The sun., 1882-01-08
and Cornwall. In connection with this voyage


copied from pieces that were struck in the lfe-
time OF Pytheas.
A!tor setting forth some OF tho legends cur
rent among tho Greeks. and which more or less
obscurci the facts recited by Pytheas. Mr.. Elton
proceeds to quote from tho accounts OF later
Greek travellers. who stil belong. however. TO q
perioi earlier than tho Roman invasion OF
Britain. or these explorers who followed on
the track OF Pytheas. the most important is
Posi,lonius. who heard from the lips OF Marius
the story OF the massacre OF the Chnbri and the
Teutonos. and whose descriptions, first pub
lished Ia his lecture room at Rhodes. yet rank
among tho best authorities for the customs OF
the peoples whom he visited. His volumes re-
hating To the Colts and Germans are lost. but
tho surviving fragments and extracts furnish
most OF tho materials for the chapter
in which Mr.. Elton collects what is known
OF tho Celts in the south ct Britain about
q hundred years before Christ. We should. it
seems. assign tho population to no less than
three separate stocks. and II IL not Improbable
that the most primitive Of theso may lac resolved
into several elements. Thus the civilized Gauls
had settled on the eastern coasts uf Britain be-
fore the Roman invasjons began. and woro to
spread across the island before tho Roman con-
quest was complete. Tho Cens Of the older mi
grafton were established to the north and west
from the tltNc OF tnH tinGlisN SpttrNeNtS as tur
as the Irish Sea. But here aud there We find.
also. traces of still older peoples. who are best
known as the tomb builders and tho nstructors
OF the prehistoric monuments. As the Gaul,sh
occupation OF the southeastern district. it il an
historical fact that fitty years moro before
Caesar landed IN tho island. the King OF Soissons
had extended his rule over the southern por-
tions OF Britain. But although this trlusitory
conquest may have considerably increased tho
intercourse between the island and tho Conti-
nent Mr.. Elton thinks tns origin OF that inter-
course must be reforrci 70 an older date Thcre
was In Cnsars time striking similarity be-
tween the language and manners OF tbe Gauis
on both sides OF the Straits. the men Of Kent in
particular being nearly as much civilized as
their kinsmnn across the water hut there were
also such slight differences as would naturally
arise in colonies long separated from their
parent States. The four Kingdoms OF the
"Cantii" stretched ncross east Kent and east
Surrey between the Thames and the Channel:
but We are reminded that a large part
OF this extensive region WAS then united
for the habitation OF man. There were
great marshes open to the flowing OF the tide.
and several hundreds OF square miles were COW
cred by the dense forests OF AhderiJa. The
Cantan Kingdoms. with their thickly packed
villages. and their infr.ie number Of inhnbi-
tants." must have lain to the east o. this forest
ssir;ine tho sea upon tho south. and bounded
to the no,th by wit!o district OF .en- ana tidal
morasses. The Trinolautes. another Belgian
tribe. had settled in such parts OF tho
modern Miiilesex and Essex as were not COW
cred by the oak forests or ovcrflowad hy thu sen.
Above item lay tho territory OF another Gauliah
nation. the Iceni or Ecene. who ha.! seiz.d aud
fortified the broad peninsula which fronted on
the North Sea. aud the confluence OF rivers Mt
the Wash. The othar Gaulish settlements OF
Caesars AZ Were included in tho Ca:uvcau-
nlan State. which had besn formed or much cx-
tended by the conQucsts OF Cassiveaunus. and
which revived and spread in tine interval be-
tween the withdrawal OF Cirsar's leGions and
tho conquest Of south Britain under Clauiius.
Though nearly as much civilized as their conti-
mental knsfolk. these Gaulish settlers in Britain
are reported 10 have been simpler in their ways.
perhaps because they had not MS yet gained
wealth By a conquest OF the mineral districts.
They had not even learned to build regular
towns. though their kinsmen in Gaul had
founded cities with walls and streets and mar
ket places. What the Gaelic colonists OF Kent
called n town or dun,.m" was still no more
than refuge In times OF war. u s,ocXade on n
hilltop or in the marshy thickots. When peace
was restored they would return to their open
villages OF high beehive huts. with roofs OF fern
or tha;ch. These wiewams were made OF panks
and waffle work. with 10 external decoration
except trophies OF the chase ana tho
battlefield. A chiefs house would be adorned.
it seems. with the skulls Of his enemies nailed
up against the porch among the skins and
horns OF beasts. As they had but recently
settled in tho island. We may infer that in iea-
,ure and physique the Gau!s OF Kent rescm-
bed their kinsmen on the Continent and thus
differed In several respects from the Brltons
Of tho earlier and prehistoric Celtic migration.
All the Celts. indeed. according to remark |
able consensus OF authorities. were tall. white |
skinned. and light haired. but. as between the |
TWO stocks in question. We learn from Strabo |
that the Gauls were the shorter and tho stouter |
Df limb. and had hair Of laler color. The |
accuracy Of the Old description OF tho |
iauls. so far. at least. as concerns tue |
has been Gscoftained by COM |
pairing the figures that remain upon nonu- !
ments and medals. and by an examina-
ion OF tie skeletons from Gaulish tomts in
France. The women especially were sngularly
all and handsome. and their approximation TO
he men in sizs and strength is the best owl
,ence tha,,hc nation had advanced out OF the !
state OF barbarism. According to Ammianus
who had personal knowledge Of |
he people. the women we're more formidable
opponents than the men: on q quarrel arising
between her husband and n stranger, the Gau.-
sh woman would throw herself into the tsht
Ike q fury, with streaming haic, and woulI
strike out with her huge SNOWY arms. or kick
with tie force OF a ca.apult." With view OF
making themselves look moro terrible In battle
he men had a fashion Of dyin: their hair and
noustaches naturally u pale yellow red. with
he Gaelic soap" Il mixture OF goats fat and
he ashes of beech logs.