120 Vestiges of the Earliest Inhabitants of Wiltshire, 



mercantile transactions with the Phoenicians. The maritime 

 tribes also soon learned to construct rude vessels, for commercial 

 as well as warlike purposes : ' their trading voyages were at first 

 entirely coasting, but afterwards they ventured to launch out into 

 the open sea, guiding their course by the stars.*^ But of this the 

 tribes who dwelt in the interior of the island knew nothing : they 

 navigated the rivers indeed, first on rafts formed of trees lashed 

 together,^ then in canoes or single trees hollowed out with great 

 labour, and afterwards in lighter boats made of osiers and the 

 flexible branches of trees, interwoven as closely as possible, and 

 covered with skins, like the coracles of Wales.* 



These were the peaceful occupations of the ancient Britons ; but 

 in addition to this, they were all warriors, and much of their time 

 was occupied in hostilities with other tribes, in repelling or in 

 making predatory raids ; and to this end, all the young men ^ (the 

 Druids and bards only excepted) were trained to the use of arms 

 from early youth ; and as their very existence, as well as their 

 liberty, depended on their prowess, it was in all warlike arts and 

 exercises, that they attained the greatest proficiency. At first 



' Henry's History of Great Britain, vol. ii., chap. 6, 



^ As contemporary with these earliest Celtic mariners, it is interesting to 

 compare the directions for steering homewards from Ogygia, given to Ulysses 

 by Calypso. [Homer's Odyssey, book v., 272 — 277. 



' Henry's History of Great Britain, vol. ii., chap. 6. 



* Compare Herodotus account of the round wicker boats covered with skins, 

 in use on the Euphrates, (book i., chap. 194), also the modern vestiges of the 

 same. Ker Porter describes them, as "of close willow work, well coated with 

 the bituminous substance of the country. [Travels, vol. ii., p. 260.] Mr. 

 Layard adds that they are " sometimes covered with skins, over which the 

 bitumen is smeared," (Nineveh, part ii., chap. 5), and Colonel Chesney says, "in 

 the present day the basket work is rarely covered with leather." They are 

 called " Kufas," and are represented in the Nineveh sculptures. See Rawlin- 

 son's Herodotus, vol. i., p, 334. Also his Ancient Monarchies, vol. ii., p. 172. 

 Carte's History of England, p. 76. 



"The Coracles" of Gaul, or hide-honts were famous in very early times. 

 [Keithley's Rome, p. 432.] 



In like manner the early Chaldaean vessels were either canoes hollowed oiit of 

 a palm trunk, or reed fabrics made water tight by a coating of bitiunen. [Raw- 

 linson's Ancient Monarchies, vol. i., p. 128.] 



* Henry's History of Great Britain, vol. ii., chap. 5. 



