Frog Applause by Teresa Burritt for December 07, 2016

Ambergris is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull gray or blackish color, produced in the digestive system of sperm whales.

Freshly-produced ambergris has a marine, fecal odor. However, as it ages, it acquires a sweet, earthy scent, commonly likened to the fragrance of rubbing alcohol, without the vaporous chemical astringency.] Although ambergris used to be very highly valued by perfumers as a fixative (allowing the scent to last much longer), it has now largely been replaced by synthetic ambroxan.

I cheated, y’all. I had to look up ambergris. Then I merely copied and pasted. That makes me an expert on ambergris in Froglandia.

Thou doth smelleth like the nosegays in the plague camps.

So then it is not only ill fortune to have a female aboard a ship, but also to have a male who trends toward cleanliness and wearing scents, as might a female?

But then, Luck is fickle, so who can be certain?

It may be a whale before he will be able to pull together another crew.

Well ahead of his time. … It’s curious, isn’t it? When did certain cultures of our race turn so decidedly away from the scent of their fellows?

Better a well-bathed captain that smells like The Body Shop than the standard issue who smells like the Augean Stables.

…lavender is good.

Such upsetting tweets!

They booked a cruise to the Bahamas instead.

Sailor’s are fickle.

Tain’t fitt’n’ for a man aboard ship t’smell likewise t’any other thing than a man’s good honest sweat and toil.

A vote we took… and the nose have it.

Aaannnnd a partridge on a lavender man.

Aye, and good riddance!

Faith, they were a right scurvy lot!

I have never smelled ambergris so I have no idea of its smell.