FIND OF AMBERGRIS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 193, 4 January 1913, Page 4

FIND OF AMBERGRIS.

£OO,OOO WORTH IX A WHALE. A ROMANTIC AFFAIR. Bluff, December 30. A world's record was created by Captain Larseu in the steam whaler Norwegia on Sunday, when in a single sperm whale was discovered £OO.OOO worth of ambergris. The mass weighed OOOlb, or almost half a ton. The news of this tremendous find will no doubt be received with the proverbial grain of salt, but a Star reporter has made every effort at verification, and can unhesitatingly state that the intelligence is correct and unimpeachable. Ambergris is such a rare substance and has been' found in such small quantities 'that this record cannot but raise the highest excitijmcnt in whaling circles all the world over. Needless to say, Bluff has waxeit very enthusiastic, and residents feel proud indeed that yet another record has been established in these waters. The ambergris has been submitted to a' fully-qualified analytical chemist, who has certified tlfat the mass is no less than 80 per cent. pure ambergris, a re«ord weight, and remarkably pure. The circumstances attending this extraordinary discovery are most unusual. It appears that Captain Larsen's fleet, consisting of the Polynesia (factory] steamer^ of 800 tons dead weight), Zealandia and Nor wegia, like the other, whaling fleets, have not been too successful in New Zealand waters, having been misled by glowing reports sent to Norway without sufficient foundation in fact. Captain Larson is very largely! 'interested in the company, and he and his relatives and friends supplied in capital no less than 700,000 crowns, and he came out with the fleet as managing director. The number of whales caught has been comparatively few, and Captain Larsen cabled to Norway suggesting that the company allow 'him to try the banks in the vicinity of the ice barrier, whencel had come good reports of the numfcen of whales existing in the waters thereabouts. A special meeting was held, but it was decided on the casting vote of one small shareholder to sell a charter on the Polynesia and order the expedition home. This decision came as a shock to Captain Larsen, the largest' shareholder, and he felt that the company were losing a golden opportunity, of testing an untried field, of which much that was promising was heard. He cabled again, urging that as they were practically on the spot he should be given permission to test the ice-barrier region. Meantime he decided to have a flutter in the Solander region, to see what luck would attend his efforts there. His headquarters were establish-' ed at Cuttle Cove, and the Norwegia and Ifealaadia set about their task. Two black whales rewarded them, and on Sunday a school of three sperm whales was sighted. The Norwegia made chase, and it was observed that one whale (the biggest) was laboring and moving slowly compared with the others. Captain Larsen, not unmindful of the fact that sick whales and ambergris are regarded as synonymous, issued orders to concentrate all attention on the mammoth. It was gradually overtaken, and it was seen to be of enormous size, particularly about the head, which was seemingly very swollen. It put up s, fair fight, but was easily harpooned. Its appearance from a distance did not belie the fact, and when the Norwegia drew alongside the shivering carcase its swollen appearance was freely commented upon. One eye was completely covered with the swollen 'mass, and there were abnormal lumps about the shoulders and the head, which showed conclusively that "the whale was badly diseased and very old. Oaptain Larsen off wit'h his coat and jumped overboard on to the carcase. Ho slashed away, covered with blood and grease from head to foot, and critically examined the substance which resisted the slasher, which he vigorously applied. He saw at once that it was not ibone, and the fact gradually dawned upon him that the Mecca of his whaling career had been reached, and that he had made a stupendous find of real ambergris. Not satisfied until he had the whole of the .mas« on board—it consisted of one huge lump and a comparatively small one beside it—he worked away with the enthusiasm of a lad and with the whaling equivalent of the famiilar gold fever. Hoisted wit'h a block and tackle, the mass was securely placed on board, and whea weighed was found to tip the beam at 9001b, or nearly half a ton. Ambergris, 80 per cent, line, will realise on an average £4 an ounce, inferior qualities ranging down to 7s Gd per ounce, while the very best will bring £5 per ounce, and has been known to bring up to £8 per ounce. In round figures, 9001b is 15,0000z., and at £4 per ounce it means a market value of £OO,OOO.

Inquiries by the Star's representative eliieted the information that the largest quantity of ambergris taken from a whale's carcase in these waters before was a lump of 3Qooz. from a whale captured by Captain Anglem in the barque Othello about 1880. It realised £IOOO. A dry lump picked up by Mr. H. Roderique at Ruapuke Island about a couple of months ago weighed 51 oz, and is expected to bring fro-ni £250 to £3OO. So it will be seen that Captain La>rsen'3 good fortune is indeed a veritable re-cord-breaker.