product of a diseased condition of the
creature; others consider that it is merely the excreta, which, normally
fluid, has by some means become concreted. It is nearly always found
with cuttle-fish beaks imbedded in its substance, showing that these
indigestible portions of the sperm whale's food have in some manner
become mixed with it during its formation in the bowel. Chemists have
analyzed it with scanty results. Its great value is due to its property
of intensifying the power of perfumes, although, strange to say, it
has little or no odour of its own, a faint trace of musk being perhaps
detectable in some cases. The Turks are said to use it for a truly
Turkish purpose, which need not be explained here, while the Moors are
credited with a taste for it in their cookery. About both these latter
statements there is considerable doubt; I only give them for what they
are worth, without, committing myself to any definite belief in them.

The ship now neared us fast, and as soon as she rounded-to, we left
the whale and pulled towards her, paying out line as we went. Arriving
alongside, the line was handed on board, and in a short time the prize
was hauled to the gangway. We met with a very different reception this
time. The skipper's grim face actually looked almost pleasant as he
contemplated the colossal proportions of the latest addition to our
stock. He was indeed a fine catch, being at least seventy feet long,
and in splendid condition. As soon as he was secured alongside in the
orthodox fashion, all hands were sent to dinner, with an intimation to
look sharp over it. Judging from our slight previous experience, there
was some heavy labour before us, for this whale was nearly four times as
large as the one caught off the Cape Verds. And it was so. Verily those
officers toiled like Titans to get that tremendous head off even the
skipper taking a hand. In spite of their efforts, it was dark before the
heavy job was done. As we were in no danger of bad weather, the head
was dropped astern by a hawser until morning, when it would be safer
to dissect it. All that night we worked incessantly, ready to drop with
fatigue, but not daring to suggest, the possibility of such a thing.
Several of the officers and harpooners were allowed a few hours off,
as their special duty of dealing with the head at daylight would be so
arduous as to need all their energies. When day dawned we were allowed a
short rest, while the work of cutting