HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 61 



and mangling the faces, they prevented the growth of the beard. They 

 seemed to live on horseback, eating and slee})ing, even keeping council 

 without dismounting, so that they were very poor pedestrians. Their 

 horses were ugly, but strong, quick, and well trained. Koots and flesh 

 constituted their nourishment; they ate their meat raw, having first made 

 it tender by carrying it some hours between the saddle and the back of 

 their horses. They had no houses, nor even huts, and their women and 

 children lived in wagons ; here the children were born and reared. Their 

 weapons consisted of darts, slings, spears, and sabres. In war they aimed 

 •chiefly at dismounting and plundering the enemy, and observed no distinct 

 order of battle. 



Various theories are given of the origin of the Huns. It is most likely 

 that they sprang from Upper Asia, and were of Mongolian descent. This 

 view is confirmed by the historical fact, that about a century previous to their 

 appearance in Europe, the Hiong-Nus, or Mongols, were attacked by the 

 Chinese. Their empire was dissolved, and the inhabitants are supposed to 

 have roamed about the Steppes of Tartary. Tradition even ascribes to 

 them the foundation of a kingdom between the Jaik and the Obi rivers. 

 We may add, that in many of their habits the Huns bore a strong 

 resemblance to the olden Mongols, who are supposed to have been driven 

 from their possessions on the river Obi, about 318 A.D., and to have settled 

 near the Caspian Sea. The leading features of the migrations of the Huns 

 have already been given. {PI. ^O^fig. 10, a Hun.) 



11. The Caledoniai^s (Pici^). 



The Caledonians were the inhabitants of the northern part of the island 

 Albion, now Scotland. They came from the Celto-Gaelic stock, and were 

 probably the first inhabitants of the large island. Retreating before the 

 Belgic or Cambrian forces, they abandoned the south for the northern 

 districts ; at the arrival of the Romans they retired to the northern 

 Highlands, and large companies of them crossed to and settled in Hibernia 

 (Ireland). The Romans gave them the name of Picts (Pici'i), from their 

 custom of painting, but they also called them Scots. During all the time 

 of their sway in Britain the Scots kept up continual wars with the 

 Romans, who sought to limit their incursions by erecting high walls, 

 remains of which still exist. The Romans gave the name of Bri- 

 tannia Barbara, or Ulterior, to that part of the island which they 

 failed to subjugate ; Caledonia, also, was a term applied to the northern 

 regions. 



The Gaelic dialect was spoken by the ancient Caledonians ; and their 

 modern descendants, the Highlanders of Scotland and the Irish, still retain 

 the ancient language. The people lived in feudal communities or dans; 

 all of which had a common chieftain, and later, a- king. The^ 



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