^^3' 



A. D. 14. 



The chief of thefe were Maffilia (Marfeilk), Arelate (Aries), and 

 Narbo (Narhonne), from which laft, being a Roman colony, the name 

 of Narbonenfis was extended to a large province, including the modern 

 di^afions of Languedoc, Proveiice, and Daiiphine. . By the favour of the 

 Romans Narbo became the mofl populous city in Gaul, and it alfo had 

 the greareft trade, which, according to the poetical authority of Aufoni- 

 us, extended to the eaftern fea, Spain, Africa, Sicily, and the whole 

 world. The antient Phoccean colony of Maflilia had now declined 

 very much from its former opulence in confequence of the partiality of 

 the Romans to Narbo, which was at this time efleemed the chief em- 

 porium of the v^hole country. The Romans received from Gaul, be- 

 lides the tributary metals of gold, filver, iron, &c. dug from the mines 

 of the province, linens, which were made in every part of the country, 

 corn; cheefe; excellent faked pork, and plaids, which two articles Belgic 

 Gaul fupplied in great quantities. Great flocks of geefe from the coun- 

 try of the Morini oppofite to Britain formed an article of importation ; 

 if they could be faid to be imported, which required no carriage, but 

 performed the long journey of 1,254 miles to Rome upon their own 

 feet. But our information concerning the imports from Gaul is very 

 defedive, though there is good reafon to believe, that they were very 

 confiderable. 



The chief trading ports of Gaul upon the Ocean were Burdigala (Bour^ 

 deaux), fituated on a noble sefliuary or firth at the mouth of the Garum- 

 na (Garonne), in the country of the Bituriges, a Gallic or Celtic nation 

 (occupying the modern Guienne proper) among the Aquitani, who 

 were of Spanifh origin ; Corbilo upon the Ligeris (Loire), which in the 

 time of Polybius had been a confiderable emporium, and one of the 

 three beft towns then in Gaul, (the others being Maflilia and Narbo) 

 but now declined ; the port of the Veneti, if not deferted after the ruin 

 of the people by Caefar ; a port of the Lexobii at the mouth of the Se- 

 quana (Seine); and the Portus Itius, concerning the pofltion of which 

 the learned differ in their opinions. All thefe feem to have had fome 

 intercourfe with Britain, and probably with other countries, of which 

 we have no information. 



Gaul was a country peculiarly favoured in the convenience of inland 

 navigation, being everywhere interfered by navigable rivers running 

 in very oppofite diredions ; fo that goods could be carried between the 

 Mediterranean and the Ocean with very little aflift:ance of land carriage. 

 From Narbo, above which the Atax (Jiude) was feldom navigable, they 

 were carried a few miles over-land, and refliipped on the Garumna, 

 which carried them to Burdigala. The Ligeris, the Sequana, and the 

 Rhtnus (Rhine) afforded water carriage to the very heart of the coun- 

 try, and all of them to the neighbourhood of the Rhodanus (Rhone) or 

 ■•its great navigable branches, which completed the inland water carriage 



