MEDELPAD. 47 



trees. The neighbouring people informed 

 me that a criminal had concealed himself 

 for two years in this cavern, its situation 

 being so retired, and the approach from 

 the road so well fortified by stones piled 

 on stones, that he remained entirely un- 

 discovered. 



On the roof and sides of this cave, near 

 the entrance, the stones were clothed with 

 a fungous substance, like a sponge in tex- 

 ture, without any regular form ; or rather 

 like the internal medullary part of the 

 Agaric of the Birch, when dressed for mak- 

 ing tinder. It appeared to me quite di- 

 stinct from all plants hitherto described. 

 (This is the Byssus crypt arum ; Linn. Fl. 

 Lapp. n. 527 i and FL Siiec. n. 1181. Suc- 

 ceeding travellers have gathered it hde.) 



Every where near the road lay spar full of 

 talc, or Muscovy glass, glittering in the sun. 



Now we take leave of Medelpad and its 

 sandy roads, as well as its Yellow Aconite 

 {Aconitum lycoctonurn), both which it af- 

 fords in common with Helsingland. 



