896 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



TUB CELTIC NATIONS, 



Often designated by the appellation of Gomerians, may be 

 regarded as amongst the very earliest migrators that left the 

 high lands of central Asia, and moved not only in tribes towards 

 the west, but likewise, as we have before shown, penetrated to 

 the extremity of India ; and if we accept as theirs the monu- 

 mental structures, composed of very large stones, placed in a 

 particular form, such as are exemplified by what are known 

 in Europe by the term Druidical, they certainly visited the 

 South Seas and the coasts of China, and penetrated to North 

 America. By what inducement they became a nautical peo- 

 ple in the east, and under what denominations they were 

 known in Austral Asia, are questions probably beyond the 

 attainment of research. It is, however, rather singular that 

 the tribal appellation of Gal is common to many clans of Aus- 

 tralian savages; and Galla is still more extensively spread in 

 the east of tropical Africa. In the peninsula of India, we have 

 pointed out the Pandoos of remotest antiquity, with their crom- 

 lechs, and an Arkite worship evinced in their genealogy; and, 

 towards the west, we have them often greatly mixed with other 

 races, in Armenia, Circassia, Asia Minor, Ancient Greece, the 

 Bosphorus of Thrace, Sarmatia on the Baltic, in Scandinavia, 

 on the Danube, in Friesland, in Britain, Gaul, Italy, Spain, and 

 Northern Africa. They are thus known by distinctive names, 

 Celto ScythaB, Celto Cimmerians, Cymbers, Belgae, Vulci, or 

 Volsci, Centomanni, Celtiberii, Gallaici, Gallati, Galli, Galli 

 Comati, Galli Cisalpini, Britanni, Caledonii, Iberii, Hiberni, 

 with an infinite variety of tribal distinctions, and names of sub- 

 ordinate clans. Collectively, they have been named Gome- 

 rians, perhaps without sufficient reason, though we retain the 

 distinction, so far as relates to tribes of this family anciently 

 resident in the south and west of Asia ; but as there are nu- 

 merous indications that among" the first migratory tribes por- 

 tions, such as the Cimmerii and Cvmbri, directed their course 



