Reviews. 205 
slight layer entirely carbonised, which immediately overlies a 
second surface which is merely scorched, that is, which has been 
subjected to enough heat to distil the wood, whose crust is in 
consequence impregnated with the products of this distillation, 
composed principally of creositic and empyreumatic elements. 
These matters are antiseptic, and in every case the superficial 
layer of carbon prevents the progress of the fermenting process. 
“Lastly. The flame shrinks and hardens considerably the faces 
of the wood, and thus renders it infinitely less sensible to exterior 
agents.” 
Fultus Cesar: did He cross the Chaunel? By the Rev. 
ScoTT F. SURTEES, Rector of Sprotburgh, Yorkshire. 
London: John Russell Smith. 1866. - 
Tuis is an exceedingly interesting pamphlet, upon a sub- 
ject which has always been of a doubtful nature, but the 
doubt hitherto attaching to it is, as Mr. Surtees imagines, 
most satisfactorily cleared away by the publication of his 
ideas. No doubt, our author firmly believes all that 
he has written, but we beg leave to differ with his line of 
argument, and still to think that Julius Czesar did cross the 
Channel, from some point between Boulogne and Calais, 
to some point between Hythe and Deal. 
Mr. Surtees tells us that he “long held the conviction” 
that Julius Czsar did not cross the Channel, and then pro- 
ceeds to prove his views, and winds up with what he sup- 
poses to be a regular clincher, which we give in full :—“ We 
have found our views stand the test of the strictest local 
criticism, and evidence upon evidence, fact upon fact, accu- 
mulate upon us at every turn and point. In the minutest 
details, land and sea, hill and coast, marsh and river, 
Roman camps and Celtic habitations, British scoria, and 
Roman pottery, traditions of living people, and barrows of 
past ages, all bring to bear a mass of corroborative testi- 
mony that is almost overwhelming in its minutiz and 
exactness. We willtry and condense it as much as we are 
able. We had fixed upon Cromer as the point where Czsar 
made the land, Sheringham the promontory which Dio 
Cassius says that he rounded ; Weybourne as the shingle 
beach, seven or eight miles distant, where the cliff ended 
and Czsar disembarked. Now the cliffs, up to the very 
edge, are smooth and level ground, and there would be no 
difficulty in the British chariots and horsemen keeping up 
with the ships as they dropped down with the ebb-tide. 
Then the nature of the shore is such that their chariots 
could easily manceuvre even down to the very water's edge. 
NEW SERIES.—VOL. I. 
