Instructive, Descriptive, And Reverent Towards The Anatomy And Value Of The Sperm Whale.

This chapter describes the structure of the sperm whale's head and the process of extracting spermaceti from the 'case', a part of the whale's head that contains this valuable substance.

The chapter delves into the intricate anatomy of the sperm whale's head, focusing on the 'case' and 'junk'. The case is likened to the Great Heidelburgh Tun, a large wine cask, and is described as a reservoir of spermaceti, a precious oily liquid. The process of extracting spermaceti is likened to tapping the tun: it must be done carefully to avoid wasting the precious fluid. The author compares the tun's rich inner lining to a luxurious material and provides details on the sheer scale of the whale's head and the amount of spermaceti it can hold.