Cut page from a book with an engraving depicting a "Licorne de Mer" (Sea unicorn) and a narwal, side views, at top. Below is text in French. The Licorne de Mer has a fish's body with a horse's head, and a horn protruding from its forehead; the narwhal does not have scales, and is spouting thrice. The text below translates to: "The Narwhal, thus called by the Icelanders, and by others [called] Rhoar, and by us Sea-unicorn, is a large fish that some consider to be a species of Whale, which is found in abundance in the Arctic Sea, or North [Sea], principally along the coasts of Iceland and Greenland. This sea monster bears a white horn on the end of its snout, heavy and glistening, and of a spiral form, much like that of St. Denis in France: there are different sizes and weights, which one can see in Cabinets of Curiosities, like that of Monsieur Morin, doctor of the home [?] of Mme. de Guisse, which I have seen and handled, and which is represented above. M. Charas told me that he had had one which was taller and thicker than that of the Treasure of St. Denis. It is the pieces of the horn that we sell in Paris, like they are sold elsewhere, as the true horn of the Unicorn, to which certain people attribute remarkable properties, which I do not want to either endorse or contradict, because I have not experimented with it, nor have I found an occasion to have sufficient proofs of them [the properties]."
The page is cut off at this point. There is further text on the verso; an English translation beginning with the first complete sentence is as follows:
"In addition to this important use, this glue is appropriate for numerous projects involving silk, wherein it serves to give a shine to ribbons, and to other items made in silk. One uses it to whiten gauzes as well, and it is one of the principal drugs [chemicals] of the mixture which is used to counterfeit fine Oriental pearls. The name of Glue was given to it, because we have hardly any drugs [chemicals] which can better glue Porcelain and Fayance [Fayence pottery?], than the Fish Glue soaked in distilled alcohol, or the spirit of wine. Some people also use it soaked in common water, for bathing themselves and beautifying the face and hands.
We take from England, from Holland, and [from] other places, a Fish Glue pleated in little booklets, which has very little use in France, because it is very difficult to dissolve, and because it is hardly ever white: some people have assured me that it was made of the remains of that which is made into little strings; and others claim it is made of the mucilaginous parts of a fish that some authors call Silure, and we call Sturgeon, which is quite a rare fish in France: it can sometimes be found in our rivers, but because of this use [eg, as Fish Glue], and the rarity of this fish, and that it is very large, and tastes very good, those who find it sell it for up to 300 or 400 livres." [in the neighborhood of USD $2000 today]
