FLORA. 167 
their nutritious properties are not considerable, and, such 
as they are, are unfortunately impaired by the presence of 
a bitter principle which is apt to induce diarrhcea, In 
Franklin and Richardson’s terrible overland journey from 
the Coppermine River to Fort Enterprise it was almost 
the sole support, at one time, of the heroic little company. 
Dr Richardson says they gathered four species of Gtyro- 
phora,* and used them all as articles of food; “but not 
having the means of extracting the bitter principle from 
them, they proved nauseous to all, and noxious to several 
of the party, producing severe bowel complaints.” Frank- 
lin on one occasion remarks: “This was the sixth day 
since we had enjoyed a good meal; the tripe de roche, even 
when we got enough, only serving to allay the pangs of 
hunger for a short time.” Again, we read: “The want of 
tripe de roche caused us to go supperless to bed.” 
‘Dr Hayes, in the course of his “Arctic Boat Journey,” 
was compelled to have recourse to the same unsatisfactory 
fare. The rock-lichen, or stone-moss, as he calls it, he 
describes as about an inch in diameter at its maximum 
growth, and of the thickness of a wafer. It is black exter- 
nally, but when broken the interior appears white. When 
boiled it makes a glutinous fluid, which is slightly nutri- 
tious. 
‘« Although in some places it grows very abundantly,” 
writes Dr Hayes, “ yet in one locality it, like the game, 
was scarce. Most of the rocks had none upon them; and 
there were few from which we could collect as much as a 
quart, The difficulty of gathering it was much augmented 
by its crispness, and the firmness of its attachment. 
‘«For this plant, poor though it was, we were compelled 
to dig. The rocks in every case were to be cleared from 
snow, and often our pains went unrewarded, The first 
time this food was tried it seemed to answer well,—it at 
least filled the stomach, and thus kept off the horrid sen- 
* So called from its circular form, and because the surface of the leaf is marked with 
curved Ines. 
