Apparently the practice you mentioned is describe in Moby
Dick. Info about ambergris can be found at
http://www.ambergris.co.nz/index.htm or any encyclopedia. Here's a
description from Encyclopedia Britannica online:

"a solid waxy substance originating in the intestine of the sperm whale
(Physeter catodon). In Eastern cultures ambergris is used for medicines
and potions and as a spice; in the West it was used to stabilize the
scent of fine perfumes. Ambergris floats and washes ashore most
frequently on the coasts of China, Japan, Africa, and the Americas and
on tropical islands such as the Bahamas. Because it was picked up as
drift along the shores of the North Sea, ambergris was likened to the
amber of the same region, and its name is derived from the French words
for "gray amber." Fresh ambergris is black and soft and has a
disagreeable odour. When exposed to sun, air, and seawater, however, it
hardens and fades to a light gray or yellow, developing a subtle and
pleasant fragrance in the process."

No mention in the Britannica article of the extraction process, however.

Genevieve Foskett
Corporate Librarian
Highsmith Inc.
W5527 State Road 106
P.O. Box 800
Ft. Atkinson, WI 53538-0800
TEL (920) 563-9571 x454    FAX (920) 563-7395
EMAIL gfoskett at highsmith.com <mailto:gfoskett at highsmith.com>