350 
tliot's kattteal histoet. [Book ly. 
into wliich the Ehine divides itself, discharging its waters on 
the north into the lakes there, and on the west into the river 
Mosa. At the middle mouth which lies between these two, 
the river, having but a very small channel, preserves its own 
name. 
CHAP. 30, (16.) — BRITANKIA. 
Opposite to this coast is the island called Britannia, so 
celebrated in the records of Greece^ and of our ovm country. 
It is situate to the north-west, and, with a large tract of 
intervening sea, lies opposite to Germany, Gaul, and Spain, 
by far the greater part of Europe. Its former name was 
Albion^ ; but at a later period, all the islands, of which we 
shall just now briefly make mention, w^ere included under the 
name of ^ ' Britannise." This island is distant from Gesoriacum, 
on the coast of the nation of the Morini^, at the spot where 
the passage across is the shortest, fifty miles. Pytheas and 
Isidorus say that its circumference is 4875 miles. It is 
barely thirty years since any extensive knowledge of it was 
gained by the successes of the Eoman arms, and even as yet 
they have not penetrated beyond the vicinity of the Caledo- 
nian^ forest. Agrippa believes its length to be 800 miles, and 
the territory of the Batavi, of which the one on the east continued to bear 
the name of Rhenns, while that on the west into which the Masa, Maas 
or Meuse, flowed, was called Vahalis or Waal. After Dmsus, B.C. 12, 
had connected the Flevo Lacus or Zuyder-Zee with the Rliine by means 
of a canal, ui forming which he probably made use of the bed of the 
Yssel, we find mention made of three mouths of the Rhine. Of these 
the names, as given by Pliny, are, on the west. Helium (the Yahahs of 
other writers), in the centre Rhenus, and at the north Flevum ; but at 
a later period we again find mention made of only two mouths. 
1 Britain was spoken of by some of the Grreek writers as superior to 
all other islands in the world. Dionysius, in his Periegesis, says, " that 
no other islands whatsoever can claim equahty with those of Britain." 
2 Said to have been so called from the whiteness of its cliffs opposite 
the coast of Graul. 
3 Afterwards called Bononia, the modern Boulogne. As D'Anville 
remarks, the distance here given by Phny is far too great, whether we 
measure to Dover or to Hythe ; our author's measurement however is 
probably made to Rutupise (the modern Richborough), near Sandwich, 
where the Romans had a fortified post, which was their landing-place 
when crossing over from Gl-aul. This would make the distance given by 
Pliny nearer the truth, though still too much. 
* Probably the Grrampian range is here referred to. 
