[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [State papers](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin) › [Āʾīn-i Akbarī](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari) › [The Ain i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett) › 65.1.1 # The Institutes of Akbar 65.1.1 The Áín i Akbari (Blochmann, Jarrett) 65.1.1 - **Language:** English ### [65.1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.1.1) 1. ’Ambar. Some say that ’Ambar grows at the bottom of the sea, and that it is the food brought up again after eating, by various animals living in the sea. Others say that fishes eat it and die from it, and that it is taken from their intestines. According to some, it is the dung of the sea-cow, called sárá; or the foam of the sea. Others again say, it trickles from the mountains of islands. Many look upon it as marine gum; others whose opinion I adopt, take it to be wax. It is said that on some mountains a great deal of honey is to be found, so much in fact that it runs into the sea; the wax rises to the surface, when the heat of the sun reduces it to a solid state. As the bees collect the honey from sweet smelling flowers, ’Ambar is, naturally, scented. Bees are also occasionally found in it. Abū Sīnā thinks that there is a fountain at the bottom of the sea, from which ’Ambar rills, when it is carried by waves to the shore. ’Ambar, when fresh, is moist; the heat of the sun causes it to dry up. It is of various colours: the white one is the best, and the black is the worst; the middling-sort is pistachio-coloured and yellow. The best kind goes by the name of ashhab. It feels greasy, and consists of layers. If you break it, it looks yellowish white. The whiter, lighter, and more flexible it is, the better. Next in quality is the pistachio-coloured ’Ambar; and inferior to it the yellow kind, called Khashkhāshī. The black kind is bad; it is inflammable. - [Previous: 64](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.64) - [Next: 65.1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.1.2) - [Up: 65.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.1) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.admin.ain-i-akbari~en-blochmann-jarrett.65.1.1) · Pramāṇa