A. D. 14, 133 



' tory was the celebrated Portus Itius, the mouths of the Sequana, the 

 Ligeris, and the Garumna, were the principal ports for the communi- 

 cation and trade between Britain and Gaul, after the Veneti were de- 

 ftroyed by Ca^far. [Strah, L. iv, p. 305.] 



The tin, which was ftill the chief article of Britifh commerce, after 

 being cafl into cubic mafles, was carried in carts at the time of low 

 water acrofs the narrow channel between the main land and the ifland 

 of Idtis (apparently the fame with the Midlis of Timseus already men- 

 tioned, p. 88.) That ifland ftill remained the general ftaple of the 

 Britifli trade ; and there the Gallic merchants met the Britilh traders 

 and miners or their agents, from whom they received the tin ; and 

 along with it alfo lead ; fome corn ; cattle ; hides, under the defcription 

 of which perhaps wool is included ; gold ; filver ; iron ; ornaments for 

 bridles, and other toys, made of a fubftance, which the Romans called 

 ivory, but more probably the bone of fome large fifh * ; ornamental 

 chains ; veflels made of amber and of glafs f ; with fome other trifling 

 articles: alfo pretious ftones and pearls J ; flaves, who were captives 

 taken in the wars carried on by the tribes againfl: each other ; dogs of 

 various fpecies, all excellent in their kinds, which were highly valued 

 by the Roman connoiflxiurs in hunting, and by the Gauls, who ufed 

 them, not only againfl wild animals in the chafe, but alfo againfl their 

 enemies in the field of battle ; and bears § for the fanguinary fports of 

 the Roman circus, though probably not fo early as the age of Auguftus. 



[Diod. Sicul. L. v, § 21 Strabo^ L. i'v, pp. 305, 307 Mela^ L. iii, c. 3 



Ma ft talis SpeSl. 9.] 



Of the goods imported into Britain we know but very little. Brafs, 

 brafen utenfils, eartiien-ware, and lalt, are all that we find any mention 

 of: neither is it certain, that they belong to fo late a period of our 

 hiftory, as that now under confideration. [Strabo, L. iv, pp. 305-307.] 



* Solinus fa^'s, that in his time the fine gentle- and tbey thence appear to have been an objeft of 



men in Ireland had thtir fword-iiandles adorned commerce. If it be true, that none of the rivers 



with the teeth of lilhes poh'fhcd as bright as ivory : farther fouth than the Solway firth produced any, 



and the fame kind of ornament continued in re- and that they were only found in confiderable quan- 



queft at Icall till the fix:h century, .as appears from tities in thofe north of the Firth of Forth, we 



the biographers of fome of the Irifli faints. mud believe, that the commercial intercourfe of 



\ The bridle ornaments, chains, airber, and the Britifh nations with each-other was much more 

 glafs ware, are tncntioned by Strabo [L. iv, p. confiderable than has been fuppofed. Cxfar col- 

 3073 in a manner which leaves it almoft doubtful, lecled a large quantity of Britilh pearls, and dedi- 

 whether they were imported into Britain, or ex- cateJ a breaft-plate compofed of them to the god- 

 ported from it. That they vine, imported, is the dels Venus. [_Sueton. in Jul. c. /^"j ."—P/in. L. ix, 

 opinion of the annotator on the paffige, and of c. 35.] 



Doftor Henry. \_HiJl. of Drlt. V. ii, /. 227, ed. ^ The exiflencc of bears in Britain has becB 



1788.] But the contrary opinion is held by al- queftioned, becaufe there are none now : but we 



mod all others, who have had occafion to confider know from the undoubted teftimony of Domef- 



the fubjeft. day book, that the city of Norwich was bound to 



X Julius Csfsr is faid to have been ftimulated furnilh one bear, and fix dogs for baiting him, to 



to the invafiou of Britain by the fight of the pearls King Edward the Confeflbr. 

 brought from it. Thefe he probably faw in Gaul; i 



