TRAVELS IN ICELAND. 



51 



most common preparation of this moss, is to make it into gruel, 

 after steeping it in cold water for a day; because this process 

 extracts from it a very disagreeable kind of bitter. On taking 

 it from the water, and leaving it to drain, it is boiled in skim- 

 med-milk to the consistence of a jelly, which is eaten either 

 quite hot with, butter, or cold with curdled milk. Sometimes 

 after steeping it, they chop it up, and at others leave it to dry 

 before the fire, or in the rays of the sun; after which they 

 reduce it to powder with a kind of mallet, and then boil it in 

 milk, by which they obtain a very agreeable dish, very nourishing, 

 and easy of digestion. 



The salutary properties of this moss are known. Borrichius, 

 who calls it Muscus catharticus, is mistaken in attributing to it 

 a purgative quality, for experience has proved the contrary, and 

 the utmost it can be said to do in this respect, is to keep the 

 body gently open. Linnaeus expresses a doubt, whether this 

 lichen afTords a good nutriment to the Laplanders, who use it 

 daily ; we can assert, that we have constantly seen it eaten by 

 the inhabitants of this country, have eaten it ourselves, and 

 have not discovered that it possessed the least cathartic property. 

 This lichen is, however, the most salutary food that can be 

 given to persons attacked with consumption and other diseases of 

 the breast : it is easy of digestion, and consequently very good 

 for weak stomachs which cannot support heavy aliment. In 

 the southern part of the island, we saw a woman attacked with 

 a violent diarrhoea, which could not be cured, till she had recourse 

 to this moss. We shall only add, that it is a very good nu- 

 triment for those who attend to hard labour. It is used by 

 the inhabitants for imparting a yellow dye to woollen cloths, 



OF PLANTS AND SHRUBS. 



The principal plants and shrubs in this district, are Lichenoides 

 Mrungii folia refer ens, §e. coralloides ; Lichen Niveus-, Lichen 

 leprosus ; Cochlearia ; Rhodiola ; Geranium sy Iv at i cum; Vac- 

 cinium baccis farinaceis rubris ; Spircea ulmaria ; Saxifraga 

 autumnalis ; Plant ago latifolia ( qfficinarum) ; Monophyl- 

 lum; Muscus cunarum; Cotiladon palustre; Papaper Alpi- 

 mm i Epilobium august if olium; Orchis, Jiore albo; Glaux 

 maritima; Betula erecta; Betula procumbens; Betula nana; 

 Sorbus aucuparia; Sorbus pumila; Arbutus (uva ursi); 

 Vaccinium (uliginosum); Vaccinium mi/rtillus; Empetrum 

 nigrum Bauhini ; Salix Alpina glauca :; Salix arbuscula ; 

 Salix incubacea ; Salix reperis; Salix Pyrola facie; Lyco~ 

 podium (Selago } Fl. Sv. 857 ); Lycopodium selaginoides; 

 Lycopodium digitatum; Sphagnum ramis re/lexis; Muscus 

 ursinus, 



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