The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25

foot 10 collect Information about the tin trade.
He almost certainly went westward. passing
through what In now Wiltshire and South
Hampshire. then a great forest district, to Corn
wall. 1t Is related that there no found tho
country OF tho tin, which was dug out OF tho
ground In mines with shafts and galleries" The
people were very hospitnble, their
with foreign merchants having civilized
them and softoned their manners. The tin
thus mined was carried six days journey TO
an Island called 1otis, whence tho traders
from Gaul conveyed It across the Channel and
finally down the Rhono in bargcs to Massilia.
Besides tin mining, Pytheas found a fairly con.
siderable agriculture. observing an abundance
OF wheat In the fields" though, owing to the
moist nature OF the climate and lack Of regular
sunshine tho shoavcs had to DO thrashod In
great barns" The natives possessed also
cultivated fruits, a great abundance Of soma
domesticatod animals. but a scarcity Of others,
and made n beverage from wheat and honey
tho metheRlin OF some country districts of the
present day. That the state OF agriculture was,
however, very BACKWARD in some districts, prob
ably those occupied by the older inhabitants,
may DO gathered from Posidonius. who visited
Britain in the first century Il. c. and related that
tho people have mean habitations made chiefly
Of rushes or sticks, and their harvest consists
in cutting off the ears OF corn and slowing
them In pits under ground. to be used from day
to day. On the other hand. agriculture was we'll
advanced in the Gaulish settlements of South
and East Britain. THE British Gauls.' says
Elton, appear to have been excellent farmers,
skilled in the production of cereals. as well AS in
stock raising and the management OF the dairy,
Their farms were laid out In large fields. with
out Enclosures or fences. and they had learned
to make a permanent separation OF pasture and
arabic lands, and TO apply the manurcs which
rnr ~ .Al Ig-l - ANl ma
plough was of the wheeled kind. an invention
that had superseded the old ovcrtrcading plough.
held down by the drivers foot" 4 remark
able proof OF the advanced knowledge OF
tho British Gnuls was shown in their
practice of marling. They relied great
ly on marling and clialking tho land.
The same coil. however. was never twice
chalkod. us the effect was visible after with
standing the experience Of fifty years. The
effect of the ordinary mari was OF even longer
duration. the benefit being visible. in some in
stances. for a period of eighty years. Many
varieties of mari were used. the lime mari.
chalk mari, the red, dove colorcd. sandy, and
punicc varieties being all mentioned by Pliny.
They had two varieties of cattle, the small
Welsh breed or Celtic short horn and the
kyloe or ArgyllshirG variety. as we'll as sheep,
pigs, and fowl. IL is worthy Of notice. in
view Of landed customs which are to be
noted In later times. that there is no
indication among tho British Gauls of co0pcra-
tive husbandry. The Gauls were expert not
only in agriculture, but also in textile manu-
features OF n certain kind in cloth and linen.
They wove their stuirs for summer and rough
fclts or d~ruggCts Tor winter wear. which are saio
to have been prepared with vinegar and to have
been so tough rs TO resist the stroke OF q sword.
They had learned the art OF using alternate
colors for their warp and wUof so as to bring
ont II pattern OF stripes and squares and,
obviously, OF dycins the materials. We see,
then. from a survey of the various inhabitants
of Britain in prc.Roman times that they had
reached, liz some parts, "A very fair degree OF in
dustrial development, especially in agriculture,
though, in other districts. they were backward.
Manufactures and mining were in progress. and
the latter had given rise TO what must have
been. for those times, a considerable foreign
commerce, though this was confined to the
southern coast. While, for this prehistoric
period. it is impossible to make any Industrial
generalization we may be certain that its indus
trial conditions left some marks on future ages,
and that any consideration OF post roman civili-
cation and customs, especially in the abiding IN
ituenccs of agriculture. must. necessarily. he i'm
perfect, II it fails to take into account the sur
yirals OF the prc.Roman epoch.