270 SYLVA FLORIFERA. 



Pliny tells us, that Timasus, a very ancient 

 historian, whose works are now lost, had 

 related that the people of Britain used to sail 

 to an island, at the distance of six days' sailing, 

 in boats made of wattles, and covered with 

 skins. These kinds of boats were still in use 

 here in Csesar's time, who acquaints us that 

 he transported his army over a river in Spain, 

 in boats made in imitation of those that he 

 had seen in Britain, which he thus describes : 

 " Their keels and ribs were made of slender 

 pieces of wood, and their bodies woven with 

 wattles, and covered with skins." 



These ancient British vessels are also de- 

 scribed by Lucan and Festus Avienus : 



" Primum cana salix, madefacto vimine, parum 

 Texitur in puppim, csesoque inducta juvenco 

 Victoris patiens, tumidum circumnatat amnem. 

 Sic Venetus stagnante Pado, fusoque Britannus 

 Navigat oceano." Luc. Phars. 



" Rei ad miraculum 



Navigia junctis semper aptant pellibus, 

 Corioque vastum sa?pe percurrunt salum." 



Fest. Avienus in Oris. Marit. 



Solinus gives the same account of the boats 

 in which the ancient inhabitants of Ireland 

 and Caledonia used to pass the sea which di- 

 vides these two countries : " The sea which 

 flows between Britain and Ireland is so unquiet 



