41 



OF THE TRIBES OF IRELAND. 



Conjoined with the identity of language, customs, and manners, 

 the most satisfactory proof of the common origin of a people is 

 the coincidence of names of tribes; especially when those names 

 are common to tribes of two near islands. 



About 350 years before the Christian sera, according to Whitacre, 

 and, as he conjectures, about 630 after Britain had been planted 

 from Gaul, the fii-st British colony dislodged by the Belga^, finding 

 all the central and northern parts of England already occupied, 

 transferred themselves into the uninhabited isle of Ireland.^^ This 

 colony must consequently have been composed of some of the fol- 

 lowing tribes, which were vanquished by the Belgse ; viz. the 

 Cantii, Regni, Bibrocss or Rhemi, tribes which occupied the S. 

 coast of Britain, from Kent to the W. boundary of Dorsetshire. 

 The period of this emigration rests principally upon the information 

 of Cajsar and Richard, the latter of whom dates their departure from 



Britain, A. M. 3630. 



Mr Whitacre supposes the second embarkation to have taken 

 place in about 250 years after the first, or 100 before the Incarna- 

 tion. This colony was composed of some of six tribes, '<^- which 

 were seated N. of the former, and dislodged, according to 



VOL. XIII. ^ 



99, Whit. Manch. V. 2. p. 232. 

 100. Bibroces of Surrey, Cassii of Middlesex and Essex, Segontiaci, Uibe., which had be- 

 fore surrendered to Cssar : Haedui, Cimbri & Carnabii. 



